What does school readiness/transition to school actually mean?

These are the terms used by educators and teachers to explain a child moving out of child care into mainstream schooling. It's less about academic skills and more about your child feeling confident, secure and supported as they move into a new learning environment. Emotional confidence, independence, communication and social skills matter just as much as early literacy and numeracy.

My child can't read or write their name yet - should I be worried?

Not at all. These skills typically develop during the kindy and Prep years themselves. What matters most before Prep is curiosity, confidence to try, and the everyday independence skills (like managing their bag or asking for help) that help your child feel settled in a group setting.

How does Sanctuary help prepare children for Prep?

Our kindy program follows the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline (QKLG) and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Our Educators build school readiness into everyday play — through warm relationships, intentional teaching, independence routines and outdoor learning — and share your child's progress with you along the way.

What is a transition statement, and do I need to do anything?

A transition statement is a strengths-based summary that helps your child's new school understand their interests, communication style, learning approach and any support needs. Your Sanctuary Educators prepare this, and you're welcome to contribute — we'll guide you through what that looks like closer to the time.

What if my child doesn't seem ready for Prep next year?

Speak with your kindy team first — that's always the best place to start. In Queensland, families can delay Prep entry by one year if needed, and no formal documentation is required. You know your child, and we're here to talk it through with you.

What can I do at home to help my child get ready?

Small, everyday things make the biggest difference: reading together daily, practising independence (shoes, lunch boxes, bag-packing), keeping routines predictable, and talking positively about school. Our free guide includes specific conversation starters and routine ideas you can start using straight away.

Is the guide really free, and is there any obligation?

Yes — completely free, no obligation. Just pop in your details and we'll send the guide straight to your inbox. If you'd like to see what life at Sanctuary actually looks like for your child, you're always welcome to book a tour too.

How do I download the guide?

Click any "Download Your Free Guide" button on this page, pop in your name, email and postcode, and it'll land in your inbox right away.

Is My Child Ready for Prep? Here's What Actually Matters

If your child is heading toward kindy or Prep, chances are you've found yourself wondering: are they ready? What should they already be able to do? Take a breath. Asking these questions is exactly what caring, switched-on parents do.

Here's the truth: school readiness isn't about ticking off a list of academic skills before the first day. It's about helping your child feel secure, confident, curious and supported as they step into a new learning environment. As the saying goes, prep readiness is not a race — it's a shared journey.

Educators and the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline (QKLG) point to the same six areas:

Emotional confidence — separating from family, managing feelings, and feeling comfortable asking for help.
Social skills — playing cooperatively, sharing, and showing kindness to others.
Communication — expressing needs, listening, and solving problems with words.
Independence — managing belongings, toileting, and everyday self-care like shoes and lunch boxes.
Curiosity — being willing to wonder, explore, and keep trying when something feels hard.
Routine awareness — following group sequences and feeling secure in predictability.

Notice what's missing? Reading fluently. Writing their name perfectly. Sitting still for an hour. Those things come, but they're not where readiness starts.

Every bedtime story, every "what could you do if your yoghurt spills?", every time your child carries their own bag to the car; these everyday moments are quietly building the exact skills Prep will ask of them. No flashcards required.

At Sanctuary, our kindy program is aligned with the QKLG and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), which means your child is already practising these skills every single day through play, guided by Educators who know them well. We also work with families through transition statements; strengths-based summaries that help your child's new school understand who they are and how they learn best, before they even walk through the door.

What does school readiness/transition to school actually mean?
These are the terms used by educators and teachers to explain a child moving out of child care into mainstream schooling.

It's less about academic skills and more about your child feeling confident, secure and supported as they move into a new learning environment. Emotional confidence, independence, communication and social skills matter just as much as early literacy and numeracy.
My child can't read or write their name yet - should I be worried?
Not at all. These skills typically develop during the kindy and Prep years themselves. What matters most before Prep is curiosity, confidence to try, and the everyday independence skills (like managing their bag or asking for help) that help your child feel settled in a group setting.
How does Sanctuary help prepare children for Prep?
Our kindy program follows the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline (QKLG) and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).

Our Educators build school readiness into everyday play — through warm relationships, intentional teaching, independence routines and outdoor learning — and share your child's progress with you along the way.
What is a transition statement, and do I need to do anything?
A transition statement is a strengths-based summary that helps your child's new school understand their interests, communication style, learning approach and any support needs. Your Sanctuary Educators prepare this, and you're welcome to contribute — we'll guide you through what that looks like closer to the time.
What if my child doesn't seem ready for Prep next year?
Speak with your kindy team first — that's always the best place to start. In Queensland, families can delay Prep entry by one year if needed, and no formal documentation is required. You know your child, and we're here to talk it through with you.
What can I do at home to help my child get ready?
Small, everyday things make the biggest difference: reading together daily, practising independence (shoes, lunch boxes, bag-packing), keeping routines predictable, and talking positively about school. Our free guide includes specific conversation starters and routine ideas you can start using straight away.
Is the guide really free, and is there any obligation?
Yes — completely free, no obligation. Just pop in your details and we'll send the guide straight to your inbox. If you'd like to see what life at Sanctuary actually looks like for your child, you're always welcome to book a tour too.
How do I download the guide?
Click any "Download Your Free Guide" button on this page, pop in your name, email and postcode, and it'll land in your inbox right away.

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