Guest Blog Post: Transition

This guest blog has been written by Colette Hearity a mixed EYFS KS1 teacher. Colette completed her PGCE at Edge Hill University and has worked across key stages throughout her teaching career, although her true passion is within the Early Years Foundation Stage.  
She recently completed the NaSENCO Award and currently leads Early years SEND, Science, History and Spanish in her school.
You can follow her @eyfsearlyyearsideas

The Truth behind Transition

As us teachers are dragging ourselves through the final few weeks of term the thought of transitions should be at the forefront of all our minds.

It is vital that we make this time in children’s academic journey as smooth as possible, especially as lots of children find the step up from Early Years into Key Stage 1 so daunting.

But why is this?

Whether it’s due to the jump in expectations, the more formalised learning or just no longer believing they are, ‘playing all day’ children’s wellbeing after joining KS1 and beginning the rigor of the National Curriculum can drop.  

But what can we do as educators to ensure our pupils are happy?

To me, I feel it’s all about ensuring the awe and wonder and the ethos of Early Years education is instilled to all we do in KS1. We MUST put the children first as only then will we have Year 1 children who are ready to become life-long learners.

Time is Key:

Gradual transitions over afew weeks of term are key to promoting wellbeing. To best prepare the children for the shift in expectations lots of Reception teachers begin to introduce some more formal learning towards the last few weeks.
From past experience I’ve found that ‘popping in’ to Reception class, chatting and making time to praise the children before they enter your class helps to make the move less scary. Providing allocated mornings for children to spend time in their new class, with their new teacher (and possibly new pupils) helps to acclimatise the children to their new classroom, layout and routines.
I always give the children a little book all about me and their class TA on their final transition day. This helps parents to feel reassured and almost acts like a ‘social story’ in terms of preparing children for the transition.

These transition booklets teamed with ‘Meet the Teacher meetings’ have helped to promote effective parent teacher relationships. Ensuring parents feel content about the next steps will mean positive language will be used during the holidays. Parents should be promoting excitement around their child moving year groups rather than parental led anxiety. Children are very skilled in picking up how their parents are really feeling so we must work hard to prevent this.

Provision, provision, provision:

The environment change between EYFS and KS1 can cause some confusion for pupils. There’s a lot more furniture and fewer toys, as children spend more time sitting at tables with a greater focus on pencil and paper tasks.

I have found that providing a provision rich environment means children are able to be resourceful, engage in challenging play and still ‘let off steam’ in a way they did in a EYFS classroom. Advice from me is to not rush – those children who need to stay on the EYFS profile should be allowed to continue to embrace Early Years friendly activities without feeling the pressure to be too formalised in their learning. This is a Year 1 teacher’s opportunity to truly get to know the children, their learning styles and learn what will work best in bridging the gap.

Here is what my provision looks like:

A little bit of magic:

On our final transition day I always try and fill the children with wonderment! Here are some practical examples of fun, engaging strategies I have used to help children feel safe in their new classroom environment.

• Ready Confetti!

This gorgeous transition poem helps children who are feeling nervous before their first day at school. The poem normalises the feeling of ‘jitters down deep’ and gives children a ‘magical strategy’ to make them feel better.

The poem packs I make each year include a bag of ‘magic’ confetti which the children can place under their pillow before the first day at school. This year I also added a QR code that parents can scan so children can listen to a video of me reading the poem thus allowing the children to get used to their teachers voice.

• Meerkat Mascot!

Try using a letter from the class mascot discussing how much he ‘Cannot wait for September.’  I have used a class mascot on every transition day. It helps the children to discuss and generate class rules and expectations in a fun, non-formalised way. It can also act as a super behaviour management tool and support to any children who are feeling a little bit upset.

• Make a display.
  I usually take a photo of each child on their first visit to my classroom. Instead of making this into a static display I add these pictures shrunk down into the provision. Adding a ‘Mini Me’ of the child can often support in helping them transition and feel safe in the classroom. These can then be used in an assortment of confident building, getting to know you and familiarising games. Having a smaller version of them accessing the provision is brilliant for self-esteem!

Above all, the most important thing to remember about school transitions into KS1 is that they take time. Transition is a process rather than an ‘event.’ In reality it takes many children up to (and at times beyond) the half term to feel like they truly ‘belong’ in their new classroom environment. Children and teachers should enjoy the transition process – not just ‘endure’ it- embrace this time as an opportunity to get to know your new class!

Good Luck!