POLICY ON TRANSITION IN KEY STAGE ONEJ. WildgooseMAY 2018

TO BE REVIEWED ANUALLY

In this policy ‘TRANSITION’ describes the movement that takes place from one year to the next, and in particular from one phase to the next within the school. This is different from ‘TRANSFER’ which describes movement from one school to the next.

RationaleWe want our children to experience a smooth transition from one phase / key stage to the next, so that the pace and quality of learning are maintained to ensure that children continue to make good progress. We believe that all children should feel as comfortable, confident and emotionally secure as possible when entering a new class. Young children need to feel that they are a valuable, competent member of the new social group, and they need to develop positive attitudes towards the range of new experiences they will encounter. We believe that our team needs to build on the work of the previous year group or key stage and take steps to ensure that the child is valued as an individual in the setting. We aim to welcome all children as individuals and will meet their needs accordingly. As well as meeting the needs of children entering Year One or Two, we also aim to prepare children for the challenges they are about the encounter in the next Key Stage.

“The best adaptation takes place where conditions are similar, communication is encouraged, and the process of change takes place gradually over time.” (A study of the transition from Foundation Stage to Key Stage One, Dawn Sanders, et al., NFER, 2005)

Purposes/outcomesWe want:

each class to offer a comprehensive transition period which is understood by staff, children and parents;

approaches to learning and teaching to be harmonised at the point of transition

planning to be based upon assessment information from the previous year group

styles of learning and teaching to meet the needs of the children and not pre-conceived notions of what is appropriate for the next phase / Key stage

children to enjoy new approaches at transition

transition to motivate and challenge children staff allocation to give particular attention to the particular

needs of the children the children and parents to be actively involved in the process

and their perceptions about transition to be explored and valued.

to provide close links between practitioners and families, so that children and adults feel comfortable to approach staff in the new setting;

to continue to give parents and carers time to discuss and share information about their child with staff on an informal basis; in their own language, where possible

to ensure that children and families are fully aware of the routines, procedures and expectations of the setting, regardless of language

the progress of all children at transition to be monitored to quickly identify children vulnerable to underachievement

the PSHE curriculum to be used to support transition.Broad guidelines

Year One teachers to spend time with reception teachers discussing EYFSP achievement and personalities of individuals and groups of children

Year One, Year Two and Year Three teachers to arrange meetings to discuss National Curriculum attainment and personalities of individuals and groups of children moving to new classes

Year One teachers to visit Reception twice during summer term to make informal observations and to allow children to share their Learning Journeys with their new teacher

Year Two teachers to visit Year One twice during the summer term to make informal observations and spend time working with small groups of children

All teachers and teaching assistants, if possible, to visit their new class in the summer term (in a familiar setting for the children) to read a story to them and then stay at the end of the day to give children a chance to introduce their new teacher to their parents

Children split into their new classes and visit their new classroom to listen to a story by their new teacher or teaching assistant, they will also take photographs of their new class and teachers to be displayed in their own class

In the final few weeks of the summer term children to visit their new class with their new teacher to explore their new classroom for 30 minutes

Children to produce a piece of work related to their feelings on transition to be put up on the wall of their new class ready for their entry in September

A stay and learn session, to be organised by the Year One and Year Two classes to welcome parents during the autumn term.

Year Two children to be paired with current Year Three children, who will take them to one Key Stage Two play time, in the summer term.

Year Three teachers to teach a foundation subject to Year Two children, eg PE, allowing children with different talents to shine.