Early Years

The Early Years strategy focuses on a strong, community-based approach to make sure all students start school well prepared.

Early Learning Programs

Early Years targets children’s readiness for school by offering a coordinated approach to engage children and their families with important services and early intervention to address areas of developmental concern, as highlighted by the Australian Early Development Census 2018.

This strategy supports children aged:

0 to 3 years

Ensuring children are assessed and are achieving developmental milestones that prepare them for schooling.

4 to 8 years

Ensuring children continue to be monitored more effectively and are achieving developmental milestones that enable them to continue to be engaged and effective learners.

Objectives

These are the Early Years strategy objectives:

To increase and enhance student achievements across all five domains of the AEDC.
Provide more access to child development services in the Pilbara region.
Improve levels of early years developmental assessments undertaken with children.
Increase awareness of parents, care givers and families of the early years and developmental services available to their children and increase the takeup of those services.
Improve the level of intervention and provide more support to children who are developmentally vulnerable.
Increase On-entry Assessment Program results.
Improve student performance in standardised literacy and numberacy tests (e.g. NAPLAN) in the early years.
Increase participation rates in early learning programs and children’s readiness for school.

Key Directions

These key directions underpin the broader Early Years strategy and guide the actions, resourcing, and measurement of its progress:

Communication and Engagement
Develop consistent communication to raise awareness of collaborative partnerships, developmental milestones, and access to coordinated delivery across locations.

Assessment and Intervention
Ensure all children are screened and provided the relevant intervention and supports in a timely manner.

Interagency Data Management
Increase the collation and analysis of data from interagency screening, interventions and supports to provide a smooth transition for children from 0 to 3 years (before school age) to 4 to 8 years (school entry and early childhood school years)

Sustainable Practice
Support schools, agencies and service providers to develop consistent practices and a common language when dealing with barriers to learning, supporting students and families.

Capacity Building
Provide support for families to connect with agencies, liaise with organisations to support child development, and provide opportunities for further training and employment in the child development space.

Schools

‘BHP Early Learning Programs in the Pilbara’ have been established on-site at six primary schools across the region:

Baler Primary School
Cassia Primary School
Port Hedland Primary School
Port Hedland School of the Air
Newman Primary School
Onslow Primary School

To find out more about the programs and how you can support your child in their studies, families are encouraged to attend an Early Learning Program at their local school.

To register your child in the program, please click the button below.