Home to nursery

This page will guide you through the key transition focuses when moving from home to nursery, and how to prepare for adulthood at this stage.

Key transition focuses

The key transition focuses from home to nursery include:

settling into a new environment where the family and child feels comfortable
early identification of needs or emerging needs - involvement of Education, Health, Portage, and other multidisciplinary professionals as appropriate
parental involvement - the key is communication and reassurance - home visits before placement are important

Enhanced support at this transition stage may include:

a staggered approach can be helpful - building up hours incrementally
involvement of Area SENDCOs and those services who specialise in low/high incidence needs who can offer transitional advice
plan transitional meetings well in advance with visits planned by the family to the setting - where this is not possible settings could explore digital options such as a virtual tour or online Q and A
families are given an induction pack for the new setting and have the opportunity to visit the setting whilst their child is in attendance

This relates to SEND thresholds 1-3.

There are things to think about for your child for preparing for adulthood at this stage which include:

showing a developing understanding of relationships and friendships, some feelings and emotions
starting to interact and communicate, adapt to new environments and playing with other children
starting to sit for a meal and snack times - taking turns sometimes
complying with self-care routines

Have you thought about attending activities at your local Family Hub may help prepare your child to start nursery?
Consider the cost of the support that you will get free early education and childcare, timings of placement and any after-hours support
It may be a good idea for families practise the journey to the setting beforehand so they know about timings and transport
You can ask settings to provide photographs of the setting they will be attending i.e. classrooms, toilets and photos of staff
Parents should be able to access statutory documents including the SEND Policy and Practice from the setting website. What is their provision for SEND emerging needs - do they talk about reasonable adjustments? What is the Ofsted inspection report rating?
Think about if you have a child minder, do they need to be involved in this process?
Ensure that the Health Visitor has undertaken the 2-year check and that as a family you are aware of the outcomes
You can also find local play groups and support for families in the Family Hubs