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September 10, 2026
Last updated: August 2026
The transition to kindergarten is the formal process of moving a child from preschool into their first year of primary school, and in NSW it's more than just filling in an enrolment form. It includes orientation visits, a handover of information between your child's early childhood educators and their new school, and a settling-in period once term starts. Children can begin kindergarten at the start of the school year if they turn five on or before 31 July of that year, and by law every child must be in school by their sixth birthday. For most Castle Hill families with a child due to start in 2027, the process is already under way: schools typically run their orientation and transition programmes through Term 3 and Term 4 of the year before, which means right now is a good time to contact your chosen school if you haven't already.
This guide walks through what the transition process actually involves, what happens and when, what a Transition to School Statement is, what to expect from orientation day, and how to help your child feel ready both practically and emotionally, including how the final year at Kings Road Long Day Preschool fits into that process. For the developmental side of readiness, what your child needs to know and be able to do, see our school readiness guide for Castle Hill families.
Transition to school is the planned handover between early childhood education and the first year of primary school, not a single event but a process that runs across most of the year before kindergarten starts. The NSW Department of Education's Transition to Primary School Guidelines set out how schools should run this process: building your child's familiarity with the school environment, helping school staff understand each child's strengths and needs before day one, and easing the shift from a play-based early learning setting into a classroom.
Enrolment is a separate step inside this bigger process, not the whole thing. You'll still need to complete an application to enrol with your local or chosen school, which asks for your child's birth certificate, proof of address, and an immunisation history statement from the Australian Immunisation Register. But a good transition programme goes well beyond paperwork. It's meant to help your child recognise the school bell, know where the toilets are, and have already met the teacher before their actual first day.
The transition process for a child starting kindergarten in 2027 begins well before the school year does, typically kicking off with an initial enquiry or open day in the middle of the preceding year and building toward a full orientation day closer to the end of the year. Exact dates vary by school and by sector (public, Catholic or independent), so there's no single NSW-wide calendar. What's consistent is the shape of it: an early visit to meet staff, one or more shorter transition sessions where children spend supervised time in a classroom-like setting, and a longer orientation day nearer the end of the year.
Contact your chosen school directly, and do it early. Ask what their transition programme looks like, when their sessions run, and whether they'd like to hear from your child's current early childhood service before then.
Some early childhood services put together a Transition to School Statement, a written summary of a child's strengths, interests and approaches to learning, prepared by their educators and shared with the new school ahead of the school year. Think of it as a head start for the receiving Kindergarten teacher, who gets to know something real about each new student before they've even met them, instead of starting from scratch on day one. It's meant to complement, not replace, other transition activities like visits and information sessions.
The NSW Department of Education requires this specifically for services that receive Start Strong funding, who must complete a statement for every child in the year before kindergarten and share it with families and the new school before term starts. Plenty of other services, funded or not, use some version of this handover as good practice, because it genuinely helps a new teacher understand a child faster. It's a fair question to ask your child's educators directly: will a statement or summary be prepared for my child, and when will it go to their new school?
Expect orientation day to be the longest and most complete transition session your child attends before their actual first day, often a full or half day inside their future classroom with their future teacher. A well-run session sticks to practical and emotional groundwork: finding the way around the classroom, playground and toilets, learning where pick-up and drop-off happen, hearing the school bell, and starting to recognise a few faces. What it should not look like is a "push-down" Kindergarten curriculum. Schools shouldn't be teaching Early Stage 1 syllabus content during a transition visit; the point is familiarity, not a head start on formal lessons. As a guide, the Department recommends transition sessions add up to around 50 hours across the year without a parent present, with no cap if you're there too.
Some schools also run separate information sessions for parents, covering uniforms, a typical day, and how to reach the school with questions. If your child already attends preschool with other children heading to the same school, mention it to your service. A familiar face on transition day takes a lot of the edge off.
Practical preparation matters more than it might seem, because a child who's comfortable with their own uniform and bag has one less thing to manage on an already big day. Get the uniform and shoes sorted before term starts, and have your child wear the shoes around the house for a few days so they're not stiff and unfamiliar on day one. A backpack with adjustable straps, and a lunch box and drink bottle your child can open themselves, save a surprising amount of first-week stress. It's worth checking your school's policy on hats, sun protection and any food restrictions before you shop.
Emotional preparation is just as real a job. Talk about school in a positive, matter-of-fact way, and follow your child's lead, without raising it constantly yourself. Reading a picture book about starting school together can open up conversations your child might not start on their own. If you can arrange a playdate with another child heading to the same school before term begins, do it. Knowing one familiar face in the room makes an enormous difference on day one.
Separation can still be hard even for a child who's managed drop-offs at preschool without much fuss, since a new school, a new teacher and a full classroom of unfamiliar children is a bigger adjustment than most children have faced before. If you're working through separation worries in the lead-up, our guide on helping your child with separation anxiety has practical strategies that carry over well to this transition too. On the morning itself, aim to arrive before the bell, and keep the goodbye brief and warm, not drawn out. Say goodbye properly. Slipping away while your child's distracted might feel easier in the moment, but it tends to backfire once they notice.
Once term starts, give the first few weeks room to be tiring. Children are often more hungry and more worn out than usual after a full day of new routines, so a decent snack and some downtime before dinner help more than a packed after-school calendar does.
Children can start kindergarten at the beginning of the school year if they turn five on or before 31 July of that year. By law, every child must be enrolled in compulsory schooling by their sixth birthday.
No. Enrolment is the administrative step of applying to and being accepted at a school. Transition to school is the broader process of building familiarity and sharing information before day one, including orientation visits and, for many children, a handover statement from their early childhood educators.
Not necessarily. It's worth contacting your chosen school directly, ideally well before the year your child starts, to ask about their transition programme and key dates. Don't wait for a notice to arrive.
It's a written summary of your child's strengths, interests and approaches to learning, prepared by their early childhood educators and shared with their new school before term starts. Services that receive Start Strong funding must prepare one for every child in the year before kindergarten; many other services do too, as good practice.
Very little, by design. NSW guidelines specifically discourage a "push-down" kindergarten curriculum during transition sessions. The goal is familiarity with the environment and routines, not early academic instruction.
Children move through Kings Road Long Day Preschool's Wallaby and Kangaroo classes within an Early Years Learning Framework programme designed to build the confidence and routines that make a school transition easier, and our educators are happy to talk with you about what your child's own new school might need from you during that process.
Kings Road Long Day Preschool has been helping Castle Hill families through this exact transition since 1989. Children in the Kangaroo Class spend their final preschool year building the routines, independence and confidence that make the shift to a classroom feel like a natural next step rather than a leap. If you'd like to know more about how we support that final year, or whether a handover with your chosen school is something we can help arrange, just ask us directly, we're glad to talk it through. If you have a younger child not yet enrolled anywhere, our 2027 and 2028 places are open now.
Ready to see it for yourself? Book a tour or get in touch, and we'll walk you through how the final year at Kings Road Long Day Preschool sets children up for a confident start to school.
