Supporting Transitions from Pre-school to primary school A Local Example of Working Together

1. Supporting Transitions from Pre-school to primary school A Local Example of Working Together Presentation at the MISS SCHOOL MISS OUT Conference 30th November 2009 Noirin Coghlan Early Childhood Development Programme Manager Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership

2. Supporting Transitions from Pre-school to primary schoolPolicy to Practice 1. Theoretical and national policy & frameworks • Why ? How ? & Success factors of a whole town working together • Local example of working together to support the transition from pre-school to primary school. • How successful transitions promote school attendance and family involvement in education.

3. Transition – a Definition? “the process of moving from one setting to another” “a developmental phase” “leaving the ‘comfort zone’ and encountering the unknown” Ref: Curriculum TRANSITION Training Professionals in early childhood education. Socrates Grundtvig 1.1 Project

4. Why is the process of Transition Important? • Positive transition experience in the early years increases the likelihood of future transitions being successful (Tizard et al,1988; James and Prout, 1997; Pascal, 1990) Successful transitions from the pre-school to primary school contributes - school attendance - school participation - family involvement in education

5. National Policy • Síolta - National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education (www.siolta.ie) • Aistear:the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (www.ncca.ie/earlylearning) Both frameworks are relevant to preschool & primary education • Cover 0 – 6yrs and are intended for use in all early childhood settings (including the infant classes of primary school) • Acknowledge the transition from preschool to primary school as critical stage in a childhood • Identify transitions plans as a hallmark of quality

6. Aistear (means journey)the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework(NCCA) Based on 4 interconnecting themes • Well-being • Identity and belonging • Communicating • Exploring and thinking

7. Síolta - National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education Standard 13 relates to Transitions, and states: Ensuring continuity of experiences for children requires • policies procedures and practice that promote sensitive management of transitions • consistency in key relationships • liaison within and between settings • the keeping and transfer of relevant information (with parental consent) • the close involvement of parents and, where appropriate, relevant professionals”(CECDE, 2006a, p85).

8. Síolta - National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education Siolta standards that support the transition from pre-school to primary school outlined in the Dr. Mary O Kane Background paper on the transition from preschool to primary School prepared to support the Local Early Years Transitions Network in the Ballymun Area(2009) highlights • Standard 3as it relates to family and parents • Standard 6as itsrelates to play • Standard 8 as it relates planning I would add • Standard 12 Communication • Standard 14 Identity and Belonging • Standard 16 Community Involvement

9. Why?How? & Success factorof Working together locally

10. Why get a whole town working together to support transitions • To improve communication between children, families and services and hence • Ensure integrated planning between services • To support parents and children to navigate through the system • To enhance family involvement in education • Reduce isolation • To promote social inclusion • Strengthen existing programmes within a broader local context • To improve school attendance

11. How to get a whole town working together? Agree Principles & Values • Focus on improving better outcomes for children and families (e.g successful transitions for children at critical stages such as school entry • Develop common understandings • Include all relevant partners/ stakeholders • Respect and value each perspective • Reflect national policy

12. Successful factors for a whole town working together • Build and empower networks - Childcare Providers Network - School Principals Network • Communication • Relationships • Driver for change • Local champion • Nurture local leadership • Investment of time

13. Supporting Transitions from Pre-school to primary school A specific local example of mobilising a whole town working together

14. Partnership Actions

15. Aladins Cave Aunt Sallys Nursery Axis Centre Ballymun East Bernie’s Preschool Born Free Glor na Gael Happy Days Little Rascals Jack and Jills Montessori Sesame Street St Margaret’s Traveller preschool Tiny Tots Tir na nOg Local Early Years Transitions Network

17. Aim Story sacks Programme • To build a bridge between pre-school and primary • To address equality and diversity • To support parents, practitioners, teachers manage the process • To support children through the process

19. Building a Framework for a whole town working together to support Successful Transitions The vision • Adopted from New Zealand model • Te Whāriki is a Maori phrase meaning woven mat

20. Partners within a Framework for Successful Transitions

21. Settings within a Framework for Successful Transitions

22. A local Framework for Successful Transitions

23. Supporting Transitions from Pre-school to primary school • Equal importance given to each strand/partner • Between each strand is an activity

24. Supporting Transitions from Pre-school to primary school Dunlop (2002) proposes • “children’s ability to claim the new setting as their own and to benefit educationally from it, may be reflected in the degree to which their educators have collaborated in a shared conceptual framework of children’s learning” (p98).

25. Thank You