Drafting minds
Drafting minds
School Readiness Assessment
As part of our School Readiness Programme, we offer a gentle, supportive assessment to understand where your child is currently at and how best to support them. This assessment has been designed by an experienced Prep (Foundation) teacher, drawing on real classroom experience and a deep understanding of what children need to feel confident and capable when starting school.
What the Assessment involves:
Starting school asks a lot of little people. Alongside early reading, writing and number skills, children are suddenly expected to manage belongings, follow routines, use classroom resources, transition between activities, communicate their needs and complete everyday tasks with increasing independence.
Our School Readiness Assessment is not a formal or diagnostic assessment. It has been developed by an experienced Prep teacher through years of working with children across a range of schools, communities and backgrounds. Through classroom experience and conversations with other educators, the same challenges appeared time and again—often it wasn't academic ability holding children back, but the everyday skills needed to confidently navigate the school environment.
Through relaxed, age-appropriate and play-based activities, we explore areas such as:
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Early literacy and numeracy foundations
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Following instructions and classroom-style routines
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Packing and managing personal belongings
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Using scissors, pencils, glue sticks and classroom resources
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Managing lunchboxes, zippers, buttons and shoes
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Listening, remembering and participating in songs and activities
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Asking for help and communicating needs
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Turn-taking and interacting with others
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Attention, persistence and completing a task
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Confidence, initiative and independence
Why this approach matters...
When everyday school tasks become familiar and manageable, children have fewer new things to think about at once. Instead of using so much mental energy working out where does this go, what am I meant to do next, how do I open this, or how do I ask for help?, they have more capacity to listen, participate and engage with the learning happening around them.
School readiness isn't about making children "school perfect" before their first day. It's about familiarity, confidence and giving them a head start with the practical skills that make classroom life easier to navigate.
And importantly, this service isn't only for children with identified learning, developmental or additional needs. It's for any family wondering whether their child is ready for school, wanting reassurance about the skills they already have, or wanting to know what they can work on before that first big day.
Following the assessment, you'll receive clear feedback about your child's strengths and areas that may benefit from further development. Where appropriate, a targeted School Readiness Program can then be created so we're not simply practising everything—we're focusing on the skills that will make the greatest difference for your child.
You won't simply be told what your child can and can't do.
We'll help you understand what matters, why it matters and what you can realistically do about it.
You'll gain insight into your child's existing strengths, areas that may benefit from some extra practice, and practical strategies that can be incorporated naturally into everyday family life. Learning might happen while getting dressed, cooking dinner, travelling in the car, shopping, playing a game or packing a bag — without turning your home into another classroom.
Most importantly, this service is for any child preparing to start school. Your child doesn't need a diagnosis, identified learning difficulty or additional support need. You might simply be wondering “Are they ready?”, wanting reassurance before Prep, or looking for practical guidance about what to focus on in the months before school.
Following the assessment, we can develop a targeted School Readiness Program based on your child's individual strengths and priorities — so time isn't spent practising everything, but on the skills most likely to help your child enter school feeling capable, confident and ready to participate.
Because being ready for school isn't about knowing everything before you arrive. It's about having the foundations to navigate the day, communicate what you need and have enough headspace left to learn.