Transition to a new school:

  Nursery to  Reception Class (FS1 - FS2)

Leaving preschool behind and entering Reception is a big step for children.

When four-year-olds set off for their first day at ‘big school’, they should be full of positive emotions – excitement, confidence and happiness. This happens if they know exactly where they are going, who will be there, what they will be able to do when they get there and how long they  will be staying there. A successful transition means children settle quickly into school, learning and developing from day one.

Before children officially start 'Big School, we aim to make sure that: 

● school staff get know each child, including their interests and needs during play sessions in the summer term;

● the school is able to meet these interests and needs through discussions with parents and nurseries;

● school staff have started to form a relationship with each family;

● children know, and like, the school staff;

● children are familiar and happy with their new school environment, its routines and expectations;

● children have met and made friends with some of the other children who will be in their class.

Getting to know new children

Home Visits: Starting school isn't just a big step for children: it is for parents and carers too. During the summer term before your child starts at Whiston Junior and Infant School, our FS2 team will arrange a home visit. This allows us to meet your child in an environment that they are comfortable in and get to know them and you, building the foundations for an open and strong relationship between school and home.

Stay and Play sessions in school: We arrange several 'Stay and Play' sessions in school during the summer term before your child starts with us in the September. This allows your child time to explore our school whilst you are with them, get to know our staff a little better and give them an understanding of where they will be coming in September.

Before the children arrive

Information gathered from the preschools, the families, the child and observations give Reception staff a good picture of the new group of children. They can then prepare the environment to ensure that every child will have a wide choice of activities, and also that routines and expectations are established from day one. For example, coat pegs, self-registration, resource storage and labels must all be ready so that routines can be taught on the first day.

Settling in

The first few days of school are important for supporting our children in feeling confident and happy. We offer a staggered start, meaning that children spend 3 - 4 days building up the time that they spend in school, including unstructured times such as lunchtime. This allows our children to learn new routines in a manageable way, whilst forming relationships with staff and making their new friends.

Primary School to Secondary School (Y6 - Y7)

Moving from primary school to secondary school is an exciting time of life, but for many children it can also be a daunting prospect. 

A new, much bigger school can offer greater independence, such as the first smart phone, and a world of opportunity. However it also means new teachers, new subjects and potentially a whole new set of friends.

To support with this process, our Y6 teachers plan many activities to give children opportunities to discuss  their thoughts and share any concerns. We invite the partner schools into Whiston to meet and chat with the children and also the secondary schools often invite children to visit in the summer term.

Our Y6 teachers and SENCO (if appropriate), also meet with their secondary counterparts to discuss individual assessments and needs as well as discussing their strengths and personality traits.

Click on the links below for further ideas to support your child: 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/transitioning-to-secondary-school/zkc9pg8

https://www.annafreud.org/schools-and-colleges/resources/moving-up-the-transition-to-secondary-school-animation-teacher-toolkit/

Transition to a new class

As with moving on to a new school, moving up to the next year group can also be a little overwhelming for some children and exciting for others. We use the similar principles as above to support a smooth transition by ensuring that in the summer term, we plan a series of transition sessions/days when children visit their new classes and meet their new teaching staff.  Children also start a transition topic, which they carry on with in the first week back in September.