Wrenbury Primary School

TRANSITION into and across learning stages at Wrenbury Primary School
At Wrenbury Primary school, we see our school being part of a child's whole educational journey. We now offer Little Wrens at Wrenbury, our own provision for 3-4 year old children as part of our EYFS offer to the local community.

Little Wrens
Little Wrens offers our youngest children a sense of belonging and ensures they are school ready as they access not only our EYFS setting but have opportunities to learn alongside our EYFS 2 (reception) children and staff. They attend our school assemblies, play and learn in our school setting and have lunch with our KS1 children. Learning opportunities across EYFS, including Little Wrens, are linked by stories to our whole school termly themes. A seamless transition from EYFS 1 into EYFS 2 ensures our youngest children are ready to start their primary education.

For children starting at Wrenbury in reception (EYFS) from other nursery / preschool settings, we offer an induction that ensures that these children, too, feel a sense of belonging:

EYFS school staff visiting other nursery/pre-school settings to share stories, initially, to become a familiar face.

Pre-schoolers in other settings to visit our EYFS setting in the summer term for a series of organised visits. These visits known as 'Play dates' allow the pre-schoolers the opportunity to 'get to know' our 'school' environment, the school's EYFS teacher and TA better and the EYFS area within the school. Each visit has a particular focus: communication, literacy, maths, creative or knowledge of the world.

Two additional extended visits which take place in the second half of the summer term; a morning visit and an afternoon visit. The latter includes all pre-schoolers from different settings experiencing lunchtime in the school hall with all our EYFS and KS1 children.

Observations made during the visits and professional dialogue between the staff of their pre-school/nursery setting and the school's EYFS team assists a smooth transition for their starting points and baseline.

Buddying up Y5 children with the pre-schoolers and Little Wrens. Both the EYFS teacher and Y5 teacher are involved in choosing the right buddy for each pre-schooler/Little Wren. They meet to read/play with their pre-schooler buddy during the visits.

Parents of children not attending Little Wrens are invited to school in the summer term and given an insight into the EYFS child's experience at school.

Parents being invited to observe a phonics lesson in the second week of children starting school (September) followed by their new starters pastoral meeting at the end of September.

EYFS 2 — end of Y6 — The learning journey through Wrenbury:

Once a child has started their learning journey at Wrenbury and being part of a small school, they are given many opportunities to engage with and get to know all the staff and children in all year groups.
Weekly well-being lunch clubs for all our children from YR-Y6 enable staff and children to get to know each other beyond their teaching and learning year group.
Transition meetings between teachers take place at the end of each year as the children journey through school; the focus being on the progress of the child during the year, their strengths and areas that may need support in the forthcoming year.
Again, but as a whole school staff, on our first INSET day each September, we focus attention on all our children's well-being, putting in actions and support where necessary.
In some cases, children are taught by the same teacher for more than one year or the teaching assistant moves up with the children for a consecutive year to provide continuity for the children and to secure their well-being.
Alongside this, staff are insightful of the learning of children in other classes and our staff meetings allow all teachers to have clarity of where a child is achieving academically and what the expectations are for that child as they move through school (continuity and progression) allowing for a seamless transition year on year.

Induction into KS3 involves:

Meetings between the high schools (Malbank and Brine Leas ) and school take place in the Spring term to discuss Y5 SEND children and children who may find transition to high school emotionally challenging. Arrangements are put in place to offer extended transition opportunities; these are during the summer term of Y6; sometimes earlier.

High school teachers coming into school to discuss individual Y6 children's projected attainment and background information around the child to provide support at high school as necessary.

Feeder high school literacy teachers teaching a lesson of literacy and looking at children's written work prior to starting at the high school.

Feeder high school science teachers teaching a lesson of science to Y6 to engage the children with KS3 science.

One or two transition days to high school (depending on high school) in summer term once a place has been allocated.

Brine Leas high school invite parents and Y6 children to an evening meeting to meet with their form tutor and their progress group.

A 'new family to school evening' during the summer term at Brine Leas to allow an opportunity for parents, pupil and staff to meet and questions to be raised to secure transition.

This allows children at Wrenbury to be 'high school ready' by the time they leave the school at end of 6.

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