Dear colleagues

Welcome to the second last edition of Early Childhood Update for 2024, which comes to you on the day of the Victorian Early Years Awards(opens in a new window) (Thursday 7 November 2024), where we’ll celebrate the remarkable talent, ingenuity, and professionalism that define our sector.

In keeping with the celebratory theme, congratulations also go to Sarah Rawley (Gowrie Victoria) who was recently awarded the Barbara Creaser Young Advocate Award at the 2024 Early Childhood Australia annual conference.

This prestigious national recognition highlights young early childhood professionals who excel in advocacy, with Sarah influencing and supporting funded kindergartens as a wayipungitj (supporter) for the Hume and Merri-bek area, North-Western Region.

But it’s not just awards: we’re committed to helping our workforce, right across the sector, share and grow their skills and expertise.

In this month’s edition, you can learn about the different ways to build your skills as an educational leader, including information on the upcoming Best Start, Best Life: 2025 Educational Leaders Conference(opens in a new window), the Victorian Educational Leadership Program(opens in a new window), the End-to-End Career Supports Alumni Conference(opens in a new window) and the Best Start, Best Life Evening Leadership series(opens in a new window).

Last week, we also announced the 2025 Kindergarten funding rates(opens in a new window), which we know will be welcome news.

We’ve been creating more options for families in areas of need, with Early Learning Victoria’s 4 new centres opening in Term 1, 2025 and have also announced the locations for 6 new centres, opening in 2027.

In this month’s edition, you’ll also find articles inviting you to:

• download a readiness checklist in preparation for Arrival(opens in a new window)
• prepare your service for the bushfire season(opens in a new window)
• help families find a service by using the new interactive map on the Find a Kinder Program (opens in a new window)website
• watch a heartwarming video(opens in a new window) about Sahay Moo See, an Early Childhood Scholarship recipient born in a refugee camp and now a kindergarten teacher in Werribee.

As we near the end of 2024 and look ahead to 2025, service providers are reminded that Transition, Learning, and Development Statements(opens in a new window) for all children transitioning to school in 2025 must be completed by Friday 20 December 2024. Declarations are also open for children recommended for a second year of funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten(opens in a new window).

All the best for the month ahead.

Bronwen FitzGerald
Deputy Secretary
Early Childhood Education

Arrival(opens in a new window) is a new purpose-built system that will replace the Kindergarten Information Management System (KIMS) for mandatory kindergarten data reporting. Arrival will also include functionality to enable sessional services to collect and report attendance data.

A readiness checklist is now available to support providers and services to prepare for the transition to Arrival.

The checklist includes key steps that providers and services should take to get ready for the introduction of the new system in January 2025.

You can download the checklist from our new Arrival: Guidance and resources(opens in a new window) webpage. This webpage will be updated with materials and resources as services transition to Arrival.

Information sessions

Thank you to everyone who attended an information session in October.

Over the 6 sessions, more than 950 people attended. The sessions provided an overview of Arrival and the opportunity to ask questions.

The information on the Arrival webpages for sessional providers(opens in a new window) and long day care providers(opens in a new window) has been updated to reflect the questions asked and responses shared in the sessions.

Make sure your email address is compliant

Thank you to all providers and services that updated their user emails in the Kindergarten Information Management System (KIMS) ahead of the transition to Arrival.

The department is committed to best practice and high standards for data security and privacy to protect the personal information about children, families, and educators stored in Arrival. Part of this commitment involves implementing strict user access controls to safeguard against data breaches and unregulated access to personal information.

If you need to update any outstanding non-compliant email addresses, please visit our Arrival webpage(opens in a new window) which includes 'step-by-step instructions on how to check and update email addresses'.

Service providers have until Friday 15 November 2024 to ensure all users have compliant email addresses in KIMS.

Services that do not have a compliant email address will not be able to access Arrival to complete Annual Confirmation.

Find out more

For more information, refer to the Arrival homepage.

For further enquiries, email the department’s Arrival Implementation team: arrival.implementation@education.vic.gov.au

Early Learning Victoria has announced the locations of 6 new early learning and childcare centres that will open in 2027.

