Preparing for Prep

• Talk about school in a cheerful manner, read books and watch the story time videos and other Essex Heights videos below.
• Encourage your child to ask questions about going to school. What do they want to know? How are they feeling?
• Help your child stay healthy. Talk to them about the healthy food they eat. Make sure they have regular health and dental checks and keep immunisations up to date.
• Encourage your child to do things on their own. These include dressing (including doing up zippers and buttons, and putting jumpers, shoes and socks on), going to the toilet, washing their hands, using a pair of scissors, unwrapping their food and opening and closing their drink bottle and lunchbox.
• Attend a school tour and the Information Evening in June.
• Have your child attend the School Transition Program.
  

We offer four Prep classes at EHPS each year (about 80 students). Parents/guardians interested in enrolment at EHPS are encouraged to attend a school tour in the year prior to entry; a tour is recommended, but not compulsory. An introduction pack, including enrolment forms, will be provided at the conclusion of a school tour, or can be collected from our School Office from the beginning of March.

Enrolment documentation is lodged in the year prior to entry. For consideration in the first round of placement offers, we welcome lodgement of documentation by the end of May from all families interested in enrolling their child at EHPS. These families are advised in writing regarding placement by the end of Term 2. After May, please contact our Office to discuss placement. 

There will be two Information Evenings for families enrolling their child in Prep. The first session is towards the end of 

Prep Transition Program

Children must be five years of age by 30th April of the year they start to be eligible for enrolment in a Victorian government school. A child must be at school in the year that they turn six years of age (the compulsory school starting age).

Starting primary school is a special milestone in your child's life. It is an exciting time for your family transitioning from kinder to the primary school setting.

At the beginning of their Prep year, students attend their School Entry Assessment (one hour interview between the child and their classroom teacher) during the first week of Term 1. Their first day at school starts at a nominated time between 9am and 10am and finishes at 1.30pm, followed by about a week attending from 8:50 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. They usually commence fulltime (8:50 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) in week 3 of Term 1.

Our School Transition Program for children offered a Prep placement occurs during Terms 3 and 4. 

A comprehensive School Transition Program is offered for our incoming Prep students and their families.

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Click here to view details about our School Transition Program for children commencing Prep in 2022

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Parent Sessions will be held concurrent to the children's Transition 1 and 2 sessions to matters and preparing your child for learning. These are also discuss topics such as health great opportunities to meet other families with a child starting in Prep.