Transition to Primary School

The Early Years Foundation Stage clearly highlights the importance of facilitating smooth transitions in order to foster children’s emotional wellbeing and maintain the progression of their learning and development. Well supported transitions contribute to children’s personal growth and help develop their self-esteem and confidence, their independence and their resilience.

In Lewisham we ask that all early years settings complete a ‘Starting School Summary’ for each child in their setting in the summer term, before children move onto primary school. For children with SEND we also ask that a transition passport is completed in addition to this. The passport contains more detailed information about a child’s likes and dislikes and about what help they might need.
Some settings may have created a similar report/summary for transition to Primary school already. If that’s the case you don’t need to do anything additional. The Starting School Summary is available if you need it.  The important thing is to make sure that schools receive this or similar, to enable more effective transition. If you have worked with Drumbeat to create a passport for a child with social communication needs you don’t need to do another one. See resources section below for Drumbeat’s (AET) format should you wish to use it for children with SEND. We have also attached a transition passport that follows the lines of ‘This is my Plan’ so you can transfer the information you already have more easily. 

Please note: If you are applying for Inclusion Funding for a child/children in your setting this term, you will need to include your transition arrangements for the child/children as part of the application.

Supporting Documents 

Letter for parents - explaining process and value of sharing information about their child with receiving school. Please share with parents/carers if appropriate.

Flyer for parents - to share with parents on how they can support their child starting school.

Starting school summary - this should be completed for each child where possible and shared with the child’s receiving school (with parents’ permission) before the end of June 2025.

Good practice guidance on transition for early years settings - the activities and suggestions within this pack were written for typical times and you may feel that some of them are not suitable during the current restrictions.

Early Years child profile

One page profile transition

TIMP transition passport template