Best Start Assessment

The Best Start Kindergarten Assessment identifies student’s literacy and numeracy skills on entry to Kindergarten. It has been conducted in all NSW public schools since 2010. The Best Start Kindergarten Assessment supports the focus on five new priorities across the Deparment of Education for improving literacy and numeracy and is mapped to the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions. The assessment is conducted in line with existing school practices and builds upon teaching and learning programs that support students in the transition to school.

A teacher from Blacktown South Public School will administer the Best Start Assessment with your child. This usually takes place during the first four days of Term 1. At the end of 2023, you will be sent an email or letter inviting you to book your child into a time slot. Each child will be asked to complete simple literacy and numeracy tasks. Teachers enter data provided from the assessment on to the Best Start website, which is only accessible by teachers at Blacktown South Public School. Information collected during the assessment is used to inform teaching and learning programs. 

The Best Start Assessment tasks are designed to identify whether students are able to:

•Recognise familiar words.

•Recall details about a picture book that has been read to them.

•Write their name.

•Demonstrate how books work.

•Recognise sounds and letters.

•Count forwards and backwards.

•Recognise numbers.

•Count a number of objects.

•Add or subtract small numbers.

•Make and continue patterns.