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New to Year 1

Transition from Reception to Year 1 (Leopards & Jaguars)

 

To some people it may seem quite strange that consideration is given to pupils transitioning from Reception to Year 1. After all, the transition in question involves children moving to a new year-group, not a new school. However; the foundation stage curriculum is distinctly different from that in Year 1, therefore at Lee Brigg Infant & Nursery School we adopt the same process for transitions between Reception and Year 1 as we do to those who are new to our school or are moving on from our school.

 

Our experience has found that transitions between Reception and Year 1 are aided when conditions in Reception and Year 1 are similar and the process of transition is allowed to take place gradually over time. Induction activities, such as opportunities for Reception children to visit Year 1 classes and continuity of experience, where Reception and Year 1 teachers adopt similar routines, clearly help the children to adjust. As well as getting used to a new classroom, a new teacher, and potentially new classmates – challenges that children face at the start of every school year – there’s a whole new set of skills that pupils will begin to learn from Year 1.

 

When you ask your Reception child what they’ve done at school, the answer is often, ‘I played.’ But their school day in Year 1 will be slightly different.

 

Whilst in Reception class, children become familiar with play-based, free-flowing experience, where they may be guided by the staff but a lot of the time they get to choose what they play with, when and with whom. In contrast, the Year 1 learning experience tends to be slightly more formal and staff begin to prepare children gradually to become more independent learners.  There is a lot more furniture and slightly fewer toys in the Year 1 setting, as children spend more time sitting at tables with a greater focus on academic tasks. For a lot of children, the biggest challenge with this change is their attention span, and self-control can be very difficult for some children to adjust to on first transitioning.

 

So as to ensure that children do not miss their play-based, free-flowing experience, we adopt a whole school approach to ‘golden time’ on a Friday afternoon. During ‘golden time’ pupils are encouraged to embrace play – this activity is a firm favourite with our pupils and we feel this is a lovely way to end a week of learning in school.

 

Please see our Key Stage One (KS1) PageLeopard Class Page and Jaguar Class Page to find out more!

 

If you have any questions in regards to the transition to Year 1 at Lee Brigg Infant & Nursery School then please contact the school office.

 

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