Pupils at Green Gates Primary School may make several transitions as they move through the school including:
- Transition from home to EYFS
- Transition from Nursery to Reception
- Transition from EYFS to Year 1
- Transition from one class to another
- Transition from Year 6 to Secondary School
Each of these transitions is unique with its own challenges and expectations.
We want our children to experience smooth transitions so that the quality of learning is maintained and children continue to make the very best progress. We aim to:
- Make a happy transition from home to school and year group to year group.
- Support all children towards independence and develop confidence and ability to cope with change.
- Give pupils a clear understanding of the new expectations ahead of them.
- Ensure that any relevant information from outside agencies is acknowledged and acted upon, particularly in regard to children who might be considered vulnerable.
- Encourage all parents to be partners in their child’s education.
- Assist parents in helping their child prepare for school and transition to each new phase.
Transition into Nursery
Prior to the child starting nursery, families either receive a home visit or attend a registration meeting at the school. At this meeting, parents are invited to share information about their child. Parents of children who are familiar with the school, i.e. who have siblings in the school, share this information at a registration meeting. The information gathered during these meetings is used by teachers to plan activities that are relevant, interesting and reassuring to children. The children are also invited in for a ‘Stay and Play’ session to help them get to know the nursery areas.
Transition from Nursery to Reception
Nursery children are generally confident about the move to reception, given they share the outdoor space and have daily interactions with the Reception teaching team. In the second half of the summer term the reception teachers lead some sessions in the nursery, and nursery children spend some time in their new setting.
Parents of children moving into reception attend the June meeting and are invited to try a school meal with their child too.
Transition from EYFS to Year 1
Transition from the Reception to Year 1 presents a unique challenge as children move from the play-based approach of the Early Years Foundation Stage to the demands of the National Curriculum.
During the Summer Term, Year 1 teachers spend time in the reception classrooms and outside space with the children they will be receiving. Towards the end of the summer term children visit the Year 1 classrooms and take part in an a week long transition project with their new teacher.
Transition from class to class
All children visit their new classes towards the end of the summer term, spending a week in their new classroom with next year’s teaching staff. Children take part in a transition week project which is lots of fun.
Transition meetings are timetabled towards the end of the Summer Term. At these meetings individual children are discussed to ensure the receiving teacher has a good understanding of the learning and pastoral needs of each of the children.
Parents have the opportunity to meet the receiving teacher at the school’s Open Afternoon in September, which is held during the final week of term. A timetable and year group newsletter are shared with parents at, or shortly, after this meeting.
Transition from Primary to Secondary School
Once places have been offered and accepted at Secondary schools, the school liaises with each receiving secondary and engages in their transition programme. This varies between schools but may include the child meeting the Head of Year 7, meetings between the child’s class teacher and Head of Year 7 and time spent on transition projects in the child’s new school.
The school shares pupil information with the receiving school, including end of KS2 attainment levels and important pastoral information. Pupil records are transferred to the receiving secondary school.