Dubbo West makes special moves when it comes to welcoming incoming students

Dubbo West Public School is taking an innovative approach to welcoming incoming four- and five-year-olds who will begin school in 2025, with 28 preschoolers lacing up their sneakers and participating in the John Moriarty football program with their future peers.

From dribbling to passing and shooting, the different grassroots soccer activities have been giving the youngsters an opportunity to develop their fine motor, balance and co-ordination skills in a fun and non-competitive environment, one kick at a time.

The program, Principal Jody Hall said, also gave children the opportunity to build a stronger connection to their new school community and meet future teachers and classmates.

“The transition to school is an exciting time for children, families and teachers and involves navigating and adjusting to several changes,” Ms Hall said.

“It’s a good chance to get them in early, get them involved, happy and familiar with their new surroundings.

 “These activities give children a feeling of belonging in the school, the engagement with the activities and the kids that are here and the playground, the familiarity of the uniforms and the location of places around the school.”

Established in 2012, the John Moriarty program is Australia’s longest running Indigenous football initiative that uses the sport to help drive positive change in some of the country’s most remote towns and help Aboriginal families unlock the potential of their children.

While learning soccer skills, children, aged between two and 16 years old, also are encouraged to attend school and taught resilience and to strive for healthier outcomes and wellbeing.

Today, more than 2,000 Indigenous children participate in the program each week in 18 remote and regional communities across the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales.

The Program addresses 13 of the 17 Closing the Gap targets and is life-changing for more than 1,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and boys.

John Moriarty Football head coach at Dubbo West Public School. Josh Williams, said kickstarting the unique program every Wednesday had been key to boosting school attendance rates.

“We have been running the John Morarity Football Program at Dubbo West Public School for four years and have seen it create a space where families can build resilience and achieve sustainable change,” Mr Williams said.

“We’ve got some reluctant attendants who are always here on Moriarty day, and you watch them run out and be excited to attend.”

Transition tips

The children at Dubbo West are just a handful of the more than 60,000 children who will commence school in NSW in 2025. 

The NSW Department of Education has offered the following tips for a successful transition, and to help children be ‘school ready’:

• Recognise their belongings  
• Open and close lunchboxes including packets  
• Know how to ask for help when needed  
• Be able to separate from parent or carer   
• Interact socially with other children  
• Put on their uniform  
• Know hygiene routines