Top Tips for
Nurseries/
PVI/CC/
Childminders
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Puppets & teddy bear for children/ staff to take on visits to new schools
Story books about starting new school- see list
School role play area with uniforms and book bags, PE kits etc from local schools
Children’s perspective- talk to them about their hopes and fears
Talking to the children who have moved on. What was it like for them? Could they
talk to the children about to leave and move to start school?
New words – meaning e.g. playground, dinner lady etc and photos
Passport to school
Feedback from teachers. Teachers to email/ phone previous setting to let staff know
how their children have settled
Visits – Teacher visits settings/ key person from Nursery visits school
Support and prepare parents- help with school selection, advice answer questions.
How can parents support independence for their child
Encourage independence with coat hanging, finding own things, toilet, hand-washing
snack time etc
Invite teachers & vice versa to “productions”
Building relationships with teachers & settings through phone calls, emails and
invitations to events
Start transition early - make it a process
- raise awareness in whole setting
Photographs of adults & classrooms, furniture etc on display or in books
Top Tips for
Schools before
Children start
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Start transition early – make it a process
Raise awareness in whole school
Make contact, early summer term, with PVI/CC that children are coming from and
begin the discussion process
Photographs of adults & classrooms, toilets, entrance area, cloakroom furniture etc.
Share these with local PVI/ CC
Send a welcome letter/ booklet to children.
Send an information booklet to parents full of photos with details of the daily
routine
Invite children for taster sessions in small groups
Make the initial parents meeting informal and a social occasion and invite existing
parents
Top Tips as
Children begin
School
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Home Visits (on request) before children start. Offer one-to-one for those parents
who do not want a home visit.
Stagger entry in September. Not all children starting at once or for full days
Allow children to bring transitional objects and ensure all staff are aware of this
Use information from transition forms and all about me sheets to plan based on
children’s known needs and interests.
Lunch time – lots of pre-start experience for both child & parent – meet the cook –
get familiar with dinner time equipment
Familiar staff to do lunch time
Buddies for lunch time
Role-play with kitchen items e.g. plates/ trays/ bar salad
Try to follow similar routines to PVI if possible at first and keep large group times
short.
Feedback from teachers. Teachers to email/ phone previous setting to let staff know
how their children have settled
Keep parents involved throughout the process
Play & stay sessions – to discuss concerns etc but to play about children.
Have a parent section on the transition pack – saying what they need or would want
to make them feel more secure about transition
Ensure that parents are welcome in setting - e.g. if a child is upset allow parent to
come into the setting
Top Tips
for Pupils
with SEND
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PVI/CC to liaise early on with school (with parent’s permission) and make them
aware of individual needs
School to make more than one visit to Nursery.
TAC meeting to ensure parents’ views are heard.
School to plan extra staff training if necessary.
School to liaise regularly with parents when the child starts
Flexible arrangements to admission- possibly part time initially
Extra visits in much smaller groups to school – perhaps with just one friend
Send a home school link book home to ensure two-way flow of information
Discuss play plans and agree with parents
Signpost families to other agencies for support where necessary
Understand the unique needs of the child and be responsive and flexible.