Getting ready for the next step…
Welcome to our transition page, we hope this will be a useful tool as you think about your child’s move up into reception, home ed or beyond. Our information and activities are a great way to support your child during their time in preschool and as they take this next step.
A recent survey by the Professional Association for Childcare and the Early Years (PACEY) suggests that the fundamental attributes your child needs to be school ready are to:
have strong social skills
be able to cope emotionally with being separated from their parents
be relatively independent in their own personal care
have a curiosity about the world and a desire to learn
We agree that the personal, social and emotional development of your child is most important but we also know there are expectations from the schools your children will be going to. As you know, the minute your child took their first steps at our preschool we began to help them build good relationships, to be independent in their self care and to be skilled learners. This means that we cover all seven areas of the Early Years curriculum as your children play and learn but that we also take an holistic approach to the care, development and teaching of your child.
We have pinpointed some of the specific skills that we think are the most important and we have put them into three areas. Within each area are ideas of ways that may help your child in the move to reception and beyond. There are also come useful links to articles or activities. If you’d like copies of any of the documents below please email in and we will get them printed for you.
May we also draw your attention to the BBC Bitesize webpage that has a host of short films all about moving on from preschool including wondering if your child is ready and consideration for school choosing for parents with children with SEND.
1. Looking after themselves -
going to the toilet by themselves and wiping their own bottom
Click the link to see some well set out information for children and adults regarding toileting from ERIC the children’s bowel and bladder charity.
being able to put their shoes and coats on and off and get changed into school uniform and out into PE clothes and back into uniform independently –
Click the link to see uniform tips for parents from The School Run.
Click the link to see uniform advice from BBC Bitesize.
Activity ideas -
- Encourage your children to get dressed and undressed by themselves, do this when you aren’t
in a rush to go anywhere.
- Have a race to get shoes and coats on, ask Alexa or put a timer on your phone to see if they
can do it in a minute or time them.
- Show your child their new uniform and let them try it on themselves including the PE kit.
able to have a sense of self and know they have the right to say ‘stop’ if some one does something they don’t like
Click the link for a really good document on Self-esteem from Young Minds
Click the link to see the NSPCC’s booklet ‘PANTS’, a great project to help parents have age appropriate discussions with children about keeping themselves safe.
to be able to eat their lunch or snack without help while seated at a table; to eat with a knife and fork or to be able to open their lunch without help
Your child will be able to get free school meals if they’re in a government-funded school and in:
reception class
year 1
year 2
Schools are expected to make reasonable adjustments for children who have special dietary requirements, whether these are religious, medical or ethical.
At the risk of telling you something you already know… see the short film below for a fun guide to packed lunches.
to feel comfortable to approach an adult for help and to respond appropriately when an adult says ‘no’
Here are five steps you can take to help your child talk to adults more confidently:
1. Practice speaking among peers
Start small. If your child isn’t able to comfortably talk with peers, it’s likely they won’t feel comfortable talking to adults.
2. Practice responding to questions
When your child is comfortable speaking freely with peers, have them practice responding to simple questions that adults ask.
3. Practice initiating contact
Once your child is comfortable answering questions when asked, have them practice starting conversations with adults, this can start by simply saying ‘hello’.
4. Practice sustaining conversations
Whether your child starts the conversation or not, teach them tips and tricks for keeping a conversation going e.g. to ask questions back.
5. Practice what you preach
If you want your child to interact well with adults, then demonstrate how to do that. Your child picks up many of their social cues from you, so set a good example in how you talk with other adults.
2. Communicating with others -
making friends, knowing how to introduce themselves and ask the names of others, being able to join others play or offer to share what they are playing with
Click the link for a great 70 second video from BBC Bitesize on helping your child to get on with others.
able to listen respectfully while others talk and taking turns to talk
able to engage in conversation and ask questions
to be polite and have an awareness and consideration of others
Click the link to see PACEY’s Happy talk sheet.
to be able to listen to and follow simple instructions
Click the link to see PACEY’s Listen and learn sheet.
3. Learning steps
able to enjoy books, know how to handle them with care, look through them and listen when someone reads to them
Click the link to see this great article about helping your child to read.
recognising their own name and beginning to hear and recognise letter sounds, be able to hold a pencil and use it to draw and mark make
Click the link to see PACEY’s Make a mark, make a start sheet.
Click the link to see a short video on phonics and how to pronounce letters sounds.
counting and recognising numbers and amounts
Click the link to see PACEY’s Numbers game sheet.
being able concentrate and focus on an activity and contribute by offering up ideas and solutions
A great way to develop many skills from following instructions to maths and science, as well as promoting discussion and understanding is cooking. It’s an all round activity that has the bonus of (hopefully!) something to eat at the end of it.
We have a number of simple recipes on our new Help and Health page under the Healthy Eating button.
Click for Oxford Owl’s Guide to starting school.
Click for Central Bedfordshire’s 16 ticks to school readiness guide.
Oct 23