Moving to Reception class from nursery or preschool can be a big step for children, but at RGS Worcester we take steps to ensure that our new arrivals’ experience of moving to Reception class is a positive one.
Getting to know the children
It is crucial to our Reception teams that they form relationships with the new Reception class children, and we have various ways of doing this, according to whether the child is in an existing RGS Worcester setting or not. These are:
- Visiting a child in their existing nursery setting to observe them operating in a familiar environment with staff that they trust
- Inviting children to a settling in session at the school, in small groups of their new Reception class peers, to give children the opportunity to explore their new classroom, meet the Reception staff, and other children who will be joining the class with them
- Arranging home visits, either at the end of the summer term or at the start of the new autumn term to interact with a child in their home environment and begin building relationships with the families. This allows the Reception team and parents or carers to exchange information and gain an understanding of the child, their interest and their needs
When children set off for their first day at school, they should be full of excitement and confidence. At RGS Worcester we like to prepare new Reception children (and parents and carers) for the transition in order for everyone to feel secure and familiar with the school, the staff and the daily routines. Children should know exactly where they are going, who will be there, what they will be doing when they get there, and how long they will be staying so that the transition runs as smoothly and easily as possible.
A successful transition enables a child to settle quickly into school, learning and developing from day one. Our Reception teams welcome a class of children (who they already know very well) and these children are settled, confident and ready to learn.
For more detail about moving to Reception class from any of our individual nurseries, take a look at their own pages:
Reception transition activities
During the contact sessions prior to a child moving to Reception class, the children will take part in some Reception transition activities that will help them to get to know the school environment, it’s all about routines and expectations. These may be something like creating a self-portrait in paint or play dough, creating a name tag for pegs or wellies, creating an ‘All about me’ poster, or taking part in a group story time session.
Parents and carers will also receive a welcome pack from the RGS Worcester schools detailing all the information they will need for new reception starters, including school handbooks, uniform lists, food menus and important information. Welcome packs also contain information and activities that parents and carers can look at and discuss with their child at home to assist in the transition to reception, such as photos of the classroom and facilities, and details of daily routines and activities.
You can find out more about how we support children moving to Reception class by visiting the relevant Nursery page using the following links:
RGS Springfield Nursery in Worcester
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