Transition from Nursery to Primary School Policy

Aim

To ensure that a smooth and happy transfer to Primary School is achieved by all the children.

Objectives

To prepare the children for their transition and help them view this transition positively

To provide opportunities for the children to meet their new teacher in the nursery.

Operating Policy

Ravenscroft Nursery School wishes to be seen very much as a part of the local community and establish good links with the neighbouring primary schools and in particular, Elmgrove PS, Loughview Integrated PS, Greenwood PS, Belmont Infants, Euston Street PS, Dundela Infants, Victoria Park PS, Harding Memorial and St Josephs PS.

Therefore throughout the year the nursery will be involved in some activities with the staff and children of these Primary Schools where possible.

This will ensure that the children of the nursery unit will be very familiar with the primary school, thus easing the transition process in September.

Such activities may include being invited to the school concert, carol service, sports day etc.

In term three, we begin to prepare the children specifically for the transition from Nursery to Primary One by:-

1: Having formal discussions about going to ‘big’ school.

2: Having the Year One school teachers spend part of a day in the nursery to meet the children.

3: Incorporating ‘transition’ into role play, by having a school with appropriate uniforms, photographs of Year One teachers, playgrounds, classrooms etc.

4: Displaying photographs of each child’s Year one school teacher and key areas within the school.

5: Allowing children to be seated near friends who will be transferring to the same primary school at dinner time.

6: Talking to children about their new Year One Teacher regularly.

In order to extend the education the children have already received in the nursery, the parents and year 1 teachers will receive transition profiles/written reports.

In September/October our main feeder primary schools to meet with the Year One teachers to share each childs Nursery Profile and any other relevant information. Telephone contact will be made with all other smaller feeder Primary Schools to the same end.

At the end of a childs nursery education it is expected that in the main a child will:-

Be socially integrated with his peers

Be confident with adults

See his teacher as a person who will facilitate his learning

Be independent with regards to his physical needs

Have developed certain physical skills

Be curious about his environment, eager to learn and solve problems

Communicate freely, express his needs and verbalise his ideas

Listen attentively

Have developed a degree of concentration

Be interested in books as a source of enjoyment, interest and information

Have his creative and aesthetic awareness developed

Have developed a positive attitude to school

At Ravenscroft Nursery School, our parent worker is trained in the ‘Stepping into Schools’ programme and this shall be offered to all parents as a coffee morning workshop prior to their child transitioning to Primary School.

Ravenscroft Nursery School will make a staff member available to support incoming primary schools at their open morning. Where this offer is accepted, a staff member will visit each school alongside the children to be a ‘familiar face’, as the children visit their new classroom and meet their new teacher and friends.

Mrs Symington will meet with/contact feeder Primary School SENCOs to discuss and pass on any relevant SEN information and documentation. This may also include co-ordinating a tailored transition for children with additional needs for whom this would be beneficial eg/ 1:1 visit to new school accompanied by a Ravenscroft Nursery School staff member.

Mrs Symington will liaise with any relevant Designated Teachers should any information need to be transferred with a pupil.

In November each year, we host a ‘Returners Party’ which completes the transition cycle and allows the children and their parents to share their experiences with us. It is also an opportunity, should it be required, for parents to highlight any settling in issues which Ravenscroft Nursery School may be able to assist with.

SEN

Where a child with SEN is transferred to mainstream, we will endeavour to have relevant supports in place eg/CIDS team, behaviour support. All information relating to the provision of individual visuals/timetables/schedules will be shared with the receiving Primary School.