AS 2025 draws near, Newhaven College is already preparing to welcome its 2026 Prep students with warmth, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of community. The College remains 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 thoughtfully curated resources include handwriting tools, name cards, maths activities, books, and engaging learning tasks that foster confidence and independence.
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.
Parents have responded with appreciation. One parent shared, “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.” Another said, “Thank you so much for your support and all the effort you’ve put into the 2026 Prep transition. We couldn’t be more pleased.”
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. By providing these resources and guidance, Newhaven College is helping students build these skills early, setting them up for a confident start.
The College’s Transition Program continues to be a highlight for students, families, and staff, including Head of Junior School, Cath Huther. Pre-offer interviews are 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 learning 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, bringing everything together to ensure families feel prepared, confident, and excited for the year ahead.
At Newhaven College, building relationships is at the heart of everything. Beyond the classroom, families are welcomed into a caring community where connections flourish. Parent volunteers often organise social events, from ten-pin bowling nights to paint-and-sip sessions and casual catchups 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, strengthening the sense of belonging that defines the Newhaven experience.
At Newhaven College, school readiness is about more than academic preparation. It is about nurturing curiosity, confidence, and community. Through early engagement and strong partnerships with families, the College ensures 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 5956 7505 or go to the College website for enrolment information.
