Provide information about the school, class/es, and moving around the school
Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Planning for successful transitions to school ’
On this page:
On this page:
Current page section: Provide information about the school
Go to top of current page: Provide information about the school
Go to top of current page: Provide information about the school
Go to top of current page: Provide information about the school
Use video and student voice
Use video and student voice
A video made by Silverstream students for new entrants and their parents. They show viewers the school and classroom routines, and introduce their learning.
No captions or transcript
Introduce your school to new students
Introduce your school to new students
Ideas for familiarising students with your school.
- Introduce the students and parents to staff they will be interacting with. Provide names, photos and contact details.
- Provide opportunities for new students to engage with current students in an activity.
- Ensure the student can ask questions during the tour of the school and provide a map for visual support.
- Identify students who will be buddies to the new student.
- Consider what you do for all students first, then look at what you need to do that is different for a student who needs additional support.
- Evaluate your school’s transition process – ask students and parents for feedback after they have been at school for a term.
Welcome pack and web page examples
Welcome pack and web page examples
Examples of welcome packs and school website pages.
View these examples of schools using the internet to engage with parents.
While it is useful to have information on your school’s website, it is helpful to have this available in hardcopy as well.
When creating or updating your welcome pack, consider:
- using inclusive language
- outlining the support for students with additional needs
- describing how you engage with parents in an ongoing way, for example, through face-to-face meetings, newsletters, email, Facebook and so on.
View these examples of school welcome packs.
Strategies for transitioning into primary school
Strategies for transitioning into primary school
Strategies for successful transitions from early childhood education to school.
- Provide information and familiarisation activities for families.
- Develop home-school partnerships.
- Make connections with the knowledge and learning that children bring from home and from their early childhood education centre.
- Foster children’s friendships.
- Consider children’s whole experience of school, including lunchtimes and using the toilets.
- Develop a shared understanding with parents of learning and social goals.
- Use assessment practices that recognise the situated nature of learning and the cultural construction of assessment practices.
- Provide opportunities for play that enable children to explore experiences and develop oral language.
- Understand the impact of rules and how they can support belonging, but can also constrain behaviour and create anxiety.
Source: Literature review: Transition from early childhood education to school (opens in a new tab/window)
Useful resources
Useful resources
Starting school: Te tīmata o te haere ki te kura
Read time: 42 min
Information for parents and caregivers of children with special learning needs. A Ministry of Education resource.
Download PDF
Transitions: Students at the centre
In this video, staff at the Mt Roskill campus explain how they create positive transitions between schools by placing students at the centre of the transition process.
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Plan for successful transitions to school”:
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Current page Provide information about the school
Return to the guide “Transitions – managing times of change”
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How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Transitions – managing times of change
Strategies for action:
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Get to know the studentShow suggestions for Get to know the student
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Partner with the family/whānauShow suggestions for Partner with the family/whānau
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Plan for successful transitions to schoolShow suggestions for Plan for successful transitions to school
- Set up communication channels
- Provide information about the school
- Prepare and support teaching staff
- Identify property modifications
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Prepare for a new student with additional needs in the classroomShow suggestions for Prepare for a new student with additional needs in the classroom
