Guidance

Supporting a smooth transition into reception

Published 16 April 2026

Applies to England

Introduction

Starting school is a significant milestone for children and families. A positive transition into reception helps children feel safe, confident and ready to learn.

As the early years foundation stage (EYFS) spans from birth through to the end of the reception year, a shared understanding of children’s development across this period is essential.

This guidance aligns with the sector-led Kindred Squared Starting Reception materials for parents and carers, providing clear, consistent language, expectations and advice to support families and practitioners through the transition into school. The guide highlights practical ways early years settings, including childminders, and schools can work together to support children as they prepare to start reception.

Adults working with young children, whether in early years settings or in schools, play a vital role in helping them feel confident and prepared for starting reception. By building strong relationships across settings, and working collaboratively with families from the earliest stages, educators can support timely identification of each child’s strengths, interests and emerging needs.

This shared understanding promotes an inclusive approach, enabling everyone involved to:

• plan effectively
• align expectations
• create a more consistent, supportive experience that helps children enjoy a smoother transition into school

Working together for all children

The most successful transitions happen when schools, early years providers and families work together as a connected community, using consistent messaging about what supports children to thrive in reception.

Practical partnership activities, such as joint transition events, shared stay‑and‑play sessions and reciprocal visits, further strengthen this collaboration by giving adults opportunities to develop shared approaches and deepen their understanding of children’s experiences across settings.

When adults communicate openly, share meaningful information and build strong relationships, children are more likely to:

• feel confident starting school
• settle quickly into new routines
• engage positively with learning

Build strong relationships between early years settings and schools

Strong relationships between all adults working with young children, across early years providers and schools, help create continuity as children move into reception. When educators in different settings work together as equal partners, it reduces the likelihood of children having to ‘start again’ and supports a more confident, secure transition.

Across settings and schools, consider:

• establishing early contact, keeping communication open throughout the year
• sharing information about routines, learning approaches and expectations, so children experience greater consistency across environments
• taking part in joint transition events, visits or professional development opportunities to deepen mutual understanding and build trust
• agreeing clear ways to exchange meaningful information about each child’s strengths, interests and any additional support needs

Many schools and early years settings arrange reciprocal visits to understand each other’s environments and routines. These visits help adults build a shared picture of each child and plan transition support that reflects individual needs. Strong partnerships across all parts of the sector help children feel known, supported and confident as they begin their reception year.

Support reciprocal visits between settings and schools

Reciprocal visits between adults working with young children across early years settings and schools help build trust and strengthen partnerships