Transitions occur throughout life, but many early transitions occur during school so it is highly important that children have a good transitional experience in order to build resilience to prepare them for their onward journey in education but also in their lives ahead. There are three big transitional milestones in education;
Starting primary school
The move into secondary school
Beginning collegeor work placement
There can also be transitions through different year groups or key stages which result in; a change of classroom, a new teacher, and timetable changes.
Of course, out of school there may be other changes which result in a form of transition that a child needs to adapt to, usually simultaneously;
A new sibling
Moving to a new house and school
A death in the family
Each transition experience can influence how the child copes with the next, and while some children seem to breeze through transitions, some find it very stressful. Learning how to manage change requires certain skills, so with this training we aim to give you theoretical guidance and transition strategies to help you empower your students to manage their transitions positively.
Making a transition a success
Focussing from different perspectives, Applied Psychologies transition training for teachers first looks at what different people may view a successful transition to be considering potential risk and resilience factors. The training also focuses on how teachers can help to promote and build resilience in children in order to increase the chances of a successful transition.
Session overview:
What is a successful transition?
Risk and protective factors
Building resilience
Promoting good home-school relationships
Promoting awareness of new environments
Promoting healthy relationships with teachers
New relationships
Goodbyes
Part two of the training looks at the effect good home-school relationships can have on the children as well as how we should consider the environmental changes brought about by a transition.
Finally, the training considers the relationships children make with key people and how these may be affected and provides guidance on how these should be nurtured before during and after transitions.
Transition training in action
This month, Applied Psychologies has conducted a transition training session with teachers from Southcoates Primary Academy in Hull.
Ted Chamberlain, head at Southcoates Primary said;
“The 'Transitions' training was fantastic! It gave everyone food for thought about how we deal with transitions into, through and out of the school. We thought about what it was like for ourselves, the children and the parents - a perspective we hadn't really considered at all previously. As a result of this we are going to review our transition processes and plan to ensure that it is a successful experience for all stakeholders.”
To register your interest in Applied Psychologies hosting a transition training session for your school, please send us an email with your school information, location, and number of teachers to be involved.