By Damian Cowell
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One of the ways to facilitate more access to quality learning for all children as part of the Victorian Government’s Best Start, Best Life reforms is through a rotational teaching model.
This year the team at Bridge Road Kindergarten have been running the rotational model for the first time. Nominated Supervisor and Early Childhood Teacher Ivran Kaur and Early Childhood Teacher Karen Nguyen have focused on ways to maximise the benefits of the rotational model for their Kookaburra three- and four-year-old group. Their creativity has reimagined the day with children’s social and emotional growth at the centre, and they are really excited by the results.
A new rhythm to the week
The Kookaburra group meets three days a week, but instead of staying in the same set of peers, children move between three rotating sub-groups. It means they’re regularly building relationships with a broader circle of friends—and learning to adapt, cooperate, and lead in new ways.
But change only works when there’s a strong sense of security. To give the children consistent, familiar faces, Ivran and Karen ensured they had consistent educators across the group. They brought two relieving educators—Erin and Carla—into a shared, ongoing role. Their presence across all sub-groups has helped children feel safe and supported.
From there, Karen emphasised the need to prioritise friendship development and social and emotional skills. At Bridge Road they plan a lot of experiences around games, name recognitions, music and movement.
The team built the model on small, intentional rituals. With 45 children and 33 locker spaces, they had to be creative with locker identification. Tags on a felt name board near the front door now guides each child to their space, which might change on a daily basis - a ritual of arrival they own, supported gently by their families. They are simultaneously learning name recognition and a growing sense of independence.
“The children have taken that responsibility now, where they do it on their own,” Karen explained. “They can recognise their name through that name tag.”
Belonging built visually and emotionally
Inside the room, a visual routine board maps out the day. It’s not rigid—but consistent. Children can see that snack time, indoor and outdoor play are all valid choices at different times of day. If there’s a change in the routine, educators talk it through with the children, modelling adaptability while maintaining trust.
“They feel emotionally regulated when they’re in session,” said Karen. “They know what's happening next.”
Minimising transitions has been another intentional shift. Rather than flipping quickly between group activities, children have longer stretches and choice to follow their interests and bodily needs. Karen implemented zones of regulation. If a child is feeling active and in the “yellow zone”, they might choose to head outside. They’re learning the language to express themselves - and the confidence to do it.
Togetherness with space to grow
While children move freely through much of the day, there are still moments of shared connection—especially at lunch. Morning and afternoon tea are progressive, but lunchtime is when everyone comes together. It’s a moment of community, conversation, and shared rhythm—important not just for the children, but for the educators too.
“All teachers are at a table, we can bounce off each other and talk about what their thoughts are, ideas, anything that they wanted to share.”
Families, too, are deeply involved. From participating in musical games to creating a ‘family book’ with photos to support children who miss loved ones, Bridge Road has fostered connection. Families feel seen. Children feel known. And that shows up in the feedback.
“We’ve had families who’ve also been to long day care telling us their child doesn’t want to go to the other kinder anymore. They call this their happy place,” Karen said.
Learning for life
Ultimately, the rotational model is about children—learning who they are, how to belong, and how to navigate the world with others. From managing locker spaces to making new friends, from choosing when to eat to recognising how they feel—the children at Bridge Road are growing not just in knowledge, but in identity and empathy.
And next year? The team is expanding the model to include three rotating groups.
“The educators are all putting their hand up for the rotational model, which is so brilliant,” said Ivran. “Last year there was a bit of nervousness, but now they’ve seen how it's working and they all want to be part of it.”
