A South Birmingham EYFS Partnership
Effective transitions can make a significant difference to children’s wellbeing, confidence and readiness for school. This blog explores how a group of early years practitioners, nursery schools and reception teachers in Northfield, have developed a collaborative approach to support local children and families.
Building a Local Partnership
Local Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) practitioners from Reception classes and Maintained Nursery Schools have been working together with the shared aim of strengthening local children’s transition into school. This EYFS consortium group was initiated by Rednal Hill Infant School, who host the termly meetings in response to a need from the sector and local schools.
“We wanted the meetings to relate directly to what was happening within schools and nurseries at each point in the year and to give practitioners an opportunity to share good practice, ask questions and collaborate. The meetings are open to all and take place on different days to increase attendance. Having practitioners from both nurseries and school attend has greatly supported the discussions around Early Years pedagogy and identifying the key skills and experiences children need in order to be ready for their next stage.”
During the academic year of 2024-2025 and inspired by ongoing Transition projects led by Northfield DLP, this group of professionals devised additional tools to strengthen the transition to school process for children and families within the south of the city.
Transitions are ‘big steps for small children’ (Development matters, 2023).
Identifying Local Priorities
The working group reflected and agreed with the data, evidence and feedback from across the city and nationally. Children are starting their reception year with varied experiences, many with reduced communication and independence skills and who struggle with emotional regulation and thus effecting how they access the curriculum and next stage of their learning journey. Using this research, data and professional judgment the consortiums termly meetings were targeted for specific needs of Northfield schools. The district’s DLP outreach workers were invited to these meetings to join up the initiatives for improving the transition journey.
Practitioners meet termly to share information, reflect on practice, offer peer support and moderation. Importantly, Senior Leadership Teams support these meetings by releasing the practitioner for one afternoon per term, demonstrating a commitment to professional development.
Holding meetings within a teacher’s directed hours positively impacts teacher wellbeing and workload. Many of us know how difficult it is to attend twilight meetings after teaching young children all day, and often, when this is the case, there is less impact on practice and implementation.
Strengthening Transition Practice
Within the working group, there was a shared understanding of what effective transition looks like. However, the reality can be more challenging. Large catchment areas, varying relationships with early years providers and staffing pressures can make it difficult to implement these approaches consistently.
Key priorities included:
- Joint transition meeting/phone calls between early years settings and receiving schools
- Shared transition document/ information linked to the EYFS Areas of Learning, Wellcom, SEND
- Transition visits where reception teachers visit children in their familiar early year’s settings where possible
- Workshops for parents to support transition at home
A Creative Solution: A Musical and Story Bridge
The group wondered how to further strengthen the link between nursery providers, including nursery schools, PVI’s, childminders and nursery classes within schools. Many of the existing transition tools adopted include the adult voice and view, we wanted to use a creative way to support child’s communication and understanding of the changes happening to them.
A few colleagues had attended The Nurture Network led by HEART Stronger Practice Hubwhich reflected on the significance of sensory experiences in terms of a safe space to learn, one of the Six Principles of Nurture. Research shows that for some of us our sense of hearing is a strong element and for others it may be our visual sense.
The group reflected on what it feels like as adults to enter a new, unfamiliar space, for example when you arrive on holiday or start a new job. We often seek out the familiar to support our adjustment to the new. It is often a visual connection or an auditory one that calms us and settles us, which enables us to make those first connections.
A Spark of an Idea!
Passionate to include as many children and settings as possible the group questioned, how can we create a connection from nursery to school for Northfield children and include their voice in this process?
We know that story-based transition activities and visuals help children become familiar with school routines and aid their PSED. So utilising children’s love of both stories and singing… a creative idea was born!
The proposal was that all practitioners teaching 3 – 4 year olds, from across the sector and within the Northfield district, to teach, repeat and practice “Down at the Station” song and share “The Train Ride” story in Summer Term 2. Reception teachers would revisit the song and story as a transitional aid in September, during settling-in sessions. A way to involve the child’s voice in their own transition process using a familiar and fun medium for the child to be confident with in their new environment.
Both the story and song were selected as a symbolic and creative vehicle to support the child’s understanding of moving on and new places. The station is their nursery experience and the destination, their new reception class and school.
Funding for resources from the DLP programme was used to purchase copies of the Train Ride story, which were given out at the DLP Northfield Transition event in summer term 2025, along with song lyrics to both schools and nursery providers. The feedback was extremely positive from those within the consortium group and wider. To ensure inclusivity and through further collaboration with Northfield’s Early Years Consultant (EYC) this initiative was shared more widely to those from the PVI, and child-minding sector that did not attend the event.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Helen Keller
Reflections and Impact
This Northfield bespoke offer was delivered alongside other city wide, Ready, Steady Reception approaches. Reception colleagues from Northfield schools in attendance at the Autumn term 2025 meeting shared that, overall, their transition process for cohort 2025-2026 year has been more positive. Observing an increase in self-help skills and a significant improvement in children being out of nappies when starting their reception school year. PSED for the majority of their classes was secure; a ‘robust and confident cohort’ as one teacher described, and a smoother settling-in period. Reception teachers reported that children were more familiar with routines and expectations, allowing learning to begin more quickly. A full PE lesson was delivered in first full week with lots of opportunity for practicing self-dressing.
“Children had the language and vocabulary to express their needs, understand routines and instructions and hold conversations about their experiences and stories etc. As we know, language and being able to communicate underpins everything and it was clear, for the majority of children, that key vocabulary had been taught and used within a range of contexts. Children were able to answer a range of different question types and ask them for themselves. Children had strong sound discrimination skills which greatly supported their introduction to phonics and their application of taught sounds. Children settled very quickly and were able to separate from their families positively. As an individual school, our part time timetables and extended transitions into school have decreased from previous years and all of our reception children have attended full time since the end of Autumn 1.” EYFS Lead
This collaborative approach strengthened professional relationships across Northfield and ensured that transitions were inclusive, child-centred, and responsive to local needs.
Ongoing Challenges in Northfield
Teachers are proud and committed to children and families in Northfield and in this spirit have raised further areas for possible focus in the coming academic year and beyond, as we strive to offer each child the Best Start in Life.
There continues to be challenges in supporting children with complex needs due to staff capacity and purposeful spaces. Poor oral health is an ongoing barrier for some children, with concerns across Northfield. For example, children missing time from school, complaining of tooth ache or the need for hospital treatment such as extractions.
Parental engagement in many parts of the Northfield district is low, this is a complex situation impacted by many social factors but schools are offering a variety of initiatives to support improvement.
Communication and Language data indicates many children in Northfield, and nationally, remain below age expectation. Literacy continues to be Northfield’s lowest developmental outcome and impacts progress and attainment at the end of reception. The new writing framework guidance highlights the importance of oracy in the development and teaching of writing, so without addressing these communication and language gaps, we may struggle to see an increase in writing outcomes.
“The value of talk in children’s mastery of language is discussed in the reading framework; it is as important for writing as it is for reading”. Writing Framework 2025
This fact, combined with the government’s target for GLD attainment increasing to 75% is a challenge for many reception colleagues across Northfield.
The Northfield consortium group plans for collaborative working to continue, this offers a method of professional development and support rooted in practice and research.
We would love to see an improvement in wider support, coaching and mentoring, specifically for EYFS practitioners within the school system across the city. We are hopeful and determined and welcome other Northfield schools to attend and join us on this journey.
“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, working together is success.” –Henry Ford
Witten by
Elizabeth Greenhill, EYFS Lead, Rednal Hill Infant School
Sarah Jenkinson-Evans, Teacher, Weoley Castle Nursery School and DLP outreach leader Northfield district