Confident beginnings for 2026 Prep students
Newhaven College is already preparing to welcome its 2026 Prep students
Newhaven College is already preparing to welcome its 2026 Prep students.
The College is committed to ensuring a smooth and confident start to school life through practical resources, early connections, and a strong partnership between home and school.
Each year, Newhaven College supports incoming Prep families with School Readiness Bags and Parent Information Presentations designed to help children build the foundational skills they need for a successful transition to school. These include handwriting tools, name cards, maths activities, books, and learning tasks.
The accompanying parent sessions explore literacy, numeracy, and school readiness strategies, offering families practical ways to support learning at home.
This year, families also received expert guidance from Occupational Therapist Jade Potter, who shared valuable tips on developing children's self-management, toilet independence, fine motor skills, physical development, and self-regulation.
"The presentations around literacy were so interesting and reassuring. It was wonderful to see how engaged and enthusiastic the teachers are, and how thorough Newhaven College is in building its curriculum," said one parent.
"Thank you so much for all the effort you've put into the 2026 Prep transition. We couldn't be more pleased," said another.
Research consistently highlights the importance of strong fine motor skills, oral language development, and early literacy and numeracy as key predictors of future academic success.
Smooth transitions
The College's Transition Program includes pre-offer interviews conducted in Term 1 of the year prior to commencement to gain a deep understanding of each child's strengths and needs while beginning the partnership with families.
Throughout the year, Library Sessions are held for families to visit the school, meet peers, and connect with staff in a relaxed setting. These sessions help children become familiar with their new environment and give parents a glimpse into school life.
The program culminates in a final Orientation Day, to ensure families feel prepared, confident, and excited for the year ahead.
Community connections
Beyond the classroom, parent volunteers often organise social events, from ten-pin bowling nights to paint-and-sip sessions and casual catch-ups at local venues, helping families form friendships that last well beyond the Prep year. For most families, this will be a 13-year learning journey together, and these connections are essential for building a positive and supportive community.
Across the Junior School, Class Representatives also play a key role in creating online parent groups to share reminders, updates, and celebrate milestones together.
At Newhaven College, school readiness is about nurturing curiosity, confidence, and community, and ensuring every Prep child begins their learning journey feeling secure, supported, and ready to thrive.
Prep enrolments for 2027 and 2028 are currently open.
For further enquiries, please contact the College admissions team at admissions@newhavencol.vic.edu.au, call 03 5956 7505 or visit the College website.
