Educational and Neurodevelopmental Assessments

School Readiness Assessment Melbourne

Every child learns and develops at their own pace. Our School Readiness Assessment in Melbourne is designed to give you clarity on how well your child is prepared across cognition, language, motor, social and emotional domains, and what support can help bridge any gaps.

We partner with you to understand your child’s unique profile, identify priority areas, and help you advocate for support that makes the transition smoother.

To get started, simply complete our online booking form – no referral is needed, and no pressure is involved.

Once submitted, a member of our team will contact you to discuss your goals, explain the process, and address any questions you may have.

How Can a School Readiness Assessment Help

A well-timed assessment can:

Reveal strengths and areas that need support before formal schooling
Guide early intervention and target supports for a stronger start
Inform teachers, therapists and educational teams about your child’s needs
Provide evidence for funding, educational adjustments or support services
Give you peace of mind, know exactly where your child is and what’s next

Who Is a School Readiness Assessment For?

You may benefit from a School Readiness Assessment if your child:

Is approaching or starting primary school and you want clarity on readiness
Shows uneven development across learning, motor or social skills
Has had developmental, speech, behaviour or learning concerns flagged
Already receives therapy or supports and needs an updated profile
Requires documented evidence for educational adjustments, funding or support

What our Assessment Includes

Starting school is an exciting milestone, but it can also bring uncertainty for families. A School Readiness Assessment provides a clear, evidence-based understanding of your child’s developmental profile across cognitive, language, motor, social and emotional domains. By identifying strengths and areas that may need extra support, families, educators and allied health professionals can work together to put targeted strategies in place before school begins.

This proactive approach not only builds your child’s skills and confidence but also ensures the right support is ready from day one, setting them up for a smooth and successful transition into formal education.

Our Approach to Care

We strive to improve the wellbeing and educational outcomes of individuals who may think and process the world a little differently to their peers.

We improve outcomes for individuals with learning and developmental differences by supporting families and schools to nuture positive relationships, create neuroaffirming environments and provide effective educational adjustments.

Speech therapy assessments provide insight into receptive and expressive language development, communication preferences and needs, and literacy skills across reading and writing.

School Readiness Assessment Process

We’ve designed our School Readiness Assessment process to be structured, clear and supportive for both children and families. From your first enquiry to the delivery of the final report, each step is focused on understanding your child’s unique strengths and needs.

Our team combines standardised testing, observation and parent input to provide practical, evidence-based recommendations that help your child feel confident and prepared to start school.

Step 1 : Intake

We listen to your concerns, functional goals, and history to design a tailored assessment plan.

Step 2 : Assessment

Using gold-standard standardised tools, clinical observations, and structured interviews.

Step 3 : Report

Providing a comprehensive, evidence-based report with practical, tailored recommendations.

Step 4 : Feedback

A dedicated session to guide you through the results, next steps, and ongoing therapeutic support.

Step 5: Post-Assessment Supports

Our post-assessment sessions are designed to reduce overwhelm and help guide families and schools on important next steps post assessment.

Step 6: Ongoing Home & School Partnership

We love being able to continue supporting clients, families and schools through key milestones such as school transitions, and provide updated recommendations for educational adjustments and exam provisions throughout formal schooling and beyond.

Your Roadmap to Clarity

School Readiness Assessment Packages

Setting your child up to thrive. Every child develops on their own timeline, and our school readiness assessments help you understand where your child sits on that journey. We provide a comprehensive look at the cognitive, social, and emotional skills essential for the classroom, offering you a strategic roadmap to support their learning from day one.

For further information visit our Assessment Packages page.

Cost: $350 for initial session, $275 per subsequent session

1-3 x 50min sessions

Raise the Bar’s Preschool and Early Primary Developmental Assessment is a proactive pathway designed to identify emerging developmental, learning, or behavioural differences. By gaining early insights into your child’s unique profile, we can implement the right supports at the right time—ensuring they thrive during their crucial preschool and early primary school years.
This assessment serves as a vital first step for parents seeking guidance on their child’s development by providing:

Holistic Insight: A clear picture of how your child is functioning across both home and educational settings.
Shared Understanding: We bring parents, educators, and clinicians onto the same page, ensuring a consistent and supportive approach to care.
Immediate Strategies: Practical, evidence-based tools tailored for the home, kindergarten, or school environment.
A Clear Roadmap: Professional guidance on whether a formal diagnostic assessment is necessary, or if early intervention is currently the best path forward.

Cost: $2,575

Raise the Bar’s Standard Assessment Package is most appropriate for clients who have more specific assessment concerns or goals, or clients who have already had some testing completed.

Specific concerns or goals may include:

Intellectual Development Disorder
School readiness / preparedness / early entry
Giftedness / high cognitive or academic ability

Cost: $2,563

Raise the Bar’s Functional Capacity Assessment provides understanding regarding an individual’s unique strengths and support needs. Tailored to each individual, this assessment explores any/all of the following:

Cognitive: capacity for processing information, learning, remembering, and applying knowledge to complete everyday tasks and activities, including participation in education or employment
Communication: capacity for expressing oneself and understanding others, whether through speech, writing, or other method
Social: capacity for engaging in social activities and maintaining relationships
Emotional: capacity for managing and responding to one’s emotions that allows for effective functioning in daily life
Adaptive functioning: capacity to perform activities of daily living such as dressing, eating and acting safely, as well more complex tasks that support independent living, such as cooking, shopping, managing finances, and using public transportation

Assessment Packages

Our School Readiness Assessment packages are delivered within a comprehensive developmental framework, providing a clear picture of your child’s cognitive, language, motor, social and emotional skills. Each package is flexible and tailored to your child’s age, developmental profile and your family’s goals to help you make informed decisions about early intervention and school support.

Book Your Assessment

A comprehensive assessment is the first step to getting the support you or your child needs to thrive.

We’re here to guide you through every phase of the process.

FAQs about School Readiness Assessment

What is the ideal age for a School Readiness Assessment?

We typically assess children aged 4 to 6 years, though assessments may also be useful slightly earlier or later depending on need.

How long will the process take?

Reports typically take 4 weeks from the last assessment session.

Do you need existing reports or referrals?

No – they help, but we can start with your history, observations and new testing.

What does the School Readiness Assessment evaluate?

A school readiness assessment can benefit children whose parents are considering whether to send their child to school early or provide them with an additional year of kindergarten before transitioning to school. A school readiness assessment will provide insight into a child’s cognitive, language, pre-academic, social, emotional, and behavioural development. The assessment helps to identify areas of developmental delay or challenge and provides guidance regarding targeted and evidence-based intervention, and/or educational adjustments and supports required before or once a child has transitioned to school.

What does it include?

A school readiness assessment will typically start with a 1-hour intake session with your psychologist to gather background information regarding your child’s history of development, preschool experiences, any particular challenges or concerns currently present, and the history of any previous supports or interventions put in place. The intake session is commonly conducted with just the parents/caregivers.

Following the intake session, there is typically between 2 to 3 hours of assessment, involving the completion of a Cognitive Assessment (such as the WPPSI-IV); this provides insight into your child’s overall level of intellectual ability and specific areas of cognitive strength and challenge. Assessing their early literacy and numeracy skills (such as knowledge of letter names and sounds, letter writing, counting and knowledge of shapes) will also provide insight into your child’s readiness for formal learning. It also identifies areas that may need to be targeted by intervention. Their social, emotional, and behavioural development will also be assessed and observed via play-based activities.

Questionnaires are often sent out to parents and kindergarten teachers during the assessment to understand the child’s level of social, emotional and behavioural development. Phone calls with kindergarten teachers and other relevant support staff (such as speech pathologists and occupational therapists) can also form part of a comprehensive assessment.

Typically, four weeks after the final assessment, a feedback session is conducted with the parents to explain the assessment results, recommend supports and strategies going forward, and answer any questions. A comprehensive and individualised report is also provided at this time.

How much does a School Readiness Assessment cost?

Depending on client goals, a school readiness assessment may fall within the scope of a Developmental Screening Assessment ($350-$900) or the RBP Standard Assessment Package ($2575). Enquire Now to find out more.