More support will be available to educators and teachers to better prepare for children moving from kindergarten to school.

Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education Sonya Kilkenny announced additional support for early childhood services and schools will be available to prepare children in kinder for their transition to school in 2021 amid the pandemic.

Educators will be able to register for online professional development workshops and webinars, to learn how to adapt existing transition programs during coronavirus restrictions – as well as adapt Transition Statements to support the continuity of learning as they make this transition during coronavirus.

Educators will also be able access new resources including guidance for kindergartens on transition in a time of COVID-19 and guidance for schools to best meet the needs of Prep students who have had a disrupted kindergarten year due to the pandemic.

These tools will help educators and teachers give practical advice on the transition to school processes to ensure children and families are ready for this significant milestone.

Early childhood educators and schools need to work collaboratively together and with families to ensure kindergarten children can effectively transition and take on new challenges in the Prep classroom.

A positive start to school, leading to greater and ongoing connection with school, has been identified as a factor in disrupting cycles of disadvantage, and in promoting resilience among young people.

The Victorian Government is rolling out $160 million of School Readiness Funding to all kindergartens state-wide by 2021 to engage with professional support and evidence-based informed programs to help children learn.

Making Victoria the Education State starts with the early years – which is why the Victorian Government is also investing $5 billion over a decade to deliver a full 15 hours of three-year-old kindergarten to all Victorian children.