Transition to School

The transition from ECE to school from the viewpoint of ECE centres, a qualitative investigation
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Government has signalled it wishes to review the transition from ECE to school. In response the ECC asked 30 of its members for their views. The members were questioned in February 2012.

ECC policy recommendations

The ECC has taken the best ideas from its members’ feedback to develop seven broad recommendations to improve the quality and effectiveness of transitioning children between early childhood education services and primary school.

The ECC endorses:

•the Ministry of Education taking a leadership role to work with the ECE and primary sectors to design and implement an effective, consistent, national transitioning model
•a “managed transition” approach. This, we believe, should involve clear expectations from the Ministry on both ECE services and on primary schools.
•a requirement that all primary school principals engage with the ECE services in their catchment to develop a transitioning plan, and that the Ministry monitor the establishment of these and work with schools/ECE services where this does not occur or is ineffective.
The ECC further believes that an effective transition model can be further strengthened by:

•the publication of best practice examples of effective transitioning
•a requirement on ECE services to provide information to parents on their transitioning approach with primary schools when the child turns four years of age
•a requirement that all primary teachers participate in compulsory practicum periods with ECE services as part of their teacher training
•a requirement that primary school new entrant teachers regularly visit ECE services in the school’s catchment area to establish and maintain an effective relationship.
The following details the eight specific areas explored with ECC members and their ideas around effective transitioning.

One: the nature of current ECE-school relationships

Only about a quarter of those centres questioned (7/30) have a transitioning agreement with schools. Just under a third (9/30) have a formal report they provide to parents. And only 2/30 have a formal transition report they provide to schools. Some provide families with information on local schools. Some centres ask local schools what they want their centre/centres to do in order to prepare children for transition. These centres also report some frustration in the uptake and participation in transitioning by primary schools.

Two: how centres currently prepare children for transition

Almost all centres undertake specific activities with children to prepare them for school. These include programmes focussed on some or all of the following: numeracy, literacy, ‘holding the pencil’, co-operation, listening, following instructions, and responsibility for belongings. Some centres conduct primary school visits for their four year olds, while some see this as a parental responsibility.

All centres maintain a child portfolio for each child, but only a third answered ‘yes’ when asked if this accompanies the child to primary school. (Many, it seems, provide this to parents and do not know whether or not it goes to school.)

Three: what centres see as problematic with the current transition to school

About half of centres answered ‘yes’ to the question: ‘Is there a problem with transitioning to school in your area?’ Some said it was a ‘big’ problem.

Problems included the following:

•Primary schools not recognising ECE learning;
•Primary schools not understanding ECE learning/assessment information;
•ECE centres and/or schools lacking sufficient time to run transition processes;
•Children attending ECE centres closer to a parent’s place of work than the residence and therefore outside the locality of the primary school they will attend, making centre-school relationships difficult to maintain;
•Lack of ECE teacher knowledge of the school curriculum.
Some reported ‘no interest’ from local primary schools in transition to school processes. And others reported, for example, that new entrant teachers placed ‘no value’ on ECE ‘portfolio books’ provided to them. One centre said: ‘We have been told by two schools in our area, in no uncertain terms, that ECE learning is of little consequence when the child goes to school’. One tried hosting an afternoon tea for families and teachers, but no primary school teacher attended.

One said some centres were preparing children for school with parent-supported but developmentally-inappropriate school-like work.

Most believe, on the basis of parental, school and other informal feedback, that most children enjoy a positive transition to school. But some said poor transition to school processes were most damaging to ‘below average’ and special needs children.

Four: how centres think transition to school could be improved

Centres suggested the following:

•‘Primary school teachers need to develop the understanding that we are professional teachers and not babysitters’;
•Better centre-school working relationships;
•ECE centres and schools ‘getting together to have a common understanding of who the child is and their background before the child transitions’;
•Local schools seeking cooperation with centres whose children arrive inappropriately prepared for school;
•Better teacher training regarding transition;
•The provision of funds so ECE teachers can be released to visit primary schools;
•Children starting school when they are ready, rather than on their fifth birthday;
•ECE centres running transition to school evenings at which parents, ECE and local school teachers meet.
Five: what centres see as the ideal role for ECE services in the transition to school

Views on this varied and included the following:

•To ensure children experience, in ECE centres, a school-like environment (sitting still, listening, holding a pencil, literacy, numeracy) as they near five years of age;
•Organising school visits for children;
•Sharing information about the child with the school;
•Addressing concerns with families well before the child goes to school;
•Supporting parents so they can better manage transition processes themselves.
Six: what centres see as the idea role for schools in the transition to school

ECE centres thought schools should:

•Take ECE centres seriously;
•Be familiar with Te Whaariki, and understand what ECE centres do;
•Read new entrant ECE portfolios;
•Use these portfolios as the basis for meetings with parents and children;
•Tell ECE centres what they expect of new entrants;
•Attend ECE-run transition-to-school teacher-parent functions;
•Organise visits to schools for older ECE children so they can transition gradually;
•Providing a new entrant teacher as a contact point for parents and ECE centres.
Seven: how centres think the Ministry of Education should identify or monitor transition to school processes

Centres suggested:

•A B4 School-type check list that ECE centres pass on to schools;
•Surveys of schools and new-entrant parents to establish satisfaction levels;
•The monitoring of transition processes via ERO reviews;
•Surveys of schools to measure their satisfaction with the preparation of children for school.
Some expressed concern new transition to school processes would mean more paperwork. Some said transition was as responsibility of individual centres and schools and should not be monitored by central government.

Eight: what ECE centres see as the ‘idea transition to school approach’

About 80% of those asked thought ECE practicums should be a compulsory part of primary teacher training.

Others suggested there should be:

•A common understanding of what ECE children should achieve prior to starting school;
•ECE programmes focussed on school-ready skills such as listening, following instructions, focussing on one task, numeracy, literacy, and how to use a lunch box; and
•A series of school visits (some suggested once a week for a few weeks) in the lead up to leaving ECE for school.
Some were specifically opposed to a ‘checklist’ approach that might lead to ECE children being focussed on ‘drill exercises’, while others thought ‘having some information as a starting point is a good thing’.

There was almost unanimous support for the idea that primary school principals be required to have a transitioning plan in place for their catchment area, and that this be developed in collaboration with the ECE services in their area.