Transitions

Helping your child move to the next phase

Children develop best when they feel safe and confident.

School life can be full of change, from home to ‘big school’ to Senior School and beyond.

Through our expertly designed transition programs, Pittwater House helps your child manage these changes with ease.

'Big school' is a big deal, for both kids and their parents.

For students who are starting in our new Pre-Kindy program, the transition into Kindergarten will become easy and fun.

From the age of four*, your child will be able to attend a structured transition program either 3, 4 or 5-days per week during Term time.

Using the Early Years Learning Framework but referencing the NSW Education Standards Authority's Early Stage 1 Key Learning Areas as its primary source of inspiration, your child will learn foundational skills and knowledge to prepare them for school.

They will get to know their class teacher and become familiar with their classroom and uniform, the routine, our campus facilities and our specialist teaching staff.

What's more, your child can meet other classmates and make friends, so they feel like a part of the school community.

You can join our vibrant and welcoming parent network, which connects you to other parents of the Junior School, providing a ready-made community for your family.

Enquire about our new Pre-Kindy program here, or contact the Registrar on 02 9972 5789 or [email protected].

* Before 30 April

Students from our Pre-Kindy program and new Kindergarten enrolments are all invited to attend our Kindergarten orientation program, which is designed to ensure your child feels comfortably immersed in our School before they even start.

During November the year before, all children entering Kindergarten spend two scheduled mornings in a Kindergarten classroom, familiarising themselves with their surroundings and routine. They spend time getting to know their peers, do fun activities, explore the Junior School’s adventure playground and practice using the Junior School’s facilities, such as bathrooms and bubblers.

We aim to get your child excited about their first day and seeing the teachers and their new friends again.

And once they have settled in, our older Junior School students befriend our Kindergarten boys and girls in our buddy program. These buddies help our youngest students feel safe and more equipped to navigate Junior School.

In Year 6, we gently introduce students to the demands and responsibilities of Senior School to help prepare them emotionally and academically for high school.

This transition program includes special learning strategies and collaborative teaching between primary and secondary school teachers.

Students take on leadership roles in Years 6 and nurture ‘big brother’ or ‘big sister' relationships with younger students at the school.

All Year 6 students from Pittwater House and other schools attend one of three Year 7 orientation days in Term 4 when they have the chance to participate in a number of classes our current Year 7 students enjoy.

They will also spend a day sitting a placement test which will inform their class allocations when they commence in Year 7.

We develop senior students’ study habits, critical thinking skills and sense of personal responsibility to set them up for success at University and life beyond.

We also mentor each Year 12 student individually. Each student selects a mentor from the senior staff, who helps them navigate their HSC year and prepare for the future. To help prepare students emotionally for the challenges ahead, we provide sessions by an expert fitness professional, on the best nutrition and exercise for the HSC.

For parents, we have a range of information evenings, welcome events and social activities designed to help you know our staff, our processes and our staff.

Ahead of your child's commencement at the School, our Registrar will be your main point of contact, however in Term 4 each year we hold a New Parents' Information Night to introduce new parents to key staff and processes to assist with their onboarding into the School community.

Our Welcome Drinks event at the start of each year, is yet another opportunity for new and current families and staff to all converge to make this strong, flourishing community what it is.

Throughout any given year, we have a number of fun and well attended social events arranged by our dedicated Pittwater House Parents' Association volunteers. Read more about them here.

For any questions about these events, contact the Registrar on 02 9972 5789.