Early LevelTransitions
Grace O’Malley, Headteacher
Clentry Nursery, Kelty
Sunflower Nursery, Lochgelly
Transitions
‘Common as such experiences may be, we cannot assume that
they are plain sailing.
For some children the winds of change blow fair, for others the
passage can be stormy, for others still they drift into the new,
and for some they set off on a huge adventure, as explorers in
search of something new.’
Dunlop and Fabian,
Informing Transitions in the early years, Research, Policy and Practice,
Maidenhead Open University Press
What’s Working Well?
 Pastoral Transitions
 Early Birds
 Enhanced Transitions
Improvement Plan Priority 2014/15
Improvement priority
linked to QI’s
Reduce inequity in
educational
outcomes for all our
learners
Improve curricular
transitions for all
children across the
Early Level
Develop a shared
understanding of
how children learn
and develop in both
the nursery and P1
settings
Through the sharing
of good practice,
improve the quality of
children’s
experiences in both
settings
Responsible
Person
Lochgelly and
Beath Cluster
Early Years
Staff
What actions will we take?
Term 1
Share and discuss expectations of how children learn and develop
across the early level.
•P1 staff share results of Baseline assessments with nursery staff
Children’s self-evaluation of nursery / P1 provision
•Children will visit each other’s setting and compare and comment on
different contexts and resources. This will support a shared
understanding of quality, challenge and progression.
Term 2
N4 and P1 children will plan a joint visit to the woods.
• Opportunities for den building and outdoor cooking
•Staff will highlight and discus the progression across a selection Es
and Os from Science and Social Studies
Term 3
A shared focus on Blockplay
Agree common features for structuring block play areas
Add resources to extend / stimulate play around an agreed theme
Observe and assess the children’s play in both settings, with a focus on
early mathematical skills
Term 4
A planned series of visits to P1with clear curricular focus
Numeracy – ‘Maths is Magic’ Day
Literacy – ‘Word Wizards’
Health and Wellbeing – ‘Happy and Healthy’
Improvement Plan Priority 2014/15
Lochgelly and Beath Cluster
‘Improving transitions of learning across the early level’
Term 1
Evaluation of Learning Environments
Term 2
Outdoor Learning
Term 3
Block Play
Term4
Curricular Visits
Evaluation of Learning Environments
Sand and Water
Home Corner
Art and Craft
Tell us what you Think?
Nursery children
visiting Primary 1
Primary 1 children
visiting Nursery
Tell us what you Think?
Sand and Water
- Nursery
Sand and Water - Nursery
Sand and Water
– outdoors
Sand and Water – Primary 1
Art and Craft - Nursery
Art and Craft – Primary 1
Art and Craft
Primary 1
Home Corner - Nursery
Home Corner
Primary 1
Things to Think About
 Structure of day
 Curriculum rationale
 Children’s independence
 Personalisation and choice
 Quality of resources
 Space
 Staffing ratios
 Expectations
 Value of play
Outdoor Learning
Nursery
Outdoor Learning
School
Woodland
Explorers
Den Building
Things to Think About
 Challenge and problem solving
 Links to indoor learning
 Risk assessments
 Time restraints
 Working with parents
 Expectations
 Commitment and support from management
Block Play
Blockplay - Stages of Development
Stage 1 - Tote and Carry (2 and 3 years old)
Blockplay - Stages of Development
Stage 2
Building Begins
(3 years old)
Blockplay - Stages of Development
Stage 3 Bridging (3 and 4 years old)
Blockplay - Stages of Development
Stage 4 Enclosures (4 years old)
Blockplay - Stages of Development
Stage 5 Representational Building (4 and 5 years old)
Blockplay - Stages of Development
Stage 6 Complex Building (5 and 6 years old)
The Potential of Block Play
Things to Think About
Challenge and enjoyment
Breadth
Progression
Depth
Personalisation and choice
Coherence
Relevance
Curricular Visits
Maths is Magic
Happy and Healthy
Word Wizard
Early Level Transitions
excitingly different.....
reassuringly familiar???