Two parts are always required
The consent form and the question about whether the school should follow up with your service are mandatory. The department leaves the rest of the statement to your professional judgement.
New South Wales · Term 4 2026
The NSW Transition to School Statement, section by section.
In NSW the Transition to School Statement is written by a child's early childhood service in the year before school, then shared with the family and the new school. If your service receives Start Strong funding, it must be completed and shared before the new school year. This guide walks through each section with example wording, and the draft box turns your own notes into the learning and development section in a couple of minutes.
Start with what actually happened: one action, quote, attempt, change, or question. A polished observation is never required.
StoryLoop drafts and checks. The educator reviews, edits, decides what is true, and chooses whether anything is shared.
Reviewed 27 October 2026 · Written by Leo, who builds StoryLoop, in Ōtautahi Christchurch
No signup · first name only · not saved to an account
Draft the learning and development section from your notes
Paste what you have documented about one child. StoryLoop drafts what your notes show for each of the five EYLF V2.0 outcomes and a strategy the Kindergarten teacher can use, from your notes. It is told to write only from what you give it and to leave an outcome for you when your notes show nothing.
No signup. Use a first name only. Your notes and the draft are not saved to any account and are never used to train AI. Check your service's policy on children's information.
Your draft, outcome by outcome
For each of the five outcomes: what your notes show, and a strategy the next teacher can use in week one. It is told to write only from your notes and to leave an outcome for you when they show nothing. Quotes it can't find in your notes are flagged.
What StoryLoop does with a note
A rough note in, a learning story out.
A real note an educator typed, and the start of the draft StoryLoop wrote from it, unedited, with the EYLF V2.0 links, learning and next steps to follow.
Jack sorted the bear counters by colour into the cups. Then lined up the red ones and counted 8. Put 2 blue ones on the end and said 'now it's ten'.
Sorting and making ten
Jack sorted the bear counters by colour into the cups. After sorting, he lined up the red bears and counted them. Jack counted 8 red bears, then added 2 blue bears to the end of the line and said, “now it's ten”.
What learning we noticed
Jack used sorting, counting and adding in one clear sequence. He noticed the colours, organised the bears into groups, counted the red bears, and then changed the set by adding two more. When Jack said, “now it's ten”, he showed that he was thinking about the total, not just naming the colours or counting by rote.
Now try it with your own note. No signup.
Type what you saw today. StoryLoop writes the draft here, with EYLF V2.0 links, and shows you exactly what it is built on. Use first names only: demo notes are not saved to any account and are never used to train AI.
No signup for your first try. Use a first name or initial only.
Your draft appears here, with EYLF V2.0 links that only claim what your note shows, usually in under a minute.
Tip: what the child did, one thing they said, and what happened next. Three lines is plenty.
Want to keep it? Start free: 3 stories a month, no card. You check every word before anything is shared.
The outcomes section is a summary
The department's guide asks you to take the documentation gathered through the year and write a summary of strengths, emerging skills, interests, relationships and intentional teaching strategies for each EYLF V2.0 outcome.
Strategies a teacher can use in week one
Write each strategy with who, what, where or when, and how, so a Kindergarten teacher who has never met the child knows exactly what to do.
Section by section
Child's details and consent. Enter the details as they appear on the enrolment form. In the digital statement you upload the signed department consent form; if a family does not consent, note that on the form and keep a copy in the child's records.
About the child (being and belonging). Who the child is and how they are connected to family, community, culture and place: cultural background, whether the child or family identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, languages other than English, the important people in their life and activities outside the service, how long and how often they have attended, and any additional learning and support needs, with the professionals involved.
Feelings about school (child's voice). What the child thinks and feels about starting school, gathered from everyday conversations and experiences. Write their words exactly.
Child's learning and development. One question for each of the five EYLF V2.0 outcomes. The department's guide asks for a summary built from the year's documentation: strengths, emerging skills, interests, relationships and intentional teaching strategies. This is a summative assessment, so every line should point to something you saw.
Future planning and follow-up. Strategies for the Kindergarten teacher, and the required question about whether the school should follow up with your service by phone or meeting before the child starts.
Example wording, outcome by outcome
Written for an imagined child, Zoe, to show the shape. Each line says what was seen and gives a strategy the Kindergarten teacher can use. Yours should come from your own documentation.
Outcome 1, identity: Zoe settles quickly when she arrives with a plan. Most mornings this year she told an educator what she would build first, then went straight to it. Strategy: in her first weeks, greet Zoe at the door and ask what she will do first, then help her start.
Outcome 2, community: Zoe often leads games in the home corner and hands out the roles ("you're the vet, I'm the nurse"). This term she has started letting friends change the plan. Strategy: give Zoe a helper role in group work, and name it when she takes up someone else's idea.
Outcome 3, wellbeing: Zoe climbs, balances and runs with confidence. When she is upset she takes a book to a quiet corner and comes back when she is ready. Strategy: show Zoe where the quiet space is in the classroom, and give her a minute before talking.
Outcome 4, learning: Zoe stays with a problem. In June she spent a whole morning making a bridge for the cars that would not fall down, trying blocks, then cardboard, then tape. Strategy: ask "What else could you try?" before showing her, and give her time to finish.
Outcome 5, communication: Zoe writes her name and the first letters of her friends' names, and makes signs for her play ("VET OPEN"). Strategy: give Zoe real reasons to write, such as signs, labels and lists, from the first week.
Strategies written the department's way
The department's guide suggests writing strategies with who, what, where or when, and how. Weak: "Support Ben's social skills." Strong: "When Ben joins a group game, give him a role straight away, such as counting for hide and seek, and stay nearby for the first few minutes."
Weak: "Ella needs help with transitions." Strong: "Tell Ella about changes to the day at the start of the morning, and give her a two-minute warning before pack-up." The strong version names the child, the action and the moment, so a teacher can do it on day one.
Doing a room of them before the holidays
Start with the evidence, not the form. For each child, pull this year's observations and stories, the child's own words and what the family has told you, and pick two or three dated moments for each outcome. Then paste those moments into the draft box on this page: StoryLoop drafts a line and a strategy for each outcome from them and leaves an outcome for you when your notes show nothing.
If your stories are already in StoryLoop, each child's history keeps dated stories, quotes and family comments in one place, and the Transition pack puts up to six chosen moments on one printable page for a child starting school, ready to draw on when you complete the official statement.
Try it on a real note from your week. StoryLoop writes the learning story, usually in under a minute, with the child's words kept exactly. No signup.
Try a noteOfficial references
These sources inform this guide. StoryLoop is independent and does not claim endorsement.
FAQ
Straight answers for educators.
Who has to complete a Transition to School Statement in NSW?+
The NSW Department of Education says that if your service receives Start Strong funding, a Transition to School Statement must be completed for children in the year before Kindergarten and shared with the child's parents or carers and new school before the new school year. It is completed by the child's early childhood teacher or educator.
What sections does the statement have?+
Child's details and parental consent; About the child (being and belonging), covering family, culture, languages, attendance and any additional learning and support needs; Feelings about school, in the child's own voice; and the child's learning and development across the five EYLF V2.0 outcomes, with intentional teaching strategies and future planning.
What if a family does not give consent?+
The department's guide says to indicate this on the consent form and keep a copy in the child's records. If you are using the digital statement, you upload the signed department consent form when a family does consent.
How do I capture the child's voice?+
From everyday one-to-one or group conversations and learning experiences, not an interview. For a child who needs support with communication, it can be worked out together with the family and other professionals, and a description of one of the child's work samples can help the school get to know them.
Can I use AI to write the statement?+
Do not paste a child's details into a general chatbot. The draft box on this page writes a line for each EYLF V2.0 outcome and a strategy for the school teacher only from the notes you paste, leaves an outcome for you when your notes show nothing, and is not saved to any account. Use a first name only. You review every word and complete the official statement yourself.
Does StoryLoop replace educator thinking?+
No. StoryLoop supports drafting and structure, while educators remain responsible for observation, interpretation, reflection, final editing, and sign-off.
Can I edit the generated stories?+
Yes. Stories are editable after generation and saved in history, so educators can add context, adjust wording, copy, export, or regenerate from the original observation.
Does it create generic AI stories?+
StoryLoop is designed to avoid generic, poetic AI wording. It asks for real observations, keeps claims evidence-based, and links curriculum only when the observation supports it.
How many stories are free?+
The free plan includes 3 learning stories per month. Upgrade prompts are dismissible, and existing history remains available even if the free limit is reached.