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Homebush Public School is proud to lead an innovative early years initiative, 5 to Thrive, designed to identify and support the developmental needs of young learners entering Kindergarten.
This initiative involves comprehensive screening in key developmental areas, including speech, occupational therapy, hearing, vision, and dental health, to ensure every child is equipped with the foundational skills needed to learn, thrive, and access the curriculum effectively.
What’s Involved:
Speech and Occupational Therapy Screeners
In partnership with Allied Health Partnerships, Homebush Public School will offer both speech and occupational therapy screening for students. These screeners will be conducted on-site during school hours. The goal is to identify your child’s strengths and areas still developing.
Speech Screener
Assesses areas such as:
Articulation
Expressive language (e.g. grammar, sequencing, and information sharing)
Receptive language (e.g. comprehension and ability to follow instructions)
Semantics and vocabulary
Occupational Therapy Screener
Focuses on key developmental areas including:
Motor coordination
Fine motor skills
Gross motor coordination
Hearing Screener
The school uses the Sound Scouts App, developed in collaboration with Australia’s National Acoustic Laboratories, to complete hearing assessments.
Your child will play a supervised game using headphones and a tablet.
A report is generated automatically following the test.
Early identification of hearing issues is essential to support optimal learning outcomes.
Vision Assessment
The comprehensive eye exam will include checks for:
Eye muscle movement and control
Pupil response
Eye teaming and focusing ability
Stereopsis (3D vision), colour vision
Internal and external eye health
Students identified as needing a follow-up will be referred to an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
Dental Examination
The NSW Health School Mobile Dental Clinic will visit Homebush Public School to provide free dental care for students.
Services include:
Dental check-ups
Cleans and x-rays
Preventive treatments
Oral hygiene education
If further treatment is needed, public dental staff will contact families to discuss next steps, which may include treatment at school or at a local dental clinic.
Key Information
Cost: Apart from the vision assessment (requires Medicare) there is no cost to families for any of these screenings as they are funded by our school.
Coordinator: The 5 to Thrive program will be led by our Learning and Support Teacher, Fiona Vaux.
Existing Therapies:
If your child already attends speech or occupational therapy outside of school, please continue these sessions. The 5 to Thrive program is not a replacement for ongoing, individualised therapy.
We encourage you to share any reports or relevant information with your child’s classroom teacher so we can work together to best support their learning and development.
By the end of Term 1, teachers will provide a comprehensive report highlighting your child’s strengths and areas for growth. This information will help guide targeted classroom support and assist you in making informed decisions about any additional therapies, if needed.
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