TRANSITION

Transition occurs in many parts of our school as we prepare our children for the educational changes they will experience.

Entry into our nursery class

Choosing a Nursery is always a big decision for parents and it is one all parents should do after careful consideration. We always welcome prospective parents into school to see us at work and play so you can meet the staff and the children. We can answer any questions you may have and discuss any concerns or worries also. We will guide you through the process of applying for a place. Children’s transition into Nursery will be carefully planned and staff limit the number of new starters on any one day.

Entry into our reception class

The vast majority of our children start school after having been in our Nursery so there is a lot of familiarity for the children with transition and it is very fluent and natural. We of course have parents with children for other providers and we work with them to gather information as to the needs of the child so we can build upon the progress they have made there. We have a parent’s meetings to meet the staff who will support them with any questions they may have.

Transition across school

We work in collaboration across the whole school so that teachers know their pupils and we plan transition days for staff so they can discuss as professionals the needs of the children in their classes. We have designed our curriculum to be sequenced so learning is built upon as children move through the school. Children have transition opportunities to meet their new teacher and work with them before the start of every academic term to alleviate any anxieties they may have.

Transition to Secondary School

NPCAT is keen to work with parents and carers of our current Year 5 pupils to ensure that every child who would like a place in one of our rapidly improving secondary schools has the best possible chance of getting one. As we belong to the NPCAT family of schools we have strong partnerships with these schools, especially Sacred Heart Secondary School and transition is planned to enable our children to start their secondary education as smoothly as possible. We adopt the Step7 approach so that parents and pupils are supported in their journey from Year 6 to Year 7 in one of our NPCAT secondary schools. Children and their families are given the opportunity to attend Open Evening events ahead of submitting secondary school preferences to the Local Authority. Children visit their new schools in July. Transition days usually last between 2-5 days. Teachers from the feeder secondary schools visit the children during the summer term. Teachers share information with the feeder schools about the children. The children receive lots of support with social and emotional resilience during this important time in their life.