Seymour
bookmarksSite priorities
- Children aged 0-8 actively engage in high-quality learning.
- Parents and carers can access the services they need to meet their child’s health and development needs.
- Parents and carers can engage with pathways to learning and employment.
groups Site Partnership Group
Seymour College, Mitchell Shire Council, Kids First Australia, FamilyCare, Omnia Community Health, Department of Education, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing and the Colman Education Foundation (Our Place).
attach_money Funding Partner
The William Buckland Foundation, as managed by Equity Trustees.Analysis
In 2025, Seymour saw strong engagement from families, with increased participation in early learning and improved attendance reflecting the benefits of close collaboration across early years, health and family support services. Families continued to access a wide range of supports, with clear pathways into both child-focused services and adult learning opportunities. Partners shared data and information to guide planning, improving coordination across the site. Relationship-based programs and everyday interactions with families are building parents’ skills and confidence to be actively involved in their own children’s learning.
keyboard_return Looking Back
Moving Forward keyboard_return
- Sustaining impact: Baby College, initially philanthropy-funded, will continue in Seymour under a revised DFFH and Family Care agreement after proving effective in engaging vulnerable families and reducing demand for intensive services.
- Improved parent engagement: The 2025 school-year Meet and Greet attracted 100 families, a significant increase on previous years, reflecting growing confidence in school engagement and confirmed through Department of Education and Our Place parent/carer surveys.
- Oral language development: Incidental play-based modelling in waiting areas has prompted parents to recreate sensory activities at home, fostering language-rich environments beyond formal settings.
- Improved legal literacy: A new Legal Education Program helps professionals and school leavers understand when legal advice is needed and how to access it.
- Early years participation: Kindergarten enrolments reached 66 children, with Term 1 attendance rising from 65% in 2021 to 80% in 2025, supported by strong links between early learning, MCH, and Our Place facilitators.
- Continuity of Learning: Seymour Primary School and Kids First Australia have developed shared strategies for oral language, celebrating children’s success and self-regulation. The Continuity of Learning working group will continue these strategies to ensure seamless learning from Kindergarten through Year 2.
- Early Identification and Follow-Up: Community health and early years providers are collaborating to improve early screening and expand referral, diagnosis and support options for children with health and development concerns.
- Community Voice: Our Place Seymour will keep coordinating the local First Nations arts project, partnering with Regional Arts Victoria and Songlines to strengthen understanding of Welcoming Spaces through creative collaboration.
- Access to Health Services: Work will continue with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO), Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative, to improve access to primary healthcare for First Nations families.
- Adult Learning and Employment: Expand pathways for parents and carers into further learning and employment, focusing on early childhood taster programs, English as a second language, and career exploration.