Transition
TRANSITION FROM KEY STAGE 1 TO KEY STAGE 2
The information below outlines how we make the transition between Year 2 and Year 3 successful…
As federated schools, most of our children from Merrow Infant School transition to Merrow Junior school for their KS2 education. We recognise that the transition between infants and juniors can be daunting, so we prepare our infant children for the move to the junior school site with regular visits, introduction to familiar staff and whole school events.
Once the children are in Year 2, there is a carefully designed plan to prepare them for the transition to Year 3.
THE FIRST STEP – BEFORE THE CHILDREN JOIN IN SEPTEMBER
When we know which children are going to attend Merrow Junior School, staff take the time to meet the children in their familiar setting at the infant school This enables the teachers to get to know the children, see how they respond to their routines, how they interact etc. They also meet the Year 2 teachers and learn as much as they can about the children in advance of their arrival at Merrow Junior School. When a child is not from Merrow Infants, where possible, the staff will visit the school and meet with their teacher.
THE SECOND STEP – THE YEAR 2 CHILDREN BECOMING FAMILIAR WITH THEIR NEW ENVIRONMENT AT MERROW JUNIOR SCHOOL
In the summer term before the Year 2 children join, we make sure that we take every opportunity for them to visit Merrow Junior School to become familiar with the school so that they are comfortable in September, knowing where they are going to.
We have several whole school events throughout the year at both sites, and in the summer term, the Year 2s are invited to watch the Year 6 production, they are matched with a Year 6 (current Year 5) buddy and have opportunities to meet and play together. They spend a morning and an afternoon in their new classroom, with their new teacher. They also meet with their Year 6 buddies for a picnic on our school field, as well as complete an orientation activity with Year 3s.
In the summer term of Year 2 PSHE lessons will have a focus on transition, the practical elements as well as discussing how they may be feeling and how to deal with this. The children complete a booklet adding more information from each visit to the Junior School. This helpful booklet is sent home at the end of the summer term and is a helpful reference tool to support conversations with family members.
In July we hold an Open Evening, Year 2 parents/carers are invited to an introductory talk in the hall and we share all the information that will be needed for the first few weeks of term, such as when the gates open, medical arrangements, lunch arrangements, end of day arrangements etc. The rationale is that if the parents/carers feel confident about what is going to happen this will help the children to feel confident about the transition too. During this evening, there is great quality second hand uniform sale.
If your child is new to the Merrow Schools Federation, please let us know in advance of any additional needs, medical conditions, allergies or any other information that you feel we should be aware of. That way we can ensure that we are prepared and ready to care for your child.
For some children, we may arrange additional visits during or after the school day. This will be on an invite only basis and organised by our school Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) and Home School Link Worker (HSLW).
THE THIRD STEP – THE DAY OF ADMISSION AND THE FIRST FEW WEEKS
All of the children enter Merrow Junior School in the morning via the side gate. Each day this opens at 8.35 a.m. and closes at 8.45 a.m. Usually the children just say goodbye to their parents/carers at the gate and walk into the playground by themselves. On the first day, the new Year 3s have a slightly later start than the rest of the school and parents are able to go into the playground with them. The Year 3 Teachers, Learning Support Assistants and Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) will be available to meet and greet the children and support them to line-up and go into class.
Moving forwards, there is always a member of SLT on the gate each morning; please use this as an opportunity to talk to us, to share good news, or raise any questions that you may have.
Many children scoot or cycle to school and we have a safe area at the back of the school where children may leave their scooters or bikes during the school day.
In order to support the transition process, the Year 3 teachers carefully plan the first two weeks’ teaching and learning to be similar in style to Merrow Infant School. During this time the Year 3 teachers reinforce and continue the high expectations of the Merrow Schools Federation. We usually have a transition project and they will open their books to a familiar bit of previous work which has been handed up by the Year 2 teachers.
Some children arrive at Merrow Junior School with a number of misconceptions, such as they are not allowed to go to the toilet and everyone is very strict! The whole school team quickly dispel these myths and after a few weeks the children are settled, enjoying the curriculum and are engaged in their learning.
At lunch time for the first half term, Year 3 will go in to lunch first and be collected from their class by their Year 6 buddies so they know the lunchtime routine. If they are school dinners, they will make their lunch choice at registration and then line up and collect their own lunch. They also clear up their own plates when they have finished.
At the end of the day, the main gates open at 3:10pm, this allows parents to come through and wait in the collection area for their child. The side gate opens at 3:15pm and children exit with their class teacher. This is a great opportunity to check-in and receive any daily updates.
THE FOURTH STEP – THE ‘YEAR 3 MEET THE TEACHER’ EVENT FOR PARENTS OR CARERS
This is a really important information event and we will make sure that parents/carers have the date for it in advance. It is usually held during our ‘Open Evening’. The Year 3 teachers explain more about what the children are being taught, especially with reading, writing and Maths. They give lots of ideas about how to support the children at home and they explain how we assess progress. It is a great opportunity for parents/carers to ask anything that might be unclear since the children have started the term.
THE FIFTH STEP – THE CONSULTATIONS FOR PARENTS OR CARERS IN OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER
One to one meetings with the teacher happen in October or November (followed by another meeting in March).
Teachers will discuss how the children have settled in, how they are learning, socialising etc. Parents/carers can discuss how they feel their child is responding from the comments they have at home. We hope that by then the children will be coming into school confidently and independently and are reporting that they are really enjoying Year 3 and Merrow Junior School!
WE HOPE THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN HELPFUL IN UNDERSTANDING HOW WE MANAGE THE TRANSITION TO YEAR 3 AND WELCOME OUR NEW STUDENTS!