Last half term we reviewed our transitions and thought about the additional support we could offer the children who would soon be leaving us to start school. We have always been very proactive in inviting teachers from surrounding schools to come to our setting as it helps them get to know the children who will be starting their reception class in September.
Being able to witness the children engaging with their peers and playing in an environment in which they feel comfortable helps the teachers to really understand the children who will be joining their class. This has always been a rewarding experience and gives us a chance to share information with teachers face to face, rather than just in a written report.
Obviously, we understand it's a busy time for schools and sometimes the reception teacher is unable to visit us, so we are willing to visit the school with the children's learning journal, talking through the children's likes and dislikes and how they learn and play.
This year we made those important links with five schools. Our proximity to All Saints Primary School - we share a site - meant we are able to develop the transition process further by arranging for the children to visit the school for an hour in a friendship group. This enabled us to see the routines in place at school and gave us a chance to spot any issues that individual children may have settling into a new environment.
Sometimes it could be that a particular group of children like to have their snack earlier in the day, so our visit could offer the school support in adapting old routines and embracing new ideas. Sometimes it is the case of schools having to get ready for the next intake of children, not necessarily the children having to get ready for school.
In the final days in the setting we offered play opportunities focused around school life. We set up a classroom and school office, with photos of children in uniform. Some of our local schools put together booklets full of information about their school. We also developed a game that involved PE kits as PE can be a routine that children struggle with when they go to big school. Our parents appreciated the support we put in place to help their children settle in their new environments and hopefully everyone enjoyed this transition as we waved goodbye with smiley faces but heavy hearts.