Moving Up to Reception
Before they arrive in Reception, our Nursery children have already got to know many Junior Department teachers and specialist staff, and are also familiar with many areas and facilities of the main School site: the Junior Department building, the Paddock, Forest School, Theatre, Music Rooms, Sports Hall and the beautiful school grounds which are used weekly by our Nursery children.
We have a positive and warm relationship with many local nurseries to ensure that we are able to provide a smooth transition into our Nursery and Reception year. We also invite our prospective pupils and their families to join us at special School events such as the Summer Fête, Bonfire Night and the Christmas Fair during the year before they join us so that they start to feel a part of the Edge Grove Pride!
At Edge Grove Nursery, we are very aware that any change can appear daunting for such young children, and so we are mindful to provide a seamless transition from our Nursery to the Reception classes in the Junior Department and beyond.
Whilst our Nursery pupils enjoy their own space in their setting in Aldenham Village, throughout the year they enjoy increasingly frequent visits to the main School site, building relationships with teachers and other staff, taking part in events such as the Early Years Spring Concert and a Teddy Bears’ Picnic with Reception, and a whole school World Book Day Assembly
The children use the same facilities as the older children, including the Sports Hall and Forest School, and a specialist lesson timetable allows them to become familiar with the teachers who will be teaching them in Reception and beyond at Edge Grove.
The Reception class teachers meet with Nursery staff, to plan the transition from Nursery to Reception, and share assessment data as well as personal information about a child’s likes, dislikes, strengths and challenges. Nursery staff produce a comprehensive report on every child starting school to enable their Reception teacher to have a good understanding of every child starting with them in Reception.
Nursery children spend a “Moving Up Morning” in their new Reception class during the Summer term, meeting their Form Teacher and their new classmates, roughly half of whom will have come from other local nurseries which have strong links with Edge Grove.
A Parents’ Information Session is held in the first week of the Autumn term to reflect on the transition process, to provide information about the Early Years curriculum and profile and to address concerns or questions.
