Starting nursery

There are many benefits from attending early years settings as there are many exciting learning and social opportunities available.  However, it may be the first time that children have been away from close family, so this transition needs to be managed sensitively and effectively. When a child leaves the home environment for the first time it can be a worrying and emotional time for the whole family.  Transition should be viewed as a process rather than a single event and children, practitioners and parents should all be involved in the process - please refer the principles of transition section.

Early year providers need to develop processes and procedures to ensure that they support children to make smooth and successful transitions. Here are some examples that settings may want to consider:

• Have a clear induction/settling in policy that is written down and can be shared with new parent/carers which includes awareness of current legislation about admissions

• Have a welcome pack with information about routines and photos of the staff and examples of the activities on offer

• Have short drop-in sessions so new families can get to know the setting before their child starts

• Share information with parents and request as much information as possible about their child including their feeding/dietary requirements, sleeping and changing routines so any individual needs can be planned for.  It may be useful to have a template for these first conversations

• Visit the family at home before the child starts

• Introduce the child’s key worker and provide the family with a photo of them to show the child before they start

• Be flexible about start times and offer gradual staggered starts if required.  Respond sensitively to parents’ anxieties

• Invite parents to stay with the child initially as they adjust to the new environment.

• Encourage children to bring a familiar object from home, such as a teddy or blanket (transitional object).

• Ensure that any relevant information about new children is disseminated to all staff in the setting

• Find out if any outside agencies are involved with the child and make contact with them if necessary.

• Review how each child is settling in on a daily basis with parents/key worker and use a settling-in diary.

• Review and update transition policies and procedures, when appropriate.

At times, a change in circumstances means that a child needs to move to a new setting. Staff from the current setting will need to support this transition by ensuring that there is good communication and information-sharing with the family and the new setting.