School readiness is not simply about knowing letters, numbers or how to complete a worksheet. Children also need the behavioural and learning skills that allow them to participate in a classroom: communicating what they need, responding to group instructions, moving through routines, learning alongside peers and becoming less dependent on continuous adult support.
Our School Readiness Programme is a clinically designed small-group programme delivered entirely by trained behaviour therapists. Groups are intentionally small, with a maximum therapist-to-child ratio of 1:4, so children experience real group demands while still receiving individualised teaching.
Every child has their own goals and teaching plan within the group. We build the skills that help them access and participate in their actual preschool or school environment more successfully.
We define school readiness in practical terms: can the child participate in the routines, interactions and learning demands expected of them with an appropriate level of support?
That means looking beyond academic knowledge to the skills that make learning possible in a group environment.
Many school readiness and early intervention programmes may use similar-looking activities: circle time, play, table work, snack, transitions and classroom-style routines.
The difference is in how those activities are used — who is delivering the programme, how goals are set, how teaching is adjusted and whether progress is tracked at the level of the individual child.
Goals are selected from the child’s assessment and the demands of the school environment they are preparing for. They may span several areas at the same time.
Academic content is not the end goal. We may use books, counting, drawing or worksheet-style activities because they create useful opportunities to practise the behaviour around learning.
The emphasis changes as classroom demands change. These are broad examples, not age-based checklists.
Age does not determine placement or goals on its own. We also consider the child’s baseline skills, support needs and whether the group can provide useful learning opportunities.
The group creates the conditions children eventually need to handle: peers, shared adult attention, waiting, transitions and normal distractions. The maximum 1:4 ratio means our therapists can still observe and teach individual skills within those conditions.
Children should not need the same level of support forever. As a skill becomes more established, we change the conditions so the child has to use it with less help and in more realistic situations.
We first understand the child’s current skills and the demands they are preparing for, then decide whether the available group is the right environment for those goals.
Tell us what your child is currently finding difficult, the school environment they are preparing for and what you would most like them to manage more independently.
Our 2-Hour Initial Consultation & Assessment establishes a baseline across communication, learning, social participation, routines and independence through caregiver input, direct observation and structured probes.
We identify the most useful goals and consider whether the child’s skills and support needs are a good match for the available group. If more concentrated teaching is needed, we may recommend 1:1 support before or alongside group practice.
If the group is a good fit, we develop the child’s individual goals and teaching plan and begin intervention within the shared group routine.
Our current School Readiness Groups are organised around ages 2–3, 4–6 and 7–8. These are starting points for group design, not fixed developmental levels. Placement also depends on baseline skills, support needs and whether the available group can provide useful learning opportunities.
No. A formal diagnosis is not required. We look at the child’s functional skills and whether the programme is appropriate for the goals that matter to them.
Every child has their own goals and teaching plan. Children may participate in the same routine while working on different skills, receiving different prompts and progressing at different rates. The maximum 1:4 therapist-to-child ratio helps us preserve this individualisation within a genuine group environment.
Some children benefit from concentrated 1:1 teaching for particular foundational skills before joining a group. Others may use 1:1 support and group practice in parallel. We make that recommendation from the child’s assessment rather than treating 1:1 as an automatic prerequisite.
Not sure whether your child is ready for school?
Book a complimentary Discovery Call. We can talk through the skills your child is finding difficult, the school demands they are preparing for and whether our School Readiness Programme is likely to be a useful fit.
