Top tips for supporting transition
Things that early years settings, schools and parents can do to help a child with transition.
- Communicate with the provider transitioning to/from
- Communicate with parents and carers - reassure, find out children’s strengths and areas to support
- List children’s likes/dislikes and display where members of the team can see
- Inform other members of staff working with the children
- School discuss hygiene, toileting and expectations with preschool/nursery/carers/parents
- Schools and settings share familiar routines, rules and songs
- Ask carers to send a photo from home to display in the environment before the start to minimise transition of virus
- If possible have a safe place for each child to keep a special object/toy from home
- Keep the environment minimalistic with pictures of children’s interests
- Play calming music and offer light and colour sensory items if possible
- Provide as much outdoor learning as possible request a change of clothes from home
- Focus on the prime areas of development following the child’s lead
- Keep communication with settings/ parents/carers as open as possible
- Consider using short film clips to include; welcome, tour of the classroom, school and induction information for new parents and post on the school’s website.
- Consider setting up a unique email address for new parents to answer questions or provide further information, so that it is a continuous dialogue, as and when parents request it.
- Consider organising a time slot in the setting for an individual family, in place of home visits.
- Consider providing a ‘proposed’ start date which may be staggered for groups of children - proposed as this may change with government guidance.