About Prep
Queensland children are required to undertake Prep prior to Year 1. Prep is a full-time program that children attend from Monday to Friday during normal school hours, generally from 9am to 3pm.
To be eligible for Prep, children must be aged 5 years by 30 June in the year they start Prep.
Prep is the start of the early stage of learning which continues until Year 2. It provides the foundation for your child's success at school by developing:
- the knowledge, understanding and skills detailed in the Australian Curriculum for English, mathematics, science and history (Foundation Year)
- a positive approach to learning
- independence and confidence
- creativity and problem-solving skills
- physical abilities, including gross and fine motor skills.
Learning in Prep
In Prep, your child will have opportunities to learn in many different ways. This includes active learning such as play-based and enquiry-based approaches. They make decisions, solve problems, develop thinking skills, collaborate, communicate and develop a positive sense of self.
Children learn about:
- speaking, listening, reading and writing
- mathematics and problem solving
- science, exploring interesting and important questions about the biological, physical and technological world
- history, beginning to examine and enquire about the past to develop curiosity and imagination.
Prep children also learn about:
- negotiating rights, roles and responsibilities and developing social skills for working and playing with others
- diverse social and cultural practices of people in their community
- making healthy choices
- experimenting with materials in a variety of creative, imaginative and innovative ways
- technology in everyday life
- music and movement.
What can families do to prepare their child for school?
There are many things that families can do to help make a child's transition to school successful including:
- getting to know as much about the school as they can
- talking with their child about school
- taking their child to the school to meet the teachers and to find out where things are
- making sure their child knows the transport arrangements for getting to and from school
- getting to know other families with children who will be in the same class as their child
- talking with their child about eating, toileting and hygiene at school
- making sure their child has had experiences of public toilets, public libraries and if relevant, public transport
- if appropriate, ensuring their child knows how before and after school hours care will work
- answering their child's questions about school
- reading some children's books about starting school with their child
- always being positive and realistic about starting school.