TRANSITION describes the movement that takes place from one familiar setting (including the home) to another. It is defined as the process where policy and practice has been adapted to support children in settling in to their new learning environment in preparation for future learning and development. All staff at St David’s Primary School are committed to ensuring that every pupil is supported during times of transition both to/from and within the school.
The transition from Nursery to P1 has an organised programme in place. This programme underpins and ensures the following are included :
Regular discussions occur between Primary school teachers and nursery staff;
- Photographs and videos are made and taken by the existing primary 1 children and sent to nursery children to show them what school is like in St David’s Primary School.
- Tour of the school offered to all incoming parents and children.
- Parents of prospective P.1 children are invited to come for lunch in June. Parents talk through the transition process and how to support their child with school SMT and children are invited to visit their class and do some activities with their teacher and other teachers in the school over the 4 weeks.
- Parents receive an ‘information pack’ with information about the school.
- Transition events run throughout the school year, linking pupils in nursery and primary 1.
- A progress meeting for parents during the Autumn Term is arranged to explain the teaching of language and maths and offer advice on how to support this development at home.
- Parents are invited into the class at the end of the first day to see how the children have settled and see their classroom, if they wish.
- Staff are proactive in talking to parents about issues that may arise with individual children.
- The P1 curriculum builds on and extends the experiences children have had during nursery.
