TRANSITION POLICY FOR HOME – EARLY LEARNING AND CHILDCARE - PRIMARY 1   

Rationale 

 

Transitions are a key current policy priority for the Scottish Government which is highlighted throughout Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), the Early Years Framework, Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) and Realising the Ambition (2020). 

 

“In an ELC setting there are several transitions we expect a child to manage: from home to the setting; person to person; setting to setting; outdoors to indoors and ultimately from ELC to Primary School. It is essential that all of these are handled sensitively, inclusively, and positively.” (Dunlop 2020)

 

Little Wonderland Nursery recognise and believe, that positive transitions are significant for children’s personal, social and emotional well-being, cognitive development and achievements.  We adopt a rights-based approach to transition, upholding the principles outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (updated March 2022).  

The UNCRC sets out a comprehensive framework of rights and protections for children. Every child has the right to be heard, respected, and supported throughout the transition process. Our Transition Policy aims to uphold and to promote these rights ensuring that children’s individual circumstances and prior experiences are considered and respected.

 

 

As outlined in Realising the Ambition (2020) all transition should consider the five themes to ensure that they are positive and meaningful.

                                                                                              Realising the Ambition 2020.

Transitions should be viewed as a process, rather than an event, and planned carefully with the following principles to ensure that children, and their families, have positive and engaging transition experiences, tailored to their individual needs which:

• Provide a seamless transition, building on children’s prior knowledge, skills, and experiences. “Fresh start” approaches should be avoided to ensure a smooth, planned progression from Home to Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) and later from ELC to Primary School.

 

• Recognises that parents and carers have a significant role to play in preparing and supporting children at times of transition and it is essential to actively involve them as fully as possible, considering them as partners in the transition process and valuing their input.

 

• Emphasises the right of children to be actively involved in the transition process, valuing their opinions, and giving them the opportunity to express their views and preferences. Article 12 of the UNCRC States:

o “Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child”.

 

• Emphasises that the best interests of the child should be a primary consideration in all actions and decisions concerning children. This should guide the planning and implementation of all aspects of the transition process, considering their unique needs, abilities, and developmental stage.

 

• Prohibits discrimination against children on any grounds, such as gender, race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. Transitions should be inclusive and accessible to all children, regardless of their background or circumstances, and efforts should be made to ensure all children are treated equitably and have access to a smooth and inclusive transition process.

 

• Pays special attention to children with additional needs or those who may be facing challenging life transitions to ensure dignity, promote self-reliance, and facilitate their active participation in the community. Transitions should be inclusive and accommodating for children with disabilities, providing necessary support and reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal participation and access to educational opportunities.

 

• Embraces the Right to Play for all children. By continuing Play Pedagogy provision across the early years transition process, practitioners can create a seamless child-centred learning environment. This approach acknowledges play as a natural learning style for children, and is a powerful tool for their overall development, laying a strong foundation for future skills for life, learning and work.

 

• Ensures adults are skilled, knowledgeable, interested, and responsive, to help young children develop a sense of trust and security. Adults should be mindful that younger children should not be expected to immediately manage the transition to a larger group, an older age group of children, or to a new setting without careful planning and preparation.

 

Figure 2 The diversity of transitions for young children. Realising the Ambition 2020

 

 

‘There is evidence that children ‘dip’ at transitions, in both cognitive and social-emotional areas, that they face a range of changes – in environment, in relationships, in identity, in learning expectations, in curriculum and in the pattern of their days.’  (Dunlop and Fabian 2007)

 

Through implementing these principles, and considering the following examples of ideas and strategies, children and their families can experience smoother transitions, fostering their confidence, social integration, and overall well-being.

  

 

Roles and Responsibilities of all ELC and Primary School Practitioners  

  

Positive transitions are a shared responsibility of parents/carers, ELC and Primary School staff, each valuing the expertise and crucial role that all have to play.  

  

• Facilitate open and child led discussions, in a safe and supportive environment, to allow children to express their thoughts, feelings, and questions about transition.

 

• Create time for dialogue with children, parents, carers, colleagues, and relevant agencies to

gather information about the child’s learning and development.  

 

• All relevant information (medical, Child Protection chronologies, Speech and Language (SLT) input, Educational Visitor (EV) and Health Visiting (HV) and Allied Health Professionals (AHP) involvement, should be transferred with the child to the new setting.

 

• Respect issues of confidentiality when sharing information in line with data protection legislation.

 

• For children entering ELC, create a Personal Plan for each child within 28 days, to meet the health, safety and welfare needs of the child as set out in the Scottish Statutory Instrument 210 The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011. This plan must be reviewed at least every six months and more frequently where appropriate and should include any strategies to meet children’s transitional needs.

 

• Acknowledge and take account of individuals’ skills and prior learning, making effective use of Personal Learning Portfolios/Electronic Journals, which should reflect the action planning from the Personal Plan and inform transitions throughout the day and be used to effectively support continuity between providers and stages.

 

• All practitioners have a responsibility to meet the planned outcomes for children, contained within Personal Plans, Individual Education Plans (IEPs), and Child’s Plans.

 

• Ensure a supportive, nurturing ethos.

 

• Develop an appropriate learning environment which provides for children’s interests, needs and which supports progression.

 

• Primary School Practitioners take the lead, involving all stakeholders, to support and plan an Enhanced Transition Programme for children with Additional Support for Learning Needs, during the transition from ELC to Primary School. If the transition is from Home to ELC, the lead role should be taken by the ELC Manager.

 

• Plan a programme and timeline for the transition process and any specific activities and meetings.

 

• Develop a shared understanding of Experiences and Outcomes, Curriculum for Excellence across the Early Level.

 

• Practitioners must ensure relevant risk assessments for visiting children and adults are undertaken and ensure that:  
• a robust signing in and out procedure is in place.
• that visiting adults are never left alone with a child or group of children.
• that visiting adults are not left unsupervised in the toilet area and can only assist with their own child.

 

In the event of a child not settling after two weeks and the parent/carer continues to support their child, the parent/carer will require to register as a volunteer (see the Volunteer Policy 2014 and the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Guidance for Schools 2014).   

  

Activities to Promote Successful Transition  

  

Home to Early Learning and Childcare settings, transfers between settings, and blended placements.  

 

 

• Arrange home visits where appropriate.

 

• Invite children to visit the setting prior to starting ELC.

 

• Include children in ELC events for example, Christmas concert, picnics, sports day, etc.

 

• Develop a transition booklet/SWAY for children, which might include child friendly materials, visuals, staff photographs, key areas, routines etc. to support their understanding and active participation in the planning process.

 

• Develop personal transition boxes with children which include familiar and important items.

 

• Provide opportunities for children to engage in self-reflection activities where they can express their thoughts and emotions relating to the transition (learning journal, PLPs, drawing, singing, role play, small world scenarios).

 

• Provide an informative handbook/SWAY for families, which includes information about the curriculum, staff, snack, mealtimes, suitable clothing, complaints procedures etc.

 

• Arrange meetings (including Personal Plan meetings) with parents/carers, shared placement ELC practitioner, and relevant agencies, including EAL services where appropriate, to discuss aspects of the child’s development.

 

• Devise a settling in process which may be required, in some circumstances, to support the individual needs of the child. Practitioners should work in partnership with families to ensure that transition arrangements are meeting the child's needs.

 

• Identify and use communication methods that are accessible and appropriate for individual needs, for example, visual supports, social stories, personalised transition materials, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, where required.

 

• Arrange meetings with parents/carers to share curriculum and practical information.

 

• Identify a key person/s with whom the child can develop a secure relationship and who will be the key contact/s for the family.

 

Activities to Promote Successful Transition  

  

Early Learning and Childcare to Primary 1  

  

Throughout ELC take every opportunity to forge links with Primary 1.  

 

Plan a transition programme:    

 

• At the beginning of the school year, where possible, schools and ELC providers allocate time for school practitioners and ELC managers/childminders to co-create an overview of a transition programme for the session.

 

• Provide opportunities for children to engage in self-reflection activities where they can express their thoughts and emotions relating to the transition (drawing, singing, role play, small world scenarios).

 

• Where, and if possible, release a member of Early Learning and Childcare staff to support children in P1 on the first day/s.

 

• Plan a settling-in period to allow children to develop confidence in their new environment ensuring continuity of learning experiences and pedagogy.

 

• For children with Additional Support Needs, following the Resource Provision Panel allocation, consider alternative enhanced transition support tailored to the individual requirements of children and families, for example, slower transition processes, after school (empty setting) visits, shorter drop in visits, enhanced transition support time with key adults.

 

• Develop a liaison calendar to support staff collaboration for example, o September - staff meet to plan events etc.  o November – staff discuss enrolment arrangements,  o February – staff discuss induction day arrangements,  o May – staff meet to discuss children’s progress.  

 

  

Throughout the year:  

 

• Display children’s prior work in their new setting.

 

• Plan ‘Stay and Play’ sessions.

 

• Invite children and staff to school events for example, festive occasions, sports day, school fayres, fund raising events etc.

 

• Plan joint projects, Active Schools sessions, joint Story Sack scheme, joint Enterprise with P1.

 

• Make visits in small groups to P1 to take part in activities.

 

• Encourage School Early Level staff to visit ELC centre to become familiar with children and their experiences.

 

• ‘Buddy’ children with P6 pupils. Take photographs of buddies, create opportunities for buddies to visit new Primary 1 pupils in the ELC, where possible. 

 

• Use shared spaces throughout the year.

 

• Invite future P1 children to end of theme presentations/showcases.

  

Summer Term: 

 

• Following confirmation of pupil placement, ensure that the transition programme accommodates all children (from home; childminders; all pre-school providers).
• Talk and listen to the children about their expectations of school.
• Provide transition activities which will involve children in planning and decision-making process such as choosing classroom themes and organisation of spaces.
• Ensure the children meet all the staff who will be involved with them.
• Ensure opportunities for the receiving staff i.e. P1 teacher to visit, observe, and engage with new entrants in their current ELC settings.
• Provide opportunities for children to take on the role of tour guides during visits to the school environment and Primary 1.
• Provide opportunities for parents/carers to visit the new setting with their child.
• Create a presentation/SWAY by P1 pupils, which might include child friendly materials, visuals, staff photographs, key areas, routines etc. to support their understanding active participation in the planning process children addressing questions posed by new entrants.
• Make a booklet with photographs of the school-entrance/staff/playroom/ toilets/snack/outside area- so that children can remember the setting during the holiday before they start.
• Meet with parents/carers and staff to share curriculum and practical information and ideas to support their child’s learning.
• Ensure time for staff to share Personal Learning Portfolios.
• Plan for specific induction days.
• Support children at playtimes and mealtimes, etc.
• Familiarise children with transport arrangements for example, meet the driver, road crossing patrol.

Prior to the start of the new session hold information evening for parent/carers of children within Early Level, (CfE).