Starting School Together

Starting School Together is the Waltham Forest Early Years transition initiative that aims to ensure:

• children and parents/carers experience a seamless transition from home or early year’s education into primary school.
• Early Years and Childcare providers can embed effective transition practice so that children are ready for and make a smooth transition to school.
• Schools and Early Years and Childcare providers work together to build robust and effective working relationships that support and create a seamless and consistent transition processes across the borough.
• Waltham Forest’s families are informed and empowered on how to support their children to achieve a positive transition experience and continue to thrive in primary school.

Support for children and families with transition to school

Parent and carers have a vital role in supporting and preparing children for starting school. Learning Together Project offers parents support in helping their child with this transition. School readiness information, activities and advice will be shared which all parents/carers can access by following the Chit Chat Pitter Pat Facebook group and/or Chit Chat Pitter Pat Instagram. Practitioners should share this with their families and encourage them to join.

The Starting School Together Challenges booklet will support families to prepare their child to transition to school with simple, fun challenges and children can do together. Here is a Reward Card and Certificate you can print off to use alongside the challenges with you children.

Starting Nursery and school Video

We know starting nursery can be an anxious time for parents and carers. Share our video on ‘Starting Nursery’ with parents and carers at your setting. This video will help to answer some of the questions they may have, find out more information about what to expect, as well as getting some top tips to help their child to have a smooth and happy start at nursery.

Watch video

Useful Documents

All About Me

The All About Me transition document is intended to support schools with getting to know each child before they start school.

All About Me Transition Document outlines information that should be included in each section. For further guidance on completing this document  the ‘All About Me Example’ and ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning Document’ should be referred to. All settings should send the All About Me transition document to the schools by the end of June for children starting school in September.

Along with this document, the current setting should attach relevant information for the school. This includes recent assessments, support plans, health/medical information or reports etc. 

All About My Child

The All About My Child document is an opportunity for parents and carers to share information about their child who is transitioning to school or to nursery. The All About My Child document should be completed by parents / carers. It would be useful for the child's current setting to share the All About My Child document with families and support them to complete the form where needed. Schools should share the All About My Child document with their new families where a child is not currently attending a setting.