JavaScript is required

Transition Learning and Development Statements (TLDS)

A child's TLDS summarises their abilities and approaches to learning. It promotes continuity of learning for children transitioning into primary school.

On this page

The Online Transition Learning and Development Statement (TLDS) tool reopened on Monday 15 July 2024.

You will have received new login information through your registered service email address (as per NQAITS) on Monday 15 July. The email will be from insight@linkit.com (a no-reply to mailbox).

If you have not received your login information, please contact the State Library of Victoria (SLV) which provides IT helpdesk support for the Online TLDS. You can contact SLV Monday to Friday between 9 am to 5 pm by:

A child's TLDS (which can also be known as a transition statement) summarises their abilities as they start school and identifies their approaches to learning. It is passed on to the child's future primary school. The TLDS:

  • summarises a child's learning and development
  • identifies their approaches to learning and their interests
  • indicates how the child can be supported to continue learning.

The TLDS is not a report card – the information in the statement helps Foundation/Prep teachers get to know the children starting in their class and plan appropriate learning and teaching programs.

Requirements

  1. It is a kindergarten funding requirement that every child transitioning to school has a TLDS.
  2. The secure link to a child’s completed TLDS should always be provided to the child's family/carer and they must be given an opportunity to opt out of the TLDS being shared with the school. If a child's family does not want relevant information shared with the child's school via the TLDS, they are encouraged to discuss this with the child's early childhood teacher.
  3. Unless a family has opted out of the TLDS being shared, it can be shared with the school in 3 ways:
    • online via the Insight Assessment Platform (preferred)
    • emailed via secure mail to the school if they are not listed in the Online TLDS tool
    • by printing it out and giving it to the parent to pass on to the child’s primary school.
  4. Funded kindergarten providers must report on the completion of TLDS from the previous year through annual kindergarten data collection.

Teachers working in services not funded for kindergarten are encouraged to complete a TLDS for any child in their care, as they make the transition to school.

Completing a Transition Learning and Development Statement

Transition Learning and Development Statements are completed online via the Online TLDS tool hosted on the Insight Assessment Platform.

For further information and to learn about available support for the Online TLDS tool, including professional development to support writing a TLDS, visit Complete an online Transition Learning and Development Statement.

Writing Transition Learning and Development Statements

The Transition Learning and Development Statement has multiple sections:

  • Sections 1, 1.1 and 1.2 (where applicable) are completed by educators
  • Section 2 is completed by the child (with adult assistance)
  • Section 3 is completed by the family.

The information below is to assist teachers in writing Section 1.1: Learning and Development.

Section 1.1 captures descriptions of the child's learning progress against the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) learning and development outcomes and the Victorian Curriculum F-10, as well as specific intentional teaching strategies to support the child's continuity of learning when they start school.

Strength-based approach

A strength-based approach is a collaborative and solutions-focused way of working. It encourages teachers and educators to consistently draw on their knowledge and understanding of each child's skills, capabilities, and dispositions for learning as a way of scaffolding learning and development.

Leading early childhood and school teachers will find they are already using a strength-based approach. Such teachers value children's strengths and differences and communicate high expectations to them. They reflect on their practice and use integrated approaches to build on skills and interests, starting with the competencies children demonstrate rather than focusing on what children can't yet do.

The strength-based approach should be used when writing intentional teaching strategies in each child's TLDS. To support this effort, an additional chapter was added to the Transition a Positive Start to School: Resource Kit in 2019. Chapter 6.4 Strength-Based Approach to Transition (PDF, 492KB), was developed in consultation with early childhood and school teachers, professionals, academics and stakeholders.

Early childhood teachers can use this resource to learn more about the strength-based approach and to help with writing a child's TLDS. Foundation/Prep teachers can use the resource to consider ways the Transition Learning and Development Statement will help them to make curriculum decisions about how to best extend each child's learning.

There is also a quick reference guide for summarising the key points of the full guide.

A strength-based approach to transition

Chapter 6.4 Strength-Based Approach to Transition - Quick Reference Guide (PDF, 1MB)

Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) and Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS)

A fact sheet has been developed to support early childhood professionals to further understand these information sharing schemes. It also provides clear guidance on how family violence risks should be managed in the transition to school process.

Fact sheet: Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) and Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) (DOCX, 79 KB)

Outcome descriptors

Outcome descriptors are used in Section 1.1 of the TLDS to describe a child's progress against the 5 learning and development outcomes of the VEYLDF. You can select the appropriate descriptors from a 'pick list' and then edit the descriptor to suit the individual child and best describe their learning progress. The descriptors provide examples and are not exhaustive. They are aligned with the VEYLDF and the first 3 levels of the Victorian Curriculum (F-10).

For learning and development outcome descriptors, see:

When completing Section 1.1 of the TLDS, you must select at least one descriptor for each outcome. We recommend you select between 2 and 5 descriptors in total for each outcome.

You must write at least one intentional teaching strategy to support the child’s learning progress against each of the 5 VEYLDF outcomes. Individualised strategies are helpful to Foundation/Prep teachers as they begin to plan their teaching approaches and programs for the start of the school year. Strategies that reference the individual child's abilities, dispositions and interests are helpful to the receiving teacher and school.

Children with diverse learning needs

The TLDS includes Section 1.2, which supports enhanced transitions for children with diverse learning needs including a disability or developmental delay. This section:

  • captures information about other early childhood professionals supporting the family and child.
  • lists reports or assessments that have been done and are available to support inclusion planning.

We recommend all teachers complete Section 1.2 to support children with diverse learning needs including a disability or developmental delay. A child does not need to have a clinical diagnosis. Before filling in this section, you should discuss with the family how the information could be most helpful to the future school.

A TLDS can be written earlier in the year for inclusion planning for children with diverse learning needs including a disability or developmental delay. It can help with early discussions with the family, the school and others involved in supporting the child’s transition to school. Although writing an early statement is not mandatory, it can be very helpful.

If a child is spending significant time in an early intervention program or with a support worker, you should discuss with the family who would be best to coordinate the TLDS. Even if the kindergarten teacher doesn't coordinate the statement, everyone who works with the child should still contribute.

Early ABLES is a strength and observation-based online assessment for learning tool, which supports early childhood educators to provide a more individualised learning experience for children aged two to five years with disabilities and/or developmental delay. Early ABLES reports should be referred to in Section 1.2 if available. For further information, please visit Early Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (Early ABLES)(opens in a new window).

In 2021, Disability Inclusion was introduced - a package of reforms to provide extra support for children with disability in Victorian government schools.

Disability Inclusion is being rolled out progressively across Victoria until 2025. A list of the rollout areas is at Disability Inclusion: extra support for children with disability.

Disability Inclusion includes the introduction of the Disability Inclusion Profile, a written description of children's strengths and needs at school, designed to help schools give children the support they need.

Schools in areas that have transitioned to Disability Inclusion will complete profiles for Foundation/Prep students.

Schools that are not in transitioned areas will continue to provide support to students with disability through the Program for Students with Disabilities until they start Disability Inclusion.

For more information about Disability Inclusion and the Disability Inclusion Profile visit Disability Inclusion: extra support for children with disability(opens in a new window).

For more about enhanced transition planning to support a child's transition to primary school, including information toolkits about Disability Inclusion for families and educators, visit Transition to primary school for children with disability(opens in a new window).

Information to support families

There are resources available to help you introduce families to the TLDS and to support families and children during the transition journey. When families and early childhood services work together in positive and collaborative ways, a child's capacity to achieve their learning potential is significantly enhanced.

These resources, including materials for families that have been translated into 42 different languages, can be found at Transition to school resources for families.

More information about the Transition Learning and Development Statement is available in Section 6.3 of Supporting transition: A positive start to school.

Coordinating Transition Learning and Development Statements

Early childhood teachers in funded kindergarten programs are best placed to coordinate TLDS for children in their programs.

If a child is also attending other services such as long day care, family daycare, or occasional care, the educators in those services may have information to contribute.

We also encourage working with families to discuss or arrange additional information from other services.

Funding to support early childhood teachers to write Transition Learning and Development Statements

Funding is provided to kindergarten service providers as a contribution that will allow them to release early childhood teachers to write TLDS.

Funding can be used to support teachers to work with other professionals and families when completing the TLDS.

The funding contribution is calculated on the enrolment data that services provided through the Kindergarten Information Management (KIM) system and paid to service providers automatically. There is no application process.

The funding rate is $9 per enrolled child (as per annual enrolment data). This is a contribution towards releasing early childhood teachers to write TLDS.

All funds should be expended annually by the end of Term 4. For enquiries about this funding please email early.years.transition@education.vic.gov.au.

Services eligible for funding

All services with a Victorian Government-funded kindergarten program are eligible to receive this funding contribution.

If child enrolment numbers change

The per-service funding will change each year according to enrolment numbers at the time of the annual confirmation.

Funds can be spent on

The funding contributes to time release for early childhood teachers to write TLDS. Funding can be used to support teachers to work with other professionals and families to collaboratively complete the TLDS. All funds must be expended annually by the end of term 4.

Multiple contributors to Transition Learning and Development Statement writing

As the contributory funds are calculated per enrolment, individual service providers can determine how to distribute the support provided it is in line with the intended purpose of the funding: to support early childhood teachers to write TLDS.

Other support

Find out more

For more information, visit Complete an online transition and development statement or email early.years.transition@education.vic.gov.au

TLDS and the Early Years Assessment and Learning Tool (EYALT)

For services that are using the EYALT in 2024, guidance has been developed to support kindergarten teachers to use information provided by the EYALT to complete the TLDS.

For more information, download this fact sheet:

Early childhood

Updated

Back to top