Nursery Transition
Policy
SEASHELLS
NURSERY
Community Centre
Albert Road
Eyemouth
TD14 5DE
Tel. 018907 52082
Email: seashellsnursery@hotmail.co.uk
www.seashellsnursery.jimdo.com
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This policy was adopted at a meeting of:
(Insert name of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Setting) Seashells Nursery ELCC
On (date) 20th April 2020
Signed M. Lindsay Designation Nursery Manager
Statement of Purpose
As an Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) setting we recognise the importance of supporting toddlers and young children through the transition process. Transitions will be handled sensitively and will be strive to ensure they are a positive experience for both children and their families. Effective transition involves partnership working, effective communication and the tracking and recording of children’s progress. Transition arrangements will be planned and managed to support children and families through the process. Progression in learning and curriculum continuity are essential to ensure the needs of the child are being met.
Throughout this guidance the term parents is used to include all main care givers.
Supported Transitions
Children will experience transitions at different times in their life and the setting will support children and families to make successful and effective transitions. Transitions can be from home to school, within the setting, split placements (including childminders) and onward to primary school.
Children will be encouraged to develop a positive attitude to change and to develop new and secure relationships as they move across the setting. Processes will be in place to record all aspects of children’s learning and achievements and this information will be shared with relevant colleagues and families to ensure continuity of learning.
Key Transitions
As an ELC we recognise the following points of transition as key stages in a child's emotional and learning journey and will plan carefully to support both the child and their family as they make these transitions.
Home to Setting
We respect and value parents' knowledge of their child. We will engage with them prior to their child joining the setting to gain as much knowledge of the child as possible, including care needs, preferences and developmental stage. We will also explore any concerns the parents may have about bringing their child to the setting. We will endeavour to build positive and relaxed relationships with the parents that foster openness and trust.
A series of visits to the setting by the parents and child will be planned where they can meet and get to know the child's allocated key person, form secure attachments and become familiar with the setting. The number and duration of these visits will be dictated by the child's needs and parental circumstances. We will be sensitive to both the child's readiness to join the setting, and being parted from the parent, and the parent's own needs and emotions.
Within the Setting
In our setting we will sensitively support children and their families to make successful transitions as they move to their next stage of learning - from toddlers to young children and on into their pre-school year, they will be well supported at all times of transition. We want the transitions to be enjoyable and exciting and will endeavour to foster a positive attitude to change amongst the children and parents.
Practitioners within each stage of learning will liaise closely with each other, with the parents and with the child, where appropriate, to plan the move. In order to ensure continuity of learning and progression staff will share key information about the child's learning and development. Information regarding involvement of other agencies or professionals such as speech therapists, psychologists or social services and the child's care needs and preferences will also be shared. Crucially they will ensure that any additional support needs continue to be met as the child moves on.
The child and parents will have planned visits to the new playroom and opportunity to get to know the new key person.
Thought will be given to any measures that may ease the process for the child such as moving on at the same time as a friend, taking a favourite toy with them, having familiar play equipment in the new room or following known routines.
The decision to move a child on to the next learning stage will always be dependent on the child's readiness and not dictated solely by their chronological age.
The overall approach to assessment supports effective transitions into, across and from our setting which enhance the learning process.
Across Settings
Parental commitments or preferences may require that some children attend more than one setting or spend additional time in the care of a childminder. In our setting, practitioners carefully support children and families to make successful transitions when they first start, and as they move to another stage of learning or to a new setting. We will work in collaboration with parents and colleagues in other settings to ensure that there is shared information on the child's learning and development across these settings. We will agree with the parents and any additional settings how and when information should be shared, and what the content of that information will be.
All settings will be informed of the involvement of other agencies and professionals and have a common understanding of the child's progress in early literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing to ensure continuity in learning across the curriculum. We will take cognisance of any information passed to us by other settings to help inform our planning for the child's progression and wellbeing. To ensure transition arrangements are effective for all children, in particular for those requiring additional support this is clearly documented in the Child’s Plan.
With our partners we will regularly review and evaluate the impact of our transition arrangements across settings to ensure the best possible outcomes for children and families. Where possible we will meet with them to develop a shared understanding of progress and play-based pedagogy across the early level.
Setting to Primary School
As a setting we will foster positive collaborative working strategies with our local primary schools. Where possible we will ensure that children have opportunities throughout their pre-school year to visit and participate in events in their receiving primary school in order to support them emotionally during transition and to promote a confident and successful move to primary school.
We will develop concise reporting records to share with receiving primary schools based on a common understanding of child development and progression in learning. These records will outline clearly the child's learning in early literacy, numeracy, and health and wellbeing, and help the receiving primary to plan for progression. They will include any relevant information about support needs, skills and achievements across the curriculum.
This information will be shared in the first instance with the parents to ensure they have full knowledge of their child's progress to date and are in agreement with the assessment.
We will also ensure that receiving primary schools are informed of any relevant involvement with other agencies and professionals.
We acknowledge that not all of our children will move on to primary school within the locus of our setting. This presents a greater challenge for collaboration but we will endeavour to ensure that every child has a positive transition experience and that the receiving primary school is fully informed of the child's progress to date and has all relevant information regarding the child.
As in our practice with shared settings, we will meet with colleagues from local primary schools, where possible, to develop a shared understanding of progress and play-based pedagogy across the early level. We will seek objective evaluations from parents, children and partners to enable us to develop and improve the transition arrangements and programmes into primary school that we provide.
Monitoring of this Policy
It will be the responsibility of Miriam Lindsay, Nursery Manager to ensure that all staff, including new or temporary staff, are familiar with this policy and to monitor that it is being implemented. This will be achieved through both formal and informal observation of staff practice, staff review of transition records and management review of all documentation in relation to transitions.
Links to national policy:
Health and Social Care standards – My support my life
https://www.gov.scot/Resource/0052/00520693.pdf
1.12, 1.13,1.14,1.15,2.20, 3.9,3.10,3.13,3.14,3.19,4.13,4.15,4.16,4.17,4.18,4.27,
http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0045/00458455.pdf
(Building the Ambition: National Practice Guidance on Early Learning and Childcare, Scottish Government 2014
https://hub.careinspectorate.com/media/603624/our-creative-journey-aug-17-master-combined.pdf
https://hub.careinspectorate.com/media/549001/space-to-grow.pdf
(Curriculum for Excellence, Scottish Government)
https://www.gov.scot/resource/doc/226155/0061245.pdf
(How good is our early learning and childcare? HGIOELC) 2.6 transitions
Find out more:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/earlylearningandchildcare/index.asp
Education Scotland (Early Years)
http://hub.careinspectorate.com/media/232186/review-elc-workforce-and-osc-workforce.pdf