How do we support transition?

Here are some strategies on what to expect to establish an effective transition from Home, childminders and Nursery to Reception for your child/ren. 

If your child attends Colham Manor Nursery School

• We ensure that adults working in Reception drop in to see children in Nursery engaged in both child initiated learning (busy learning) and adult led sessions. We plan for this to happen throughout the whole year to build relationships and gain an understanding of what learning looks like in Nursery.
• We provide Nursery children the opportunity to visit the Reception setting on our whole school transition day in the Summer term however also see it as beneficial for our Nursery children to experience the environment weekly in the second half of the summer term on informal basis' such as our end of day read, time in the playground, using the toilets and visits to the outdoor busy learning environments. 
• Nursery and Reception practitioners are provided sufficient time to conduct a thorough handover, not only to discuss attainment but to pass on holistic information about each child. The way in which children learn, their interests, friendships and home circumstances will impact how children settle in their new class and so we ensure that no detail is left unturned when handing over to new teachers. 
• Possibly the biggest and most daunting adjustment is the entering of the whole school setting; using shared corridors, toilets and playgrounds. To support this we ensure that children are exposed to these environments with their known adults to build comfort.
• Our chosen theme and Literary texts in the Summer 2 term are based on supporting transition; please explore our EYFS Long Term Plan for further details.

If your child is joining Colham Manor Primary School's Reception from an external childcare setting (including childminders, nurseries or home)

• We ensure that reports are requested from previous settings so to ensure a detailed handover is provided; these may then be followed up by visits to the setting to meet the child or a phone call to discuss handovers where more detail is required. 
• We invite potential Reception children in for two stay & play sessions prior to the summer before they are set to join us once their school place has been confirmed by the Local Authority. 
• Information will be sent to all families; including our prospectus, transition details and registration to all of our school system details. 

For all children starting Colham Manor Primary School

• Children will experience a transition period into Reception in September; the first part of our transition is to spend time in school from 8:30/40-11:30, the next stage incorporating lunch into their day: 8:30/40-12:30, and the final stage being to spend all day at school: 8:30/40-3:10pm. 
• We have provided a Reception readiness checklist on our website for families to look over to support the readiness of their child joining school with us
• We offer toilet workshops to any children who are not yet independently toileting prior to the summer before they are set to start Reception with our family support worker. 

• We work alongside Colham Manor Children's Centre on signposting possible workshops to support readiness for school. 
• The SEND team meet with any families wanting to discuss any concerns or adjustments that need to be made for a child with additional needs. 
• Booklets featuring photos of the environment and meet the teacher posters. Vulnerable children benefit with these as they move into Reception by sharing them with their families during the summer holidays.
• In the autumn term, we also host a  ‘meet the teacher’ that communicates how the transition has been for the children and outlines plans for the year ahead in Reception.  

Families can be anxious about their child moving to Reception and rely on us for information so we ensure that we host an informal welcome event to explain what to expect in Reception.