At Crookesbroom, we recognise the important role that transition plays in ensuring that pupils are able to deal with the changes that they experience as they move through out academy.

We consider all points of transition, both into and out of the academy, and put appropriate strategies in place to support our pupils and families.

All families who have chosen Crookesbroom to start their education, are invited to a weekly playgroup session during the Summer Term to familiarise themselves with the setting.

All pupils will be able to visit the setting before the end of the academic year with their parents and meet the staff (families who have not attended playgroup will be targeted for these sessions).

Parents will be invited to a welcome meeting, giving them an opportunity to meet staff, ask questions and become familiar with the running of F1.

At the beginning of the year, pupils in F1 will be invited to a ‘stay and play’ session in small groups where they will be able to familiarise themselves with the classroom and become more comfortable with key staff.

Pupils who are moving from F1 to F2 will have opportunities throughout the summer term to access their new classroom and meet the staff, by engaging in shared learning experiences with Reception children and exploring their learning environment. Pupils have the opportunity to stay for lunch, and experience a full day in the setting to help them to know what to expect.

Pupils who are joining Crookesbroom in F2 from other settings, will be invited to visit the school in the Summer Term to ensure they are familiar with the staff and classroom. Crookesbroom staff will contact providers and families to ensure that they have up to date information about the pupils. F2 staff will also visit other providers to see the pupils in situ, to help with the transition process. 

Practitioners from FS2 and Year 1 regularly collaborate to share information and good practice.

Year 1 teachers are given time to familiarise themselves with both the EYFS and the pupils in the phase before transition takes place. Year 1 teachers are very knowledgeable about the EYFS curriculum and have undertaken EYFS CPD.

Foundation Stage Practitioners share pupil data with Year 1 staff and talk about the current cohort on a termly basis. This includes phonics trackers, EYFS termly assessment, observations and pupils’ Characteristics of Effective Learning. Regular moderation of work also takes place between Early Years and KS1 colleagues.

Curriculum provision in Year 1 reflects both the needs of the pupils still working within EYFS and also those accessing the National Curriculum, thus enabling staff to close the gaps in pupils’ learning and also challenge all learners.

Towards the end of the year, Early Years Foundation Stage Profiles (EYFSP) and other summative assessments are shared with Year 1 staff. Plans are then put in place for any pupils requiring additional support once they enter KS1.

As part of their routine, EYFS pupils have lunch times with KS1 pupils. They’re introduced to the lunch time Supervisors who will support them in Year 1.

Parents and carers are given the opportunity to meet their child’s Year 1 teacher, through planned transition afternoons, where pupils and parents work on a project with the new class teacher.

Additional transition meetings are organised for pupils with SEND, if needed. Other agencies may also be involved with this. Transition books, unique to pupil’s specific needs, are made for pupils who may need additional support with the transition process. These are shared with Parents/Carers, as well as EYFS/Year 1 Practitioners.

During the Summer Term, each cohort will spend time with their new class teacher to take part in a short activity session, such as reading a story, a PE activity etc.

Each class teacher will receive medical, dietary, safeguarding and academic updates from the previous class teachers during the last 2 weeks of the Summer Term.

Parents will have the opportunity to attend a transition afternoon in the final week and meet the new teacher alongside their child.

Due to the ethos and practice at Crookesbroom, pupils are familiar with all staff as they interact on a daily basis. Pupils who may need additional support with transition work closely with support staff and our learning mentor to ensure that it is always a positive experience.

Staff from Ash Hill Academy (local feeder academy) come to Crookesbroom to visit our Y5 and Y6 pupils to complete a range of transition activities with them. The pupils also spend some time visiting Ash Hill. This forges strong links between the two academies.

During the summer term, Pastoral Leads from Feeder schools come into school to meet and discuss each pupil to ensure a smooth transition into Secondary Education.

Open nights for feeder schools are signposted and promoted to parents by Crookesbroom.

All pupils attend secondary transition days/weeks during the summer term (each secondary school has its own transition policy. Crookesbroom supports all pupils to attend the transition.)

Pupils take part in transition units offered by the secondary school and information is passed up if requested.

Pupils with SEND or Vulnerable children have a bespoke package of transition that may look different to the core offer. This is detailed on the SEN page of the Academy website.