Entering a new situation (e.g. a new school, classroom and a new teacher) can be a stressful time, and some points of transition e.g. Nursery to Reception and Reception to KS1 can be more difficult. At Widmer End we endeavour to arrange a number of measures to ensure this is as smooth as possible for our children.

Pre School> Reception

Our Pre School team plan and deliver a range of bespoke experiences that link very effectively with our Reception class to ensure that our expectations, practices and relationships are consistent, leading to a calm, happy and effective transition into our Reception class.

Starting Reception

Following confirmation that your child has a place at Widmer End parents will then be invited to an induction meeting in the summer term where we will share with you aspects of our practice so that you can start in September confident that you and your child are making a very exciting first step into their educational life. 

In the first week of September, children will be invited with you to attend a stay and play session. This allows you and your child to get to know the new teacher and environment. They will share their stay and play date with some or all of their new class to get a feel of what life will be like when they start school. 

Reception > Year 1

The new Year 1 teacher will visit them in their current classroom.

The children will have a ‘Meet the teacher’ transition morning or afternoon. They will get to visit and spend time in their new classroom and get to know their new teacher. 

Their current Reception teacher will hand over to their new teacher before they start.

Year 6 > Secondary School

Moving from primary school to secondary school is an exciting time of life, but for many children it can also be a daunting prospect.  A new, much bigger school can offer greater independence.  However it also means new teachers, new subjects and potentially a whole new set of friends.

At Widmer End, we carry out lots of activities in the Summer Term to help prepare our children for this major change. 

A fantastic book we focus on is  'You are Awesome' by Matthew Syed.   We carry out lots of activities around this text and complete lots of games centered around the core values of this book. 

Staff will have meetings with their new secondary school teachers and SENCo's and in most cases the head of year will come and visit the children on site. 

The Year 6's also have a transition day or days in July where they can visit their new school and have a taster of what to expect.