Learning Ladders is the only system designed specifically for promoting fluid transitions between Early Years and Key Stage One. 

Read our 5 tips for effective transition:

1. Curriculum
   
   

• How does your Foundation Stage curriculum prepare children with the learning characteristics to thrive in a period of transition?
  Can you embed this within your flexible curriculum document?
  
  

• Does year one planning build on the play-based pedagogy of the Foundation Stage? 
  

• Can Reception teachers suggest ways to enable children to remain empowered to lead their own learning, minimising passive, adult-directed learning? 
  
  

• Do year one teachers have access to a centralised curriculum, with visibility of the Foundation Stage curriculum and learning goals?
  
  

• How can the school close the knowledge gap of year one teachers about the child-centric pedagogy used in EYFS?
  

• Does your current curriculum tool enable you to embed notes/moderated examples of children’s learning for the ELGs?
  
  

• How can schools utilise cross-phase planning? 
  

• Can Reception teachers guide Autumn planning to ensure unmet early learning goals are used as a starting point? 
  

2. Data
   
   

• What happens to Foundation Stage data at the end of Reception? 
  Can teachers easily refer back to this data in your assessment system? 
  
  

• Can year one teachers easily look back on records of significant moments in learning to review social patterns, learning preferences and rates of progress?
  
  

• Do Reception and Year one teachers have enough time to communicate about EYFSP data?
  
  

• What support is given to Year one teachers in understanding and interpreting Foundation Stage assessments?
  What CPD can you offer year one teachers about assessment in EYFS?

• How is assessment data used to ensure there is no overlap in learning at the start of year one?
  

3. Environment
   
   

• Do year one teachers have access to the resources needed to build on a play based pedagogy?
  (Resources including staff, physical resources, outdoor/indoor physical spaces, curriculum resources)
  
  

• How does the school address anxiety/ a loss of control experienced by some year one teachers in adopting a play based pedagogy in year one?
  
  

• Do year one teachers create a flexible space and layout in the classroom throughout the year?
  Is this centrally recorded and visible for all staff?

4. Parent engagement
   
   

• Do you provide a continuous parent engagement strategy from EYFS to Year 6? 
  
  

• How does the school address potential parental anxiety surrounding transition?
  How do you communicate what to expect and what is being taught in year one so that parents have the information to guide their child?
  
  

• What processes are in place for gathering feedback from parents to review your transition processes?
  

• ​Is your parent communication accessible for all?
  

• Does your current communication system allow parents to consume information in their home language and engage with teachers in two way conversations?
  
        

5. Student engagement
   
   

• How do you communicate information about each unique student’s needs to year one colleagues?
  (How do you make visible the objectives worked on with other professionals throughout the Foundation Stage e.g. speech& language therapists, physiotherapists)
  
  

• Does current reporting and evidence collection in year one capture the voice of the child?
  (How do you share pupil voice with parents, capture audio& video evidence of children’s engagement in learning?)

Termly and End of Year Reports feature student voice  

Upload Learning examples

We’re passionate and experienced with tackling transition and would love to show you the EYFS module.  Contact support@learningladders.info to find out more

• Bryce-Clegg, A. (2017) Effective Transition into Year One Bloomsbury.
  
  

• O’Connor, A. (2018) (2nd edn) Understanding Transitions in the Early Years: Supporting change through attachment and resilience, Abingdon: Routledge.
  
  

• Naeum, S. (2016) School readiness and pedagogies of Competence and Performance: theorising the troubled relationship between early years and early years policy, International Journal of Early Years Education, Vol.24, No.3, 239-253.
  
  

• Sharp, C, White, G, Burge, B and Eames, A. (2006) Making a successful transition into Year 1 nfer practical research for education.
  
  

• Rose, J. (2009) Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum: final report Department of Children, Schools and Families.
  
  

• Ephgrave, A. (2017) Year One in Action: a month by month guide to taking Early Years pedagogy into KS1 Routledge.
  
  

• Fisher, J (2010) Moving onto Key Stage One: Improving transition from the Early Years Foundation Stage Open University Press.
  
  

• Fisher, J. (2020) (2nd edn) Moving On to Key Stage 1, London: Open University Press.
  
  

• OFSTED (2017) Bold Beginnings: The reception curriculum in a sample of good and outstanding primary schools