Starting school is an important milestone for both child and parent, bringing a mixture of excitement and trepidation. The Old Station Nursery commits to supporting the child through their transition to school and also ensures that the parent is informed at every step of the process. By working together as a joint home and nursery team we feel our children are more than ready for the change.
Explore the sections below to read more about our approach to preparing your child for school and every stage of their learning.
The word ‘transition’ refers to the change a child encounters moving from one place to another. As children develop from birth throughout childhood, they move from one learning environment to another. Often these transitions involve a process of change that requires them to adapt their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours to meet new expectations.
By the time a child reaches school age they may have already experienced several transition periods, including transitions from home to nursery, one nursery room to another, one provider to another and finally nursery to school.
All children should feel comfortable, confident and as emotionally secure as possible during any transition. Young children need to feel they are a valuable and competent member of the new social group, and we help them to develop positive attitudes towards the range of new experiences they will encounter. We will help them retain the self-confidence and self-respect they have already gained from us.
When the transition is from room to room we will:
During your child’s time in The Old Station Nursery we will work on readiness for every stage of their learning via skills, aptitudes and attitudes which aim to ensure children are not only ‘school-ready’ but have a healthy and positive approach to life-long learning: Resilience, Endeavour, Attitude, Desire, Individuality, Nurture, Excitement, Self-Esteem and Specialness.
The continuous work on ‘Readiness’ skills, help to ensure that all children are not only ready but also excited and confident about their transition to ‘big school’.
The Old Station Nursery Group is committed to providing you and your child a high-quality nursery experience that fully prepares you for the transition from pre-school to primary school.
Through following The Old Station Nursery Brighter Learning Approach and successfully nurturing vital characteristics and attributes, the children have a solid and secure foundation from which they can successfully engage in learning, with competence and confidence, throughout their nursery journey, school life and beyond.
During the half-term before primary school we will:
Working together with our children and parents is an exciting and rewarding time as we see the children off onto their next learning stage. There are many ways you can support the transition from nursery to school at home.
Help your child start to picture themselves at their new setting with a photo of them in their new uniform proudly displayed on the fridge
Try planning a play date, where children can become comfortable developing friendships with those that will be going to the same school
Prepare new routines by getting up and going to bed at certain times, getting dressed and having meals at a certain time
Talking to your child about your own positive experiences of school can be reassuring – do you have an old photo?
Physically visiting the school is a big step, the more times they can visit the better
Some schools ask children to locate their own peg. You can prepare for this by putting their name on their bedroom door (and wherever else you’re willing) to help them recognise it
Prepared for group lunchtimes by ensuring they always eat at a table, have access to their own cutlery and pour their own drinks. Children should also try using a tissue to blow their nose, dress themselves and be fully toilet trained
You can help develop these further at home by playing with small objects, such as Lego, beads and puzzles. Practising activities such as tying shoelaces and using a knife and fork also require strong fine motor skills
At school, children will be expected to listen to their teacher’s instructions in order to carry out activities in and out of the classroom. In order to help develop this important skill you can try playing games such as ‘Simon Says’
Our twins have attended this setting for two years and are now ready for school. This place is a gem well hidden in Hemel Hempstead. The outdoor space is amazing, and not something I've seen any other nursery has! The staff are beyond amazing, always going above and beyond to make sure your little one is happy and content. I am so grateful to the staff there. My twins have learned so much there; they can?t wait to go to nursery and don't want to leave when I come to pick them up.
Our Son loves going to nursery and has a fantastic time, he seems to be developing brilliantly and his confidence is growing every day. From a parent's perspective communication is always great, we get daily updates on Blossom and it's so lovely to see what he has been doing. We also get wonderful updates on his development. I can not recommend this nursery enough, I feel genuinely lucky that our family are a part of Good Manors and have no concerns, thanks to their care, that our son will be ready for school in September.
Just yesterday, I dropped off my youngest and he arrived at two members of staff full of smiles for him, engaging him in chit-chat (they know him so well), helping to reassure him and ease the transition from leaving me. This is something I have always appreciated and admired about the staff- whatever the time of day, whatever they are in the middle of, whatever the room (from the baby room to the preschool room), the staff always give the warmest welcome to the children and cuddles if needed! I am very happy to say that our impression of the nursery on that day looking around is exactly what this nursery is: A place where the staff really know and value each child, helping them to flourish and develop in confidence, ready for school.