The centres will offer long day care, Three-Year-Old Kindergarten and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten/Pre-Prep, in line with the rollout schedule.

The centres will be located:

• at Avoca Primary School (Pyrenees Shire Council)
• at Cohuna Consolidated School (Gannawarra Shire Council)
• at Newborough East Primary School (Latrobe City Council)
• near Meeniyan Primary School (South Gippsland Shire Council)
• in Nicholson (East Gippsland Shire Council)
• in Red Cliffs (Mildura Rural City Council).

The new centres are part the Victorian Government’s Best Start, Best Life(opens in a new window) reforms to improve access to early education and care, and establish 50 early learning and childcare centres by 2032.

Early Learning Victoria will open the first 4 centres in Term 1, 2025. From 2026, 18 centres will collectively deliver more than 1,800 licensed places for local children and families. Another 12 centres will open in sites across Victoria throughout 2027 and 2028. The remaining centres will open between 2029 and 2032.

Find out more

For more information, refer to the Early Learning Victoria(opens in a new window) website.

The Victorian Government will open 11 more kindergartens at government schools in 2026 and 2027.

These new kindergartens will create more than 1,700 additional places for local families, making quality kindergarten programs easier to access.

Locating kindergartens on or close to schools makes drop-off more convenient for busy parents and carers and provides a smoother transition for children to primary school.

Since 2019, the government has delivered 60 new or expanded kindergartens on or near school sites.

New 2026 kinder locations

The Government has announced that a kindergarten at Manor Lakes P-12 College will open in 2026.

This adds to the existing 22 kindergartens on school sites opening in 2026.

New 2027 kinder locations

The 10 new kindergartens will open in 2027 located at the following school sites:

• Iramoo Primary School
• Point Cook South P-9 (interim name)
• Skye Primary School
• Fishermans Bend Primary School (interim name)
• Mirniyan Primary School
• Clyde Creek North Primary School (interim name)
• Carwatha College P-12
• Sunbury College
• Footscray North Primary School
• Benalla P-12 College Clarke Street Campus.

Find out more

For more information, refer to Kinders at schools(opens in a new window).

Following user feedback, the Find a Kinder Program website(opens in a new window) has been updated.

The updated interactive map helps families find Victorian Government-approved kinder programs with play-based learning and details on how to enrol.

The updated search functions mean families can choose between a sessional kindergarten program or an integrated long day care program while searching in their local area.

The new map is one of several tools the department has developed to help parents and carers to be informed about their child's early childhood journey, including the Starting Age Calculator(opens in a new window).

Services are encouraged to share these tools with families and other networks in their local community.

Find out more

Check out the updated interactive map at Find A Kinder Program(opens in a new window).

Learn more about information for families on the Sending your child to kinder(opens in a new window) webpage.

Early childhood teachers must complete a Transition Learning and Development Statement(opens in a new window) (TLDS) for all children transitioning to school in 2025 by Friday 20 December 2024.

Kindergarten service providers received a funding contribution during Term 3, 2024 for support releasing early childhood teachers to write TLDS.

This funding was paid to all eligible services through the Kindergarten Information Management System (KIMS) and named ‘Assessment for learning’. Please check your KIMS funding request record for details of the payment.

Online TLDS login information delays

TLDS are completed online using the Online TLDS tool(opens in a new window). The tool re-opened in July 2024.

Services should have received new login credentials through their registered service email address (as per NQAITS) through an email from insight@linkit.com(opens in a new window).

Please note that there is currently a delay of up to 10 business days in the synchronisation of updated contact and service details from NQAITS to the online TLDS tool. This issue will also affect new services. We apologise for this inconvenience and suggest you plan accordingly.

If you have not received your login credentials, please contact our helpdesk partner, the State Library of Victoria (SLV), using the details below.

Find out more

For more information about the online TLDS tool, including how to write a TLDS, refer to Complete an online Transition Learning and Development Statement(opens in a new window).

For helpdesk support, including login information and training on how to use the tool, please contact SLV. You can contact the SLV helpdesk from Monday to Friday, between 9 am and 5 pm, by:

• phone: 03 8664 7001 or toll-free: 1800 629 835
• email: support@kindergarten.vic.gov.au

For other enquiries, contact the department by email: early.years.transition@education.vic.gov.au

During the Four-Year-Old Kindergarten(opens in a new window) year, the early childhood teacher and the child's parents and/or guardians will work together to plan for the child's transition to school.

If an early childhood teacher thinks that a second year of funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten may be appropriate for a child, they should be having discussions with the child’s parents or carers.

A second year of funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten may be considered when a child shows delays in learning and development outcome areas in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework(opens in a new window), and when:

• the kindergarten program is deemed to be the most appropriate learning program
• the child will achieve better outcomes at kindergarten than if they go to school.

In submitting a Declaration of Eligibility in KIMS, the early childhood teacher is confirming to the department that a child is eligible for a Second year of funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten(opens in a new window) and that the Term Three Plan for Learning and Development and the Second Year Discussion forms have been completed.

Services must submit applications in KIMS by 28 November 2024. For more information, visit How to Complete a Second Year Declaration for a Child in KIMS(opens in a new window).

Children who attended a funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program in 2024 are not eligible to access a second year of funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in 2025.

Find out more

For more information about eligibility requirements, visit Second year of funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten(opens in a new window).

Previous and current participants of the End-to-End Career Supports program are invited to attend the annual Alumni Conference on Friday 8 November 2024.

The conference is a celebration of their initial years as early childhood professionals.

Participants will hear from engaging speakers on topics including:

• Managing Professional Conversations with Colleagues
• Building and Maintaining Your Professional Identity.

Participants will also take part in small group discussions and connect with peers.

More than 700 early-career teachers and diploma-qualified educators accessed the program in 2023 and 2024.

The program aims to enhance practice and foster connections with other early childhood professionals through coaching and communities of practice. The impact of these supports will be showcased at the upcoming conference, where participants will share their experiences and insights gained throughout the program.

Event details

• Date: Friday 8 November 2024
• Time: 10 am to 3:30 pm
• Location: Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, 603 Queensberry St, North Melbourne.

To register, refer to End to End Careers Support 2024 Alumni Event(opens in a new window). Registration closes midnight Thursday 7 November 2024.

Find out more

For more information about the End-to-End program, refer to Supports for early career early childhood professionals(opens in a new window).

When she first arrived in Australia as a 17-year-old, Sahay Moo Soe couldn't speak English.

Part of the Karen community in Melbourne’s west, Sahay said when she was young, she ‘always dreamed of going to uni’.

Both Sahay’s parents were teachers in the refugee camp she grew up in, so a love of teaching and nurturing the next generation was ingrained in her.

The path to a career in education

In Year 12, Sahay completed a Vocational Education and Training course in early childhood. She always knew she wanted to be a teacher but wasn’t sure which area or age group.

While on placement at a kindergarten, she ‘met amazing mentors and just fell in love with the sector’ and knew she wanted to learn more about it.

She completed her diploma, then continued on to complete a Bachelor of Education at Victoria University. While studying, Sahay applied for an Early Childhood Scholarship(opens in a new window).

‘I needed support financially, so I looked into scholarships and I found that (the Early Childhood Scholarship) through the department website and I applied for it’ Sahay said.

‘Receiving that took a huge stress off me and it just helped a lot’.

Sahay now teaches at the Victoria University Children’s Centre in Werribee.

Being part of an amazing journey

Sahay said working in early childhood teaches you to ‘pleasure every little moment in life’.

‘If you ask anyone who works in this setting, they will tell you it’s a very rewarding job.’

‘You look back on your day and there’s always going to be a moment where your heart is full, where you’re happy, where you’re glad you are their teacher’ Sahay said.

‘Whether it is a child learning to put their shoes and socks on or write their name for the first time — it’s a lot of work being a kindergarten teacher, but there is always a day where something amazing happens’.

Share your team’s stories

If you have a story that you’d like to share about an early childhood educator or teacher at your service, please let us know. We would love to talk to them about what drives them in their work and explore the impact they have.

You can contact the department’s communications team using the email address below.

Find out more

For more information on Early Childhood Scholarships, visit Financial support to study and work in early childhood(opens in a new window).

For further enquiries, or to share stories, contact the department by email: ec.portfolio.communications@education.vic.gov.au

Expressions of interest are open for the Victorian Educational Leaders Program(opens in a new window) (VELP) running in Term 2, 2025.

The free program includes 2 micro-credential course options available to all educational leaders in Victorian government-funded kindergarten services.

Expressions of interest close at 6 pm Friday 17 January 2025.

The program will run again in Term 3, 2025. Registrations for that intake will open in March 2025.

About the program

The courses offered through the VELP will support educational leaders to:

• strengthen leadership skills and facilitate team teaching
• understand, identify, drive and implement quality practice
• use data and evidence to support practice change
• understand and implement strategies to support children’s continuity of early learning.

The VELP comprises 2 micro-credentials for educational leaders to choose from:

• VELP Foundations — for new educational leaders with up to 2 years experience
• VELP Advanced — for experienced educational leaders with more than 2 years’ experience.

Each course is delivered online and requires a time commitment of 50 hours of learning over 10 weeks in Term 2, 2025. Educational leaders will only complete one course.

Find out more

For more information or to express interest, refer to the Victorian Educational Leadership Program(opens in a new window) website.

For further enquiries about the program, email VELP: velp@qut.edu.au

The Best Start, Best Life Evening Leadership Series (opens in a new window)supports Victoria’s early childhood service and organisational leaders in their continued implementation of the Best Start, Best Life reforms.

The next event, Best Start, Best Life: Realising the Benefits, will take place on Thursday 28 November 2024 at Alexandra Oval Community Centre in Ararat, and will be live streamed for attendees across Victoria.

The event will be a fantastic opportunity for you to hear the latest information about the Best Start, Best Life reforms as well as insights from our featured speaker and panelists.

Approved providers, service managers and administrators, peak bodies, early years managers and committees of management are all welcome to join us for this event.

The session will feature:

• practical advice from an expert speaker and other early childhood services for navigating change
• approaches for engaging with children and families about the reforms and what they mean for your service
• reflections from local leaders on collective efforts to prepare for Pre-Prep.

Event details

• Date: Thursday 28 November 2024
• Time: 6 pm to 7:15 pm
• Platform: In person (Ararat) or online
• Cost: Free.

To register, refer to the registration link(opens in a new window). Registration closes on Monday 25 November 2024 at 11:59pm.

Find out more

For more information, refer to Events for service and organisational leaders.

For further enquiries, contact the Practitioner and Leadership Development team by email: ec.forums.networks@education.vic.gov.au

The second Best Start, Best Life: Educational Leaders Conference will take place on Friday 28 March 2025 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The conference theme is ‘Brain development and the criticality of the early years’.

All educational leaders working in a Victorian-funded early childhood service are invited to attend either in person or online.

Participants will hear from local and international experts about practical, evidence-based approaches to improve early childhood education. It is also an opportunity to network and connect with other educational leaders.

About the conference

The full-day conference will include keynote presentations from 2 international experts:

• Professor John Spencer, Professor of Psychology, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom. Professor Spencer’s research focuses on infant brain health, executive functioning, working memory, attention and inhibitory control.
• Professor Deborah Phillips, Professor of Psychology, Georgetown University and Co-Director, Centre for Research on Children, United States of America. Professor Phillips’ research focuses on the developmental effects of early childhood programs for children, including those with additional needs.

The Australian Council of Education Research will also deliver 2 workshops on the day to provide an early showcase of the intentional teaching professional learning program that will be released in late 2025. The workshops will focus on:

• intentional teaching
• improving teacher-child interactions
• building subject matter knowledge in language and literacy
• using learning progressions.

Event details

• Date: Friday 28 March 2025
• Time: 9 am to 5 pm
• Platform: In person and online
• Venue (in person): Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
• Cost: Free.

To register, visit Best Start, Best Life: 2025 Educational Leaders Conference Registrations(opens in a new window). Registrations close at 6 pm Sunday 2 March 2025.

Find out more

For more information about the conference, refer to Best Start, Best Life: 2025 Educational Leaders Conference(opens in a new window).

For further enquiries, email: educationalleadersconference@eventfrog.com.au