Transitions Policy
At Ormesby Pre-School we organise transitions around the needs of the individual child.
We want children to feel safe, stimulated and happy, to feel secure and comfortable with staff.
We want parents to have confidence in both their child’s well-being and their role as active partners with the setting.
Aims
- To ensure that the children’s emotional well being is our priority.
- To ensure good communication between parents / carers in the transition period.
- To make all transactions as smooth as possible e.g. going to school, leaving parents/carers at the beginning of the session.
- We aim to make the setting a welcoming place where children settle quickly and easily because consideration has been given to the individual needs and circumstances of children and their families.
Procedures
Ormesby Pre-School take children in all through the school year.
We hold an open day in the summer term which we invite and welcome new children and their families
All children have a coat peg with their photo on it and a pigeon hole with their name on for newsletters, paintings etc.
We have ½ termly newsletters
Ormesby Pre-School works with other professionals to meet the needs of all our children –physically, emotionally and socially
Children who need additional support
If we have children who have additional needs our SENCO’s will be able to support them and their families, bringing in trained professionals if necessary
Ormesby Pre-School follows the guidelines laid down by the Dept for Education in the Early Years Guide for 0 to 25 years SEND code of Practice – September 14
Transition from Home to Pre-School
Each child will have access to taster sessions before they start, given them the opportunity to meet and play with staff and the children within the rooms. This session will be available in each room. They will allow the parent to stay and play with their child for an hour. We do not charge for the taster session.
- We collect essential information through a registration form and ‘About me’ sheets, your child’s likes, dislikes and routines.
- We encourage parents on the ‘about me’ sheets to supply lots of photos of the family so the children can look at them and talk about their family.
- Each child will have a designated member of staff to be their ‘key worker’. The key worker makes that all important relationship between home and pre-school. Exchanging of information about your child.
- All children settle differently this is why all children will have their own unique settling in plan; this will be discussed with parents before entry.
- Parents will be fully involved in their child’s learning using our on-line learning journal. They will be able to see your child’s progress, write comments and up-load photos supporting your child’s next step or of special days, weekends and holidays.
- The ‘about me’ sheets are the start of your child’s learning journey. All observations, planned next steps are completed through play, following your child’s interests. All your child’s learning will be discussed with you through formal and informal meetings
- Your key worker will talk to you at the end of the session or if the key worker is not available, another member of staff. All the staff work and play with all the children. If you wish to have a longer conversation with the key worker a longer meeting can be arranged.
- The learning journal is yours as well, so we would really like you to go on-line, look at the learning journal and work with us to support your child’s learning.
- Children are allowed to bring a favourite toy or comforter.
- We carry out a statutory 2-year-old check ‘Being two’ on your child between 2 and 3 years, within 6 weeks of them starting Pre-School. This allows time for your child to settle and for the member of staff to get to know them. These checks will be shared with you and discussed.
From Rainbow room to Sunshine room or Moonbeam room
Children’s transitions from the Rainbow room to Sunshine or Moonbeam classrooms are made seamless by the children coming across for visits.
Allowing them to play with the staff and get familiar with the inside and outside areas.
The on-line learning journey moves over but there will be a change of key worker
The key worker will write a short summary of ‘where the child is now’ to pass on with the parent’s agreement to the new key worker in the classroom
All Key persons will write a baseline summary for each key child. These summaries will be uploaded to the key child’s online learning journey
At Transition to a New Setting or School
We encourage and remind parents about completing application forms for a place at school.
Information is shared with school after parents’ permission is given.
Children’s transitions to Ormesby Pre-School are made seamless by our children continually visiting the school.
Children will be given photos of their new Reception Class and teacher.
Children who will be attending other schools – We will try and access pictures of their new school to make transition easier. We will also arrange a visit from the designated s
Ormesby Pre-School will complete a Record of Transfer which will be given to school with parent’s permission.