Moving Up

"Because of our visits to our new class I feel happy about next year." Pupil

"It was nice for my mum to meet my new teacher before we started in their class." Pupil

The process of moving to another year group is a big step wherever it is in school.  We always think incredibly hard about how to make the ‘in-house’ transition process better year on year for our children.  The importance of ensuring the children are happy and have a confident start in their new year groups is crucial to us.  In order for this to happen we recognise that the more time the children spend with their new teacher in their new classroom helps with this process.  In July we have a period where the children spend a large chunk of the school day with their new class teacher in their new classroom.  We also have transition staff meetings and  parents have a chance to meet their child's new class teacher so everyone is fully aware of the expectations and routines for the next year group.  They start writing and completing work in their new books and carry out lots of ‘getting to know you’ activities.  We have lots of assemblies in our new Key Stages so that we get to know the routines and expectations.  

Over the summer holidays the teachers set the children in their new class holiday homework that helps with the start topic in that particular year group. They also have some basic skills activities or an activity which helps further with the ‘getting to know you’ process.  The homework is then shared and displayed at the start of the new academic year.

Each year we evaluate the transition week and we make appropriate changes for the following year so that the process becomes better and better.