Introducing Harold’s Big School

The transition from early learning to primary school is an exciting milestone, bringing new experiences, relationships, routines and opportunities for growth. For some children, it can also come with questions, uncertainty and big feelings. 

As NSW early learning centres begin planning for the final stages of the preschool year and the transition into Kindergarten, Life Ed is helping educators support children through this important change with the launch of its newest Early Years Learning Program module, Harold’s Big School. 

Launched in 2026, the new module is designed to help children approach the transition to primary school with curiosity, a sense of belonging and the understanding that support is available as they navigate new experiences. 

Building skills for a positive transition

Starting school involves much more than learning letters and numbers. Children are also developing the social and emotional skills that help them build relationships, follow routines, ask for help and feel comfortable in unfamiliar environments. 

Harold’s Big School brings these skills to life through an interactive, play-based learning experience facilitated by a specialist Life Ed Educator. Using shared storytelling, an engaging new big book, music, songs and hands-on activities, children explore what it might be like to start school and the feelings that can accompany change. 

The module focuses on five key learning areas: practising helpful classroom behaviours, fostering independence, developing positive perspectives on change, understanding the support available throughout the transition, and exploring the concept of belonging.  

These experiences give children opportunities to talk about what they already know, consider what they might experience at school and recognise the people they can turn to for support. Rather than expecting every child to feel the same way about starting school, the program creates space for different perspectives and helps children see that change can bring both challenges and exciting possibilities. 

Supporting the learning beyond the visit

For NSW educators, the new module offers practical ways to build on children’s learning before and after their Life Ed visit. 

Digital educator resources include pre-lesson information, suggested learning environments, an observation template to support documentation and reporting, and a downloadable parent handout. Following the visit, educators can access suggested enrichment experiences, activities, videos and songs to reinforce key messages and extend learning through play. 

These resources make it easier to connect the session with existing preschool experiences, revisit children’s questions and encourage conversations about starting school. Educators can also share information with families, helping build a consistent approach between the centre and home. 

The module aligns with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and National Quality Standard (NQS), supporting educators to connect the experience with their ongoing work to nurture children’s learning, development and wellbeing. 

Making the most of Term 4

With Harold’s Big School now launched, Term 4 is an ideal opportunity for NSW early learning centres to consider how the module could complement their existing transition-to-school experiences. 

Whether children are discussing what they might see in a classroom, practising familiar routines or sharing their hopes and questions about Kindergarten, small, meaningful experiences can help make the transition feel more familiar and manageable. 

The module can be delivered as a standalone experience or as part of Life Ed’s broader Early Years Learning Program, which brings together six interactive modules supporting children’s health, safety and social and emotional wellbeing.

By giving children opportunities to explore change, practise important skills and recognise the support around them, educators can help lay the foundations for a positive transition to primary school.