 Welcome back to the summer term!
This bulletin is dedicated to supporting your transition arrangements for your pre-school children who will begin school in September 2025.
 We have updated the annual transfer record and this year, after consultation with schools, we are asking that you just complete the front page and parental consent page and send to the schools.
It really is vital that you complete the information for each child leaving you and send to the receiving school. We have had many conversations with school Head teachers, EYFS Leads and Year R teachers, and they all report that having the front page information about the child and their learning needs, is crucial for them to plan a smooth transition. This is particularly relevant for those children with SEND. Schools will not know if a child has additional needs, unless the previous setting or parent informs them. In order to ensure the right support is in place, please do complete and send off the transfer record and contact the school if a child is known to Early Years Panel.
Please complete and send to the receiving school ASAP.
 The annual transition meeting is on Wednesday 21 May 2025, 4.00 - 6.00pm.
You MUST book your place to attend, so that we can inform the schools which settings will be attending. We will also share with you, the schools who have booked to attend. For these reasons booking will close on Friday 16 May, and the lists of settings/schools booked to attend will be sent in a bulletin on Monday 19 May.
We will need to restrict capacity to 2 people per setting/school in the first instance and if we have additional places we will let you know by the week beginning 19 May.
Please ensure you have parental permission to share information about children with schools at the transition meeting.
We will have our 10 top tips for starting school posters available to use at the transition meeting. It might be helpful to reflect on these key skills with the schools as you have your conversations.
 Please share our top tips with parents in your settings. You can print them out, add links to your social media, display on your notice boards…
We have worked with schools, Family Hubs, Parenting groups and health colleagues to share these key messages on how to support the journey into school, so these are consistent messages that are being spread across the city.
You can direct parents to the Family Assist webpage to find out more about our Portsmouth 10 top tips for starting school.
 When children can confidently use the toilet on their own, their transition to reception is easier.
These downloadable posters and handouts aim to help parents with toilet training and help educators prepare children for using the toilet when they get to school.
The resources include:
- A child checklist for using the toilet
- A ‘toilet story for school’
- A handout for parents
 If you would like to use our SEN transition tool, you can find it here.
This should be completed with the parent and receiving school to support a strong transition into school for children with additional needs, who do not have an EHCP in place for school start.
The Portsmouth Local Offer has helpful information and guidance for families of children with SEND and a set of top tips to help prepare for a school start.
 Please encourage your families to download the app and take part in 50 things to do before you're five. The postcard packs and the leaflets will be delivered to you soon. You can then loan out to families or share in any way you feel would help children access the project. Those of you who attended the PEP conference will have collected your postcard packs and leaflets. Family Hubs and public libraries now also have the postcard packs to loan out to parents.
 Don’t forget now is the time to be introducing your pre-schoolers to our 15 recommended reads as part of Read With Me.
Family Hubs now have access to the books as well as story sacks that are being used within groups.
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