Pre-school Transition Policy
This policy covers how we manage transitions into the setting, within the setting and from the setting to school and other providers.
Supporting Transitions into the Setting
Staff support smooth transitions into the setting in the following ways:
· Gathering information about the child
Prior to a child starting staff visit the child and parent in their home. Staff carry out these home visits to observe the child in their own environment and begin to build a relationship with them and their parents. These visits help to identify specific issues, and also help children feel more comfortable when they start. Staff also gather a range of information from parents to help them plan activities that will help the child to settle and give them an understanding of their current stage of development. Typical information gathered includes details of any medical issues, dietary needs, their routine, the key people in the child’s life, and their stage of development.
· Working in partnership with other settings
Where children move from other providers, staff work in partnership with that provider to gather relevant information and support the child with the transition. Staff will visit the child in their previous setting where possible.
· Providing information and support to parents
Staff are aware that as well as settling the child, parents also need support during the transition.
· Communication with parents during the settling in period
It is important that parents are able to contact the setting at any time while their child is settling in. Parents are encouraged to get in touch if they need to. Where a child is finding it particularly difficult to settle, staff will proactively keep in touch to reassure them that their child is fine.
· Providing information to parents
To facilitate transition, parents will have clear information about the setting including information about the staff, curriculum and structure. This is provided in a wide range of ways from welcome packs, open afternoons and home visits.
· Supporting children to settle - Settling visits and familiarisation
In preparation for joining, opportunities are provided for new children to visit the setting so that they can get to know the staff, the environment and the other children. Open afternoons and stay and play sessions are offered.
The Settling-in Period
A gradual approach is taken to transition, gradually increasing the time a child attends the setting. This is adapted to suit the needs of the child so that the setting moves at the child’s pace as well as the needs of the family. When a large number of children start at the same time a staggered entry approach is used. This means a small number of children start each session, allowing staff to give each group more individual attention. Parents are encouraged to stay and help their child settle, we are flexible and give parents the choice to decide how long they stay.
Activities to Engage the Child
Information that is gathered about the child from home visits and discussions with parents to engage children in activities that interest them is used to support effective transition.
Consistency and Routines
Having routines and staff being consistent with these is an important way of helping children to settle. A visual timetable is used so that children can see what is happening next and when their carer is going to collect them. Time is spent reassuring children and supporting them to understand what is happening.
The Role of the Key Person
In line with the EYFS framework [DfE, 2014], a key person is allocated to each child. The key person plays an important role in supporting the child to settle by spending time with them and providing them with comfort and reassurance. When possible we will be flexible and change the key person if a child is bonding with a different member of staff.
Managing Transitions within Settings
Systems have been put into place to facilitate smooth transitions between rooms as children develop.
Support for Children Transitioning within Settings
Decisions are made on when a child is ready to transition between rooms on an individual basis. Factors include an assessment of their social skills, language, level of independence and confidence, whether they are emotionally ready to deal with this move and support themselves, and how well they engage in activities in the new room.
Once the decision to move a child has been made, the following will take place to facilitate the transition:
The child will be supported by visiting the new room on a number of occasions before the permanent move. It is important that this is phased so that children can gradually get used to the new environment and staff.
Children will be allocated a new key person when they move rooms. Flexibility for this to be changed will be offered when numbers allow.
The transition will be made at the child’s pace and it will be adapted according to the individual needs of the child.
Support for Parents during Transitions within Settings
Prior to a child moving rooms, parents are informed about the plans and they are given the opportunity to meet the new key person and to visit the new room.
Information Sharing between Staff
To facilitate the transition, information about the child is shared between staff. This includes details on their progress to date, their next steps, and the nature of any difficulties or successes.
Managing the Transition to School [or to another provider]
Three key areas are important in managing the transition to school or another provider–sharing information effectively, working with parents and supporting the child.
Sharing Information with Schools - Providing transition reports
It is important that schools have sufficient information to prepare for their new cohort.
Transition reports enable staff to share information about the child with their new setting. These documents include the child’s current stage of development, any specific needs including anything pertinent to the child settling at school, and detail of any external agencies involved. These reports provide reception teachers with a good overview of each child’s stage of development and other useful contextual information.
Inviting Schools to Visit the Setting
The reception teachers and in some cases the school SENCO are invited to visit the setting to talk to the staff and meet the children. These visits enable the reception class teacher to learn more about the child and gives the teacher the opportunity to meet the child in an environment they are familiar with.
Where visits from schools are not feasible, the schools are sent the information, or arrange to speak on the phone to share key information.
Children with Additional Needs
The school SENCO is invited to the setting to do observations of the child, and transition meetings are organised to discuss the child’s needs. Any safeguarding concerns are also shared so that the school will be aware of any issues should these escalate in the future.
Working with Parents
We work in partnership with parents. Parents know what information is being given to the school about their child and are offered an opportunity to contribute to this. Support can also be offered to parents with the school application process.
Supporting the Child
We support the child with the transition to school by:
· Working in Partnership with Local Schools
Where feasible, children are taken to visit the schools they will be joining because it helps them become familiar with the school environment and the staff. In addition to visiting these schools with the children during transition, we also work with them in other ways, e.g. attending school events, visiting the school playground, library and hall. Regular contact of this kind increases the familiarity of the school environment as well as fostering effective communication between staff.
· Preparing the Child for School
Alongside information sharing and visits, staff prepare children to the transition to reception in a range of ways:
· Staff prepare children by discussing the move to school, sharing stories and helping them to understand what to expect.
· Activities are introduced to help prepare children for school. These include increasing the length of circle time, so children gradually get used to concentrating and listening to adults for more sustained periods of time.
Reference
Study of Early Education and Development: Good Practice in Early Education Research Report,
January 2017