A child’s early years are full of moves: from home to nursery, from the baby room to toddlers, from one key person to another, and finally from nursery to school. How well adults plan each one shapes a child’s wellbeing, behaviour and learning. This course shows your team how to plan transitions that protect children’s sense of safety, and what school readiness really means.
It is practical throughout, with a short task to try in your own setting after each lesson, from reviewing your settling-in procedure to reading last summer’s school transition records as a reception teacher would.
Why transitions and school readiness matter
For a young child, a new room or setting is an attachment event. It takes away the trusted adults their sense of safety is built on. When a transition is rushed, children show it in their behaviour: accidents after being dry, prolonged crying at drop-off, less involvement in play, disturbed sleep at home. A quiet, compliant child is not necessarily a settled one. A child who feels unsafe puts their energy into coping, not learning.
The EYFS makes the key person a statutory requirement, and during any transition that relationship is the anchor. The prime areas, personal, social and emotional development, communication and language, and physical development, are the foundations everything else builds on. That is also where school readiness lives. Reception teachers want children who can manage the toilet and their coat, ask for help and keep going when something is tricky, far more than children who can recite the alphabet.
What’s in the course
- Why Transitions Matter for Wellbeing and LearningTransitions as attachment events, the signs of a poor transition, and five principles for every move.
- Settling In: Supporting the Move from Home to SettingHome visits, gradual separation led by the child, honest goodbyes and supporting parents.
- Managing Room-to-Room Transitions WellReadiness over birthdays, building up visits, and a recorded handover so the child arrives known.
- What School Readiness Really MeansSelf-care, independence, communication, social confidence and dispositions for learning, built through everyday practice.
- Working in Partnership with Parents and SchoolsTwo-way information with families, links with reception teachers, and transition records that get read.
- Extra Support: SEND, EAL and Vulnerable ChildrenEnhanced plans, one-page profiles, home-language key words and safeguarding handovers between DSLs.
- Assessment10 questions. Pass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
What you’ll learn
- Five principles of a good transition: planned, gradual, relationship-led, information-rich and done in partnership with parents
- How to plan settling in with a named key person, an “all about me” conversation and stay-and-play visits, at a pace set by the child
- Why a clear, warm goodbye works better than slipping away while the child is distracted
- How to plan a room move several weeks ahead, with the new key person coming to the child first and friends moving together where practical
- Why allergies, medical needs and safeguarding concerns must never be handed over by word of mouth alone
- What a school-ready child can typically do, and why formal seated literacy and numeracy work with three and four-year-olds can crowd it out
- How to write a short, honest transition record, share it with parents first and send it early enough to be useful
- How to plan an enhanced transition for a child with SEND, EAL or added vulnerability, starting a term or more ahead
Who this course is for
- Key persons who settle new children and hand children on to new rooms
- Pre-school room practitioners preparing children for reception
- Room leaders and managers who plan room moves and write settling-in procedures
- SENCOs planning enhanced transitions for children with additional needs
How it works
- OnlineStudy on any device and pick up where you left off.
- 6 short lessonsAbout 45 minutes in total.
- 10-question assessmentPass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
- CertificateIssued when you pass. NFAQ accredited.
Training your team
Every transition passes a child from one adult to another, so both sides of the handover need the same approach. Choose the number of learners at checkout, with group rates from 3 learners, or get it as part of the Training Portal for £5 per learner per month. It pairs well with Attachment Theory and the Key Person Approach and Building Partnerships with Parents.
Frequently asked questions
How long should settling in take?
There is no set number of visits. Some children settle in a few sessions and others need several weeks. The pace is set by the child’s responses, and if distress is not easing, you shorten sessions and bring the parent back into the process.
Should a child move rooms when they reach a certain age?
A birthday is not evidence of readiness. The course shows how to weigh a child’s emotional security, communication, physical development and wellbeing alongside ratios and occupancy.
Does school readiness mean teaching children to read and write?
No. It means a child can manage themselves, communicate, get on with others and approach learning with confidence. These grow through routines, talk and child-led play rather than worksheets.
Does the course cover children with SEND and EAL?
Yes. The final lesson covers enhanced transition plans for children with SEND, children learning English as an additional language and vulnerable children, including one-page profiles, home-language key words and team-around-the-child meetings.
What happens if I don’t pass the assessment?
You can resit it as many times as you need until you pass. Your certificate is issued as soon as you reach the 80% pass mark.
Will this help at Ofsted?
Ofsted does not approve training providers. Your certificate is evidence that the training was completed and can go on your staff training record.
