From the beginning of Year 2, children are gradually prepared for their transfer to junior school.  In the day to day teaching, the staff try to make the children more independent and ready for Key Stage 2 in that:

• we continue to encourage independent and co-operative learning
• we develop responsibility through tasks undertaken in class and around school
• we encourage thought for others through School and Class Council

Our feeder Junior School, Sharmans Cross, alternates on an annual basis between having a three form entry and a four form entry Year 3 intake. Staff at Streetsbrook work hard to organise the children into either three classes of 20 children or four classes of 15 children to support an effective transition.  Consideration has to be given to the following:

• gender
• ability
• SEND
• EAL

Children’s views are also taken into account and they are asked to name four children they would like to be with in their new class when they move to Sharmans Cross.  We guarantee that each child will be with at least one of the children they have listed.

To ease the transfer from Streetsbrook to Sharmans Cross, the Heads from both schools have worked hard to develop a programme of ‘Cross Phase Links’.  This includes a range of activities that the children are involved in to make their transition to Junior school as smooth as possible.  Typical activities include:

• Year 3 children watch the dress rehearsal of the KS1 Christmas Performance
• Completing a ‘buddy’ questionnaire so staff in Year 3 can link them with an appropriate buddy
• Year 3 children visit Year 2 with the Year 3 staff to talk about their experiences of being in Year 3 and answer any questions from Year 2
• Children visit Sharmans Cross for an Induction Day - they meet their new teachers and spend a day in their new classrooms learning about new routines and expectations
• Children visit Sharmans Cross for a ‘Buddy Morning’, where activities are specifically planned by staff to enable the Year 2 children to get to know their Year 3 Buddy

As well as the activities outlined above, additional activities are planned to support the transition of our children with SEND and any other children we consider to be particularly vulnerable.

The SENCo from Sharmans Cross is invited to attend the summer term SEND reviews of all children transferring from Year 2 to Year 3.  This enables the SENCo to have a more thorough understanding of a child’s particular needs as well as enabling parents to express and discuss any concerns they may have about their child moving school.

For some children, additional visits are set up to visit Sharmans Cross, so that they can become more familiar with the layout of the school and build a better relationship with staff. Staff from Sharmans Cross also make additional visits to Streetsbrook particularly if they are supporting  a child on a 1:1 basis.

A transition book is also made for those children that need it.  This includes pictures of their new teacher, their new classroom and other key parts of the school including the hall and playground for example.

Similar procedures are in place for children moving into other schools and new year groups within Streetsbrook and more information can be found in our Transition Policy.