Ready, set, Prep!
Five sessions in a classroom set up just like Prep, led by a school leader, a speech and language educator and a child and family specialist. Small groups, real classroom routines and experienced eyes on your child, so they walk into school confident and you start the year knowing exactly where they're at.
Starting school is one of the biggest steps of early childhood.
Most parents feel some mix of excitement and worry in the months before Prep. Those worries are usually spot on: they're the exact skills that help children settle well in Term 1. The good news is that every one of them can be practised.
And exactly how we answer them
Will they make friends?
We coach joining in, sharing, taking turns and sorting out playground moments, so friendships start well from week one.
What if big feelings take over?
Children learn and practise regulation strategies, their own inner compass, for the moments when there's no grown up right beside them.
Will they cope with the routines?
Mat time, lining up, the bell, packing away and putting a hand up for help, practised until they feel natural.
Are they on track with letters and numbers?
Literacy and numeracy stations built on speech, language and Sounds Write expertise: hearing sounds in words, early counting and patterns.
Will they manage on their own?
Pencil grip, scissors, lunch boxes, drink bottles and bags: the fine motor and independence skills Prep relies on every day.
Will I know what they need?
You'll receive a snapshot of your child's strengths and next steps, and talk it through one to one with one of us.
Three hours that feel just like a real Prep day
Every session follows the rhythm of a Prep classroom, so the first day of school feels familiar. Here's how a morning flows.
A classroom set up like Prep. Experts who know what Prep asks of children.
This isn't your child's future school, and it isn't a holiday care program. It's a purpose built Prep experience run independently by three educators who have spent decades welcoming children into school, leading learning diversity and supporting children who need a little extra.
Children come from kinders across the eastern suburbs, so everyone starts as the new friend. That's exactly the confidence they'll need on day one.
You're part of this too
The holidays before Prep are when the most growth can happen at home. We walk alongside you the whole way.
The Big Step into School online program
From the day you enrol, you have access to The Big Step into School, Jess's online program from The Connection Advantage Parent Edition. Short, practical lessons you watch in your own time, so what you do at home matches what your child is practising with us.
- Watch at home, whenever it suits
- Practical strategies for the lead up to the first day
- Ideas for the first weeks of school, when tiredness and big feelings peak
The Big Step into School
From The Connection Advantage Method, used by families and schools across Australia.
Three senior educators. Two respected practices. One program.
Ready, set, Prep! is a collaboration between Journey Together and Flourish Intervention and Support, with school leadership from Peta. Together we bring more than 75 years across Victorian classrooms, school leadership, learning diversity, speech and language, and child and family development.
Jess Robertson
Journey Together works with families, schools and OSHC services across Australia on the relationships children learn best within. Jess brings the parent lens: reading your child, supporting big feelings and making the first weeks of school feel manageable at home.
- Masters qualified, 25+ years with children, families and schools
- Creator of The Connection Advantage Method
- Featured on the Today Show and TEDx
Felicity Cramp
Flourish supports children and schools with learning, language and early literacy, through practical intervention that helps children feel capable. Felicity leads the literacy and language parts of the program, noticing how each child listens, speaks and links sounds to letters.
- Master of Education, completing her speech pathology degree
- 25+ years across schools and early childhood
- Learning diversity leader, Sounds Write trained
Peta Sanders
Peta has spent more than 25 years in primary schools, leading as assistant principal and learning diversity leader. She brings the school view: the routines, independence and early learning Prep teachers hope to see in Term 1, and how to help children walk in ready for them.
- Assistant principal, 25+ years in primary schools
- Learning diversity leader
- Sounds Write trained
Made for every child getting ready for Prep
Ready, set, Prep! is preparation, not catch up. It's for children who are on their way and would love a head start on the routines, friendships and early learning that make Term 1 feel familiar.
A great fit if your child
- Is starting Prep in 2027
- Is confident, quiet, busy or somewhere in between
- Would enjoy practising school routines with a small group
- Has a family who wants to know where they are at before day one
Good to know
- This is an educational preparation program, not therapy or an additional needs program
- Every family starts with a free 15 minute call, so we can make sure it suits your child
- If your child already has a diagnosis or therapy support, tell us on the call and we will talk it through honestly
- If another option would suit them better, we will point you towards it
Five sessions this summer
Choose the morning or afternoon group. Your child attends the same group for all five sessions.
Venue: a school classroom in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, confirmed on enrolment.
- 15 hours of small group learning with three senior educators
- A free 15 minute call before you begin
- Three recorded parent Q&As answering your questions
- Weekly strategies for home through the holidays
- Your child's snapshot of strengths and next steps
- A 30 minute one to one conversation afterwards
- Access to The Big Step into School online program
Enrol by Friday 13 November and enter code EARLYBIRD at checkout for the early bird rate. Families referred by their kinder or school can use their community code instead.
Secure your place Not sure yet? Request your free 15 minute call firstYour child's place is confirmed as soon as you enrol. Because each group is small and we prepare for every child before the first session, fees aren't refundable. If plans change, let us know and we'll do what we can to help, such as transferring the place to another family.
Four simple steps
Frequently asked
Who is the program for?
Children starting Prep in 2027, usually in their four year old kinder year now. It suits confident children who are ready to go, and children who might need a little more time to feel comfortable in a new place.
Is this a program for children with additional needs?
No. Ready, set, Prep! is an educational preparation program for children getting ready to start Prep. If your child has a diagnosis or receives therapy support, let us know on your free call. We'll talk it through honestly and, if another option would suit them better, point you towards it.
Is this run by my child's future school?
No. It's an independent program run by Journey Together and Flourish Intervention and Support, held in a school classroom set up just like Prep. Children come from many kinders and will start at many different schools. It's designed to complement the transition program your child's school runs in Term 4, giving them extra time and practice over the holidays.
Is this therapy or an assessment?
No. It's an educational program led by experienced educators. Our team's background means we notice a lot, so you'll receive a snapshot of your child's strengths and next steps, written for parents, to take into Term 1.
My child is shy or anxious about new places. Will they be okay?
Those are often the children who benefit most. Small groups, three educators and the same group across all five sessions mean children have time to warm up. Tell us about your child on your free call and we'll plan for them.
Do children need to be toilet trained?
Children should be able to manage toileting with general reminders, as they will at school. If you have questions about your child, ask us on your free call.
How do the parent Q&As work?
Through December and January you can send us your questions, with or without your name. We record three Q&A sessions answering them all and share each recording with every family, so you can watch whenever suits.
What should my child bring?
A school style bag, a lunch box with snacks and lunch, a drink bottle and a hat. We'll send a full list on enrolment, along with the venue details.
What if we can't make one of the sessions?
Life with young children happens, and we understand. Sessions are planned as a set, so fees aren't refundable, but we'll share ideas from any missed session so your child can catch up at home.
Request your free 15 minute call
Pick a time that suits you on a Monday or Wednesday afternoon and we'll call you. No pressure, just a conversation about your child and whether Ready, set, Prep! is the right fit.
In your message, share your child's first name, their kinder, whether the morning or afternoon group suits you, and the best time to call.
Email us to arrange your free callPrefer we contact you? Leave your details below and we'll be in touch.
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An independent program by Journey Together and Flourish Intervention and Support.
