Transition From Pre-School To School

[finleysmaid]

ok im getting a bit cross and need to let off steam,,,,please bear with me! :blink:

We have for some years supported some of our schools transition days by sending one member of staff to the childrens taster session. Our local school (where the largest percentage of children go) is very used to this and now loves the extra pair of hands...they come to us /we go to them no problem. Some schools are however more reluctant to let us in (i have one that refuses point blank!) but i have a child who needs support going to one school with another few of the group and his SAL therapist has asked us to support.....ok i say!

Now (after several attempt) i have managed to get hold of them they are being really off about it and have said that i need to ring them and discuss his "issues" .

Ok i'm happy to ring them and i'm sure i'll get it sorted but i just feel that we are not being given the professional respect we deserve. We have been advised that this is the way to proceed with this child, we are happy to support it (out of our own pockets i might add!) and we have done all the arrangements at our end....im going to look a bit blinkin foolish if i have to say to the parent Oohps sorry they won't let us come to the day!

AAArrrghhh.

Sorry needed to rant ...been a long day

[ForestFlo]

I just dont get it! As an ex teacher I would have bitten your hand off sfor such an excellent transition ethos, the lack of support from some schools is truly staggering! It is the one area I find hard as a Teacher who now works in a nursery, the complete lack of respect for Early years practioners (including me, I only use my QTS occassionally as a trump card) is ridiculous.

Dont blame you for wanting to rant - I would to

xx

[Fredbear]

Your not alone rant away, I had exactly the same with one school in the past, using lots of excuses why another person wasn't able to come as well due to building works etc. I think it was more the fact that on the first visit children were subjected to assessments in the school hall through a range of activities. Yuck, yuck yuck.

[Guest ShelleyT]

From a teacher's point of view, it all depends on how many children and adults will be visiting. A few years ago, all of the new children at my school visited on the same day, which meant 30 children, plus all of the adults that come with them. At times that would be 8 or 9 extra adults as well as our own staff and was completely unmanageable in my classroom. On those occasions I asked the pre-school practitioners to leave and come back later. We have changed the transition now, and the children from each pre-school have been visiting on different days which has been much more manageable. I have also found that some children are reluctant to leave the practitioners side when they come, which makes it hard for the teacher to get to know the children. Every school is different and we are certainly welcoming the extra pair of hands now on transition days. Maybe you could enquire as to why they don't want you to go too? It is not always as black and white as it seems! x

[finleysmaid]

Thanks Shelley...their reason was "we've never done that here!!"... i do realise how difficult it can be and i am on my very best behaviour! (need a smiley with a halo here!) teachers are often nervous of us coming but i am there to ensure that the children find it as easy as possible ....if they stuck to my leg then i'm afraid i have not done my job properly. If however they come to me from their parents and then trust me to introduce them to the teaching staff and enable an interaction to happen then i would feel happier about this. We should all be aware of why there is a keyperson approach, these very young children need support and surely it would be better to have one me than 30 parents (or even 60!).....?

I have had children in the past who have cried when they have entered the classroom but one hug from me(or a silly face!) and they will seperate with ease. It works really well in all the settings we go to (but i do only send one member of staff...can't afford to send more anyway!)

If you are going to have a keyperson approach then transition from one key carer to another is surely vital isn't it? and this can't just be on paper.!

 

p.s. i do really appreciate your response though sometimes you do need to see the other side and that's sometimes difficult when you've been up to 1 a.m doing reports!

[Fredbear]

The experience I described was of a 3 entry class so numbers were a maximum 12/15. I just felt that the whole ethos of pre-school as well as the vital keyperson approach was some how dismissed as not important. Some parents also struggled with the whole transition process and sometimes needed support too. I just wish we could find a common goal for the best interests of each unique family. Something the revised EYFS has at it's core for all to strive to. Sorry isn't really a rant, just a frustration.

[dreamgirl]

As a nursery teacher, I would be thrilled if settings offered me this. I would love it if preschool staff came to our nursery. If I were you, I' d just turn up and say your local advisor or someone important said you should come if they get funny with you. It gives us scrolls a bad name. Be more confident and insist!!!! It can work the other way though. As a school nursery, we make a point of visiting every new child in their current setting as part of transition. We had one preschool this year who were very unwelcoming and clearly didn't want us there.

[dreamgirl]

Hmmmmm. Not sure where scrolls came from. Have had a glass of the red stuff so maybe it was me. Obviously I meant schools.

[SueFinanceManager]

Hmmmmm. Not sure where scrolls came from. Have had a glass of the red stuff so maybe it was me. Obviously I meant schools.

 

Funny how your brain flips things round I kinda knew you meant schools but flipped scrolls to trolls and frankly trolls should have a bad name

[SueFinanceManager]

As for the actual topic.....can you get help from his SAL therapist to ask the school to allow you to support this child.

 

I do rather feel that if they still resist then all you can do is stand back and hope that the child doesn't find it all too traumatic but seems a strange situation to me

[finleysmaid]

ok well update today...."no thank you very much the teacher will see to a smooth transition we do not require your services!!!!!! :angry:"

I was so furious i have passed it in to the head of service.

I had to explain to the parents that i would not be able to support their children because the school would not allow it. Felt like a flippin fool and had one of the parents in tears! not a very good first impression of the place that is going to look after their precious bundles is it?

[sunnyday]

ok well update today...."no thank you very much the teacher will see to a smooth transition we do not require your services!!!!!! :angry:"

I was so furious i have passed it in to the head of service.

I had to explain to the parents that i would not be able to support their children because the school would not allow it. Felt like a flippin fool and had one of the parents in tears! not a very good first impression of the place that is going to look after their precious bundles is it?

 

That's terrible news........how sad

[dreamgirl]

Am speechless. Red mist is coming down. Tell them it's a new law that has been passed that all teachers have to put the children first and share valuable information with other professionals. Otherwise the trolls will get them.

[Fredbear]

Hi do you have LC meetings in your neck of the woods. Or a EYA, I would certainly bring this to their attention as this goes totally against the all working together ethos.

[Guest]

This makes me sad and cross ! The EYFS has been in place long enough to be revised but apparently the Statutory Framework for Partnership Working guidance hasn't filtered through.

 

I remember being told, by an Inspector at the Ofsted Outstanding conference, that in situations like this a call to Ofsted to "name and shame" would mean that the information was recorded and would be taken into consideration by the Inspector at their next inspection.... Tempted?!

 

Nona

[finleysmaid]

This makes me sad and cross ! The EYFS has been in place long enough to be revised but apparently the Statutory Framework for Partnership Working guidance hasn't filtered through.

 

I remember being told, by an Inspector at the Ofsted Outstanding conference, that in situations like this a call to Ofsted to "name and shame" would mean that the information was recorded and would be taken into consideration by the Inspector at their next inspection.... Tempted?!

 

Nona

i often know how much i am really cross about something by how much i think about it the next day.....yes i think i am THAT cross!!!

I have left this with the head of services for our borough and i know she will chase it up. This is not the first time that we have been treated by schools with such little respect and it is a theme we have been talking about at recent meetings. Schools have to realise that as settings get more professional that we have to be treated as equals not as 'just the playgroup!' interestingly i am an outstanding setting but so is this school....hummmmm!

[dreamgirl]

Well, I am in a school nursery and we have not been rated as outstanding. We are good....however on this issue our practice is much better than the outstanding school's. So there.

[Froglet]

This makes me so sad (and kind of embarrassed being as I'm in a school). I've only ever had one 'officially SEN before starting school' child but we had all sorts of meetings, our SENCO visited the setting, she had meetings with the parents, child came to our usual visit morning, came to a separate meeting with me, SENCO and mum. I've never been asked if an adult from a setting can come but if I was and it was tricky because of numbers/space etc. I'd explain that and talk about why - child's needs come first!

 

This week I've been to visit one of the two main pre-schools/nurseries that feed in to us. I could only stay for 40 minutes or so but I could have stayed for the entire afternoon - lovely to see the children of course but selfishly it was so lovely to get to spend time with another Early Years professional, talking about EYFS, planning, curriculum, catching up on older children, getting the 'gossipy' background which never goes into any kind of transition document . I'm the only reception teacher in my school and at the moment the only person with any Early Years experience at all - it's lonely! The opportunity to talk/spend time with someone who knows where I'm coming from is wonderful. We should be doing everything we can to foster the links to make all our lives easier!

[dreamgirl]

Hear hear ......ggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr to the obstructive school.

[finleysmaid]

Absolutely agree Helen...and on the other end of the scale i had the most fantastic sen transition meeting on Thursday ! His teacher has already been in to see us (even though she doesn't start officially until next term! we have sorted out additional days for him to go to school and i have sorted out his keycarer to go with him...we have even talked about my staff going in in september for a couple of day to ensure he is happy and settled. We have offered our usual service and it has been warmly and openly accepted as what it is...the best we can do for this child! I have had staff out to 3 settings this week and have had several teachers from settings in to us....all the visits have been very successful. Our local school had their 'morning' today and i went over to support my (youngish) member of staff who was accompanying them...the worried sea of faces i was greeted with changed immediately and the mood lifted quickly. I left them happily playing with all their new friends with a big grin on my face!...i have done my job and that is all i need :wub: i guess the reason i am so cross with this other school is that i feel i am letting the children down

[dreamgirl]

You sound lovely

[finleysmaid]

thanks dreamgirl.....but don't make me cross i'm a bit of a dog with a bone :blink: i think this school might just regret their reaction :blink: :lol: especially as it is all recorded on email!!!!!

[Rafa]

 

Had transition to school this week. Reception teacher totally unprepared for our 23 'active eyfs style' learners!! Accompanied by my Manager they found very little to 'do'....so some made their own entertainment and were overheard calling another child 'poo head'!

Reception teacher put them on time out!! Great arrrrghhh. She was obviously stressed and pretty much left the afternoon to my Manager to manage! Decided she wld come to playschool after all ( was previously too busy) to meet the children there. So she came.......one of our boys proudly showed her how he had wrote Olympics ( rather well) on his picture..."well done" she said then proceeded to point to each letter saying 'what sound does that make?'. only to be met with totally defeated silence by my lovely little four year old!!

 

Tell me... how long has the Eyfs been practice? Does it start and finish with playschool? What is the. #!?#!# POINT !?!?!?

 

Oh yes and is it nearly the end of term..........? : )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[finleysmaid]

keep calm rafa and whistle a happy tune! ......i had a teacher last year who came to see one of my chaps who was on the computer at the time...while chatting to her he explained what he was doing (he had to match shapes/find items/identify squares/triangles etc from the map etc etc) on a game ...when he had finished she said "so is this all they do all day...just play!!! :angry: ... i could have written most of his profile on what he had done but she just couldn't see it!

Ah well ho hummm :blink:

[mps09]

As a school nursery, we make a point of visiting every new child in their current setting as part of transition. We had one preschool this year who were very unwelcoming and clearly didn't want us there.

 

How lovely! Over the last 3 years only 3 children from my pre-school have moved to a school other than the one where we rent a classroom (so great transition) - and each year I invite their new teacher to the pre-school to meet, see the child in action - and each time (3 different schools) I have been asked 'what for?' and the invite has not been accepted!!

[mps09]

" she said then proceeded to point to each letter saying 'what sound does that make?'. only to be met with totally defeated silence by my lovely little four year old!!

 

Off topic - but this always makes me chuckle when I hear this! It reminds me of a story Sally Thomas (very inspirational!) told about a group of foundation age children and each was given a piece on paper with the letters printed on it ...... The teacher then proceeded to show the children flashcards with letters on and each time asked 'what sound does this make?'. Eventually, one rather confused little boy found the courage to put up his hand and say 'Miss, my paper isn't working!!!! it's not making any noise'. :blink:

 

From that day on it's always been 'represent'.

 

My colleagues sometimes think I'm mad because I'm so particular about things like this!! and by the way it FABRIC not material... :rolleyes:

[mps09]

ok well update today...."no thank you very much the teacher will see to a smooth transition we do not require your services!!!!!! :angry:"

I was so furious i have passed it in to the head of service.

I had to explain to the parents that i would not be able to support their children because the school would not allow it. Felt like a flippin fool and had one of the parents in tears! not a very good first impression of the place that is going to look after their precious bundles is it?

 

Umm.. definition of Transition is.... Passage from one form, state, style, or place to another...... NOTE THIS IS NOT THE ARRIVAL.

 

I am very passionate about transition, it is not an event it is an experince and a two way passage at that! It's all about the child... and would not let this rest. Good luck.

[dreamgirl]

Without the sterling work that sure start centres and other preschools do, nursery and reception classes in schools would have a lot harder job than they already do. The arrogance of schools to assume they don 't need to share info with preschools is very disappointing......and I speak as a nursery teacher and eyfs lead. I insist on transition visits both into nursery and into reception if they haven't come from our nursery. Think it should be compulsory.

[finleysmaid]

well just a bit of an update....got an email saying " i think there might have been some confusion.....!" etc etc ....no i don't think there was any confusion <_< anyway they now want to do everything they can to support these children (!!) so could their reception teacher ring me.....well as i only have one day with no events on next week ! That's why i started this process some time ago....not on the last week of pre-school!

Funny how this email was sent a couple of hours after the LEA met with them isn't it! :angry: :rolleyes:

 

 

Ho Humm nearly the end of term

[Fredbear]

Good for you, just a shame it isn't at the top of the list for all. I still feel that the workforce before compulsory Education is still so poorly valued and hoping that the Nutbrown Review if implemented may go someway in changing this. But alas like everything else more funds are greatly needed to pay highly skilled dedicated staff the wage they truly deserve. get off my soap box now and ducks.