Starting school is a significant milestone for both children and families. At Donvale Primary School, we are committed to ensuring every child begins their school journey feeling safe, confident and ready to learn.
We believe that the early years of schooling lay the foundation for future success, and our Prep program is carefully designed to support each child’s academic, social and emotional development.
Our Prep program balances structured, explicit teaching with opportunities for play, exploration and connection.
Through a supportive and engaging classroom environment, students begin to develop the essential skills they need to become confident learners. Teachers build strong relationships with each child, helping them feel known, valued and ready to participate in school life.
Each day in Prep is thoughtfully structured to provide a balance of routine, learning and play.
A typical day may include:
Clear routines help students feel secure, while varied learning experiences keep them engaged, curious and excited about school.
Developmental play is an important part of learning in Prep. Through purposeful play experiences, students:
These experiences support students to transition smoothly into more structured learning while continuing to develop independence and curiosity.
Literacy learning in Prep is explicit, structured and evidence-based.
Students are taught using a systematic synthetic phonics approach, supporting them to:
Students also learn:
These foundational skills are carefully built and practised, ensuring every child develops confidence and success in reading and writing.
Mathematics learning in Prep focuses on building strong number sense and understanding.
Students use a range of concrete materials and hands-on experiences to:
Learning is designed to help students understand how mathematics works, not just memorise procedures.
Students begin to learn about themselves, their families and their community through Humanities learning, including:
These experiences help students build a sense of identity, belonging and curiosity about the world.
Each Prep student is paired with a Grade 6 buddy, who plays an important role in supporting their transition to school.
Through the buddy program, students:
Strong relationships between students and teachers are at the heart of everything we do.
Throughout the year, students participate in a range of incursions and excursions that bring learning to life and create memorable experiences.
These opportunities support classroom learning while building excitement, curiosity and engagement.
By the end of Prep, students have developed:
Most importantly, they develop a love of learning and a strong sense of belonging within the Donvale community.
We value strong partnerships with families and understand that starting school is a shared journey.
Our teachers work closely with parents and carers to ensure each child feels supported, settled and ready to thrive.
Enrolments for Prep at Victorian government schools are completed online through VicStudents, the Department of Education’s official enrolment system.
Start your enrolment here from April 20: https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/
VicStudents is a secure online system used by all Victorian government schools.
For important information about eligibility, required documents and key dates, please refer to the resources below:
If you are unable to complete your child’s enrolment online, paper enrolment forms are aailable from the school office.
