Enabling Environments: Transitions - Join up!

The next school year may seem a long way off but start planning now and by September you could have in place a 'local community collaborative' that will ease children's transition to school at what is a young and potentially vulnerable age.

A collaborative is a group of pre-school settings and a primary school that have come together to build strong links and work in new and interesting ways. The idea for developing such a network came when I was appointed EYFS leader at Bishop Henderson C of E Primary School, a two-form entry school in Taunton, Somerset.

During my first year, I soon realised that building close links with all 20-plus feeder pre-schools would be a challenge to manage! So I invited all the pre-schools in a half-mile radius to attend a free training day at the school and to share our understanding of the then new EYFS guidance and curriculum. That day was a catalyst for all of us, generating a strong desire among practitioners to work together locally as professionals.

A clear intention formed to 'do' something together during the year, something more than the usual liaising when children transfer to school. Interested settings planned a date for their supervisors to come to the school and meet to discuss 'what next?' The community collaborative was born.

At this point, it is important to stress that it is the family that is central to easing a child's transition from pre-school or home to school. But paramount also to a smooth transition is the child's 'knowing' about what to expect. This may be about the location, environment, curriculum, culture or expectations of school.

Community collaboratives can play a key part in supporting children's experience of school before they start attending, helping them to mix with older children, as well as establishing links between early years practitioners and settings.

IN PRACTICE

Training and networking

Each year I hold a training session (half a day or a whole day) in school during the first few days of the autumn term. Training is dictated by what settings have identified as their training needs and feedback to settings from school EYFS data.

I led the training and encouraged participation from five local settings, including the new Children's Centre. The settings gained the commitment from their committees to attend.

Areas identified for training have included SEN children and transition, provision for children with English as an additional language, readiness for phonics, confidence in calculation and 'Let's get moving' physical skills.

Sharing experiences, strategies and ways forward continues to be a valuable part of the collaborative. This local approach to training means that we can respond directly to the needs of children in the community.

Annual events

Every year, we work together to organise an event with the aim of sharing good practice 'in action' through themed activities for the children. For example, in 2010, Reception class children and pre-schoolers from nearby settings visited another pre-school to participate in a joint 'creative week'. Hosted by a local artist, the 'week' provided the children with opportunities to explore colour, texture, pattern and media. In some instances, siblings were able to work and play together while some of the parents volunteered to help. Staff from all the settings prepared and gathered resources, and shared in the joy of the activities.

In 2011 to celebrate the National Year of Communication, the school hosted a 'Communication Day' on the playing fields. Year 6 children told a signed story, using props and repetition, to children aged two to five years. Children's Centre staff and families also shared signed songs. Pre-school staff took children on a bear hunt by acting out and re-telling the story and children explored communication and talk through the play opportunities on offer.

Last year, we couldn't resist a '2012 Mini Olympics', involving three pre-schools, two Reception classes and families from the Children's Centre's 'drop-in' sessions. Despite being postponed due to rain (twice), we stayed committed to our intention. The children should have had a medal!

As a collaborative, we planned opportunities to develop the children's physical skills - in response to local county data showing low EYFS scores for physical development. We gathered on the field at 8.00am to set up an obstacle course. Later, we watched the children in Reception lead younger ones across the wobbly balance path, chase each other through tunnels and 'space hop' at speed!

A local newspaper photographer came along and could barely keep the children still long enough to take a photo. Again, we marvelled at the children's ability to make connections with each other. Some reinforced their developing friendships that had been emerging each week on our 'Welly Walk', where we invite local pre-schools to join us on the field and take part in Forest School activities and exploration. Others sought out their siblings. Adults too had a chance to work together, play with children from different settings and observe the children's engagement, attitude to risk and physical abilities.

Organisation

Such events don't have to be expensive or elaborate. What they do need is organisation, space and a co-ordinator. We delegate roles and each setting takes responsibility for some aspect of the organisation to provide cohesion and a sense of ownership. By sharing out organisational tasks and the sourcing of equipment, settings also incur only minimal costs.

Teachers have a key role to play in promoting these partnerships and in encouraging schools to share their space, especially playing fields, so keeping costs down (for example, for transport and community hall hire).

We also display photos of shared events, with permission, in the pre-school settings and the school, which helps children and parents make connections and, in turn, contributes to easing the transition to school.

BENEFITS

Our community collaborative has brought many benefits:

• Children now start their first term with an increased 'knowing' of the school - location, layout, staff and other children. As one child put it 'I knowed about it (school) already 'cos I seen you at welly walk.'

• It gives children with siblings and friends in school a shared experience before they have started attending, and children will often talk about and re-live these earlier experiences on starting school.

In a recent action research study I undertook about transition to school, most significant to the child in my case study was that her sister already attended school. It was events where she saw her sister that were hugely significant to her, such as visiting from pre-school to watch her sister in the Nativity dress-rehearsal and attending the school fair. Such informal 'familiarisation' experiences may be even more important for those without older siblings at the school.

• The shared events help children become more aware of the wider community, not just the school.

• In my experience, competition between settings has decreased and by working together they can now offer different services and opening times within the community, so responding to local needs and benefiting all.

• Early years professionals are able to continue developing their own learning by sharing ideas and expertise during training and through activities for learning at collaborative events.

• The early years remain high-profile and valued as the fundamental and essential stage of education which underpins future learning.

I believe local collaborations are the way forward, held together by the 'glue' of passionate and dedicated practitioners wanting to benefit children in the locality. This does not just mean schools working together in local partnerships, but early years providers too. I see schools and children's centres at the heart of this and, in my view, they must work together to offer support to individual settings and invite them to become part of a professional community.

If transition is eased from primary to secondary by shared events (sports, music, competitions), so too can transition be eased from pre-schools to school. Sharing best practice and events within a collaborative consolidates the shared language and curriculum of the EYFS.

Schools are great venues within a locality and settings need not be working in isolation. In a time of change within the early years and education in general the word 'transition' comes to mind again and again. As a young child benefits from gaining resilience to transfer successfully to school, so too can early years practitioners gain resilience to deal with the changing nature of education. By working together, our 'knowing' will increase. So ... happy collaborating!

Rebecca Fisk is EYFS leader at Bishop Henderson C of E Primary School, Taunton, Somerset. Participating pre-school settings in the collaborative are: Comeytrowe Under Fives Pre-School, St Michael's Pre-School, Primary Colours Nursery, and the Fledglings Children's Centre

MORE INFORMATION

• http://bishophenderson school.org.uk/

• For Nursery World's three-part series, visit: www.nurseryworld.co.uk/go/transitions/.