As students across New South Wales say goodbye to the summer holidays, more than 60,000 four and five-year-olds are getting ready to swap kindergarten life to transition to some of the state’s public schools.
Late last year, Dubbo West Public School showed it was ahead of the curve by incorporating a sporty approach to help this year’s cohort of school-starters to feel welcome.
As part of its broader transition to school program, 28 pre-schoolers laced up their sneakers to participate in the John Moriarty football program with their future primary school peers.
A range of grassroots soccer activities, including dribbling and shooting, gave the young students an opportunity to develop their fine motor, balance and co-ordination skills in a fun and non-competitive environment, one kick at a time.
Principal Jody Hall says the program also gave them the opportunity to build a stronger connection to their new school community and meet future classmates and teachers.

“The transition to school is an exciting time for children, families and teachers and involves navigating and adjusting to several changes,” says Hall.
“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.”
Kicking goals
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 two to 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.
The Moriarty Foundatioin was founded by Yanyuwana man John Moriarty, who was the first Indigenous footballer to be selected to represent Australia.
Josh Williams is John Moriarty Football head coach at Dubbo West Public School and says kick-starting the unique program every Wednesday was a key part of 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,” says Williams.
“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 to school
A successful transition to primary school has been shown to improve a child’s longer-term academic, social and wellbeing outcomes. It also lays a strong foundation for positive partnerships and relationships with families to support their ongoing engagement in a child’s learning.
School readiness: what should my child be able to do?
- 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.
Source: NSW Department of Education