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What happens when your child finishes nursery?

Blog

22 June 2022

Your little one’s last day of nursery may be fast approaching, and with that so is their first day of school. For many parents and carers, this is a very emotional time – as if transitioning to nursery wasn’t enough! 

With a new and exciting period of their life on the horizon, now is a great opportunity to reflect on everything your child has learned at nursery and think about how to support your child with their new venture to school. 

What skills has my child learned from nursery?

No matter which nursery your child attends, you can feel confident that your child is receiving the highest quality support in their development and learning. Following the latest EYFS framework, our practitioners plan activities and experiences that will help your child in their key areas of learning.

The EYFS states that there are 7 key areas of learning, which are: 

  • Communication and Language
  • Physical Development
  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the World
  • Expressive Arts and Design

During your child’s time with us, we help them explore and develop each of these 7 areas of learning in a fun, exploratory way that encourages freedom of thinking and expression whilst allowing them to learn more about their likes, dislikes and strengths. 

Each of these areas of learning and the methods used and experiences gained will prepare your child for big school, helping them feel more confident in their ability to communicate with others, think critically, and have their individuality and independence.

By the time your child is ready for school, they will have developed basic maths and literacy skills, as well as gaining the fine motor skills required to use a pen and pencil. They will have been taught how to sit and listen to an authoritative adult figure, needed to help them concentrate in school and follow instructions. 

Alongside these important life skills, your little one will also have developed their personal, social and emotional skills. We help them develop important independence skills that allow them to put on their clothes and shoes, take themselves to the toilet and wash their hands as well as express their wants and needs. 

Pre-schoolers will also do phonics sessions that heavily focus on listening and attention skills that are needed for school. 

transition to school

How Kids Planet help transition from nursery to school

Here at Kids Planet, we do everything we can to prepare your pre-schooler for school to ensure a smooth transition into this new and exciting stage of life. 

We’ll hold PE days in our setting which simulate PE lessons and allow children to practise getting changed into their uniform and gain independence and confidence in this, as well as packed lunch days which help children become familiar with their school lunchtime routine. 

Alongside the PE and lunchtime activities, we also ask local schools to donate lost and found uniforms and bookbags that can be added to our role play areas for the children to play with and discover independently. 

There are a number of creative activities we plan to help your children become more familiar with the school they’re going to, the teachers and the other children that may be attending the school with them. These activities include creating books about schools and creating a display for the children. 

We also support parents by hosting an information evening discussing school readiness and how to prepare for the transition to school.

And of course, when your little one’s nursery time comes to an end, we host a graduation event to celebrate the progress your child has made, the skills they’ve learned and raise excitement by welcoming the new chapter of their lives. 

Everything Kids Planet does is adhered to according to our official transition documents and protocols and is timed according to the school year. 

nursery to preschool

Tips for transitioning from nursery to school

The way people handle change can be very different, and children are no exception. Preparation can be the key to a smooth transition – but remember it’s normal for it to be bumpy and even challenging at times! Just as you prepared for nursery, preparing you and your little one for the changes big school brings can be beneficial.

Here are some of our favourite tips for transitioning from nursery to school.

Transition policy

Once you’ve secured a place with a primary school, they will provide you with a transition policy that outlines the framework followed when transitioning children to school. This will cover transitioning from nursery, home care and even from one class to another. 

A transition policy will explain the aims and objectives of the policy and the principles that underpin the policy. Transition policies can vary from school to school and some are available online to read prior to securing a placement. 

Generally, a transition policy is a written framework to encourage a positive transition that ensures the quality of learning is maintained and children continue to progress positively, whilst respecting and understanding the unique challenges that come with each individual experience. 

Be sure to have a thorough read of this document when you gain access to it and don’t hesitate to talk to the school about any queries or concerns you may have surrounding this period of time.

Read books about school

We recommended books as a supplement to prepare children for nursery school and this can work for older children starting primary school, too. Books are a useful and fun tool to help children vicariously experience new situations in a way that is visual, relaxing and enjoyable. 

Amazon has plenty of amazing children’s books to choose from but here are our 5 favourite books for children starting school:

And for adults, we recommend The Starting School Book: How to Choose, Prepare for and Settle Your Child at School which is available on Kindle, Audible and as a paperback book. This book discusses how to support your child with making new friends and navigating fallouts, how to connect with your child after school and coping with school anxiety and refusal.

Role-play the school day

Role-play is not only a fun way to connect and play with your child but it’s also one of the best ways to prepare your child for their first day of school. 

There are various scenarios you can do together from being in class to making new friends in the playground and even the morning school run. 

Doing a role-play activity together will help your child become familiar with the routine and situations they’ll come across and experience throughout the day during school. 

Focus on new adventures!

The way the transition to primary school is approached will heavily influence how your child will feel about this new phase of life. Speaking positively about this new adventure and sharing excitement about school will also encourage your little one to feel good about it. 

However, remember to always be there to listen to any concerns or questions they may have about the school and their new routine. Encouraging your child to talk openly in a space without judgement will help ease anxiety and worries and allow them to focus on how great it will be to learn new skills, make new friends and experience new lessons. 

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