Good Shepherd’s KIDDO journey began when the school identified a clear need to strengthen Fundamental Movement Skills in Early Childhood Education students. PE Specialist, Olly Blatchford, researched different options, looking for a program that was:
- Evidence-based
- Proven in practice
- Accessible
- Backed by a strong support network
- Curriculum-linked
KIDDO stood out because it offered a complete ecosystem for teaching, assessing, reporting, and tracking movement skill development, while also linking clearly to curriculum outcomes. For Good Shepherd, this meant staff could implement a structured and purposeful approach to physical literacy while keeping sessions practical, engaging and developmentally appropriate for young learners.
Good Shepherd has grown its KIDDO implementation over time.
In 2022:
- Foundation classes in Semester One
- Added Kindergarten classes in Semester Two
In 2023:
- Kindergarten and Foundation classes from Semester One
- Pre-Kindy (3-year-olds) added in Term Four
In 2024:
- All classes had a 30-minute KIDDO lesson every week, plus a one-hour PE lesson
A staged rollout makes implementation more manageable and helps schools learn what works in their own context. Rather than attempting to introduce KIDDO everywhere at once, Good Shepherd began with a focused early-years rollout and then expanded as capacity, confidence and opportunity grew.
Good Shepherd uses KIDDO’s online FMS assessment tool to make student progress visible, share meaningful information with families and build a clearer picture of Fundamental Movement Skill development over time. Students are assessed each semester, allowing the school to collect data, track changes across year groups and identify patterns in student growth.
At present, reports are shared with families through Seesaw, often alongside KIDDO handouts and practical activity ideas such as Christmas movement activities, with plans to eventually link reporting more formally through SEQTA.
The data is also valuable beyond the classroom, supporting communication with occupational therapists and physiotherapists, assisting relief teachers, and giving prac teachers a clear and easy-to-use framework for understanding student needs. Good Shepherd is also exploring how this approach can support work with cluster schools and encourage more classroom teachers to embed short daily movement activities, while acknowledging that finding time within the classroom timetable can be a challenge.
The plan is to continue to grow, expand and embed the program even further!
- Using assessment data to identify students who need extra support
- Expanding KIDDO opportunities across more classes
- Deepening connections with families, Physio/OT and cluster schools
Good Shepherd’s model is a strong reminder that physical literacy does not need to begin with a large, complex whole-school strategy. It can begin with a passionate teacher, a clear focus on early Fundamental Movement Skills, consistent assessment and joyful movement experiences that help children feel successful.