What this programme actually is
School Readiness is more than crayons and the alphabet. For a child with developmental needs, walking into a school classroom requires a long list of small skills — sitting in a circle, raising a hand, waiting for a turn, asking to use the toilet, eating from a lunchbox, recognising their own bag, transitioning when a teacher rings a bell.
Our day care and school readiness programme builds these — slowly, deliberately, in a setting that looks and feels like a small classroom. By the time your child starts school, the routines are familiar, the skills are practised, and the day doesn’t overwhelm.
Who this programme is for
You might be reading this if:
- Your child is 3 to 6 and will start school in the next year or two
- They’ve struggled in the playgroup or pre-school they’ve already tried
- They have an autism, ADHD, or developmental delay diagnosis and you’re worried about a mainstream classroom
- They need a step between one-on-one therapy and group school environments
- Toilet training, mealtimes, transitions, or following classroom-style instructions are still hard
- You want a setting where therapists, not minimally-trained day care staff, are running the day
What a day in the programme looks like
A typical day runs three to four hours, in a small group of five to eight children, with at least two therapists in the room.
A predictable routine: a circle to start, a short structured activity, a snack with self-care embedded, a sensory break, a structured group play period, a wind-down. Visual schedules are everywhere — children know what’s next without having to remember.
Throughout the day, therapists weave individual goals into the group routine. A child working on requesting words gets natural opportunities at snack. A child working on transitions gets small ones, deliberately, until they can handle a big one.
How we approach school readiness
The structure does the heavy lifting. Children learn classroom skills not through being told about them, but through doing them, predictably, every day. Our job is to design a structure they can succeed in — and gradually make it more like a school day.
Co-ordinated with each child’s other therapy. Most children in the programme are also in OT, speech, ABA, or special education. The school-readiness day is shaped by the goals from those plans, not separate from them.
Honest about school selection. When the time comes to choose a school, we share what we’ve seen — what kinds of classrooms have worked for similar children, what to ask schools about, what to watch for. We don’t take referral fees from any school.
What you can expect
Pace. Most children join the programme for at least 6 months, often longer. Skills like classroom routines need time to lock in.
Reports. Regular written reports on goals across self-care, social skills, group participation, and academic readiness.
PTMs. Senior-led, including a school-transition planning meeting before your child moves on.
What we don’t promise. That every child will mainstream. Some will. Some will be better served by smaller, supported school environments — and we’ll tell you honestly which we see.
Frequently asked
Is this a substitute for pre-school? For many children we see, yes — at least initially. For some, it runs alongside a half-day at a regular pre-school. We’ll talk through what makes sense for your child.
My child isn’t toilet trained yet. Can they still join? Yes. Toilet training is often part of the goals while in the programme.
What hours does it run? Three to four hours, mornings, on weekdays. Specific timings: please ask when you visit.
Will my child be ready for mainstream school after this? Often, yes — depending on the child and the school. A small number of children we see are better placed in supported environments, and we’ll be honest with you about that long before the decision needs to be made.
How is this different from a regular pre-school? Three things: the staff are therapists, not minimally trained day-care workers; the ratios are much smaller; and every part of the day is designed around developmental goals, not a generic curriculum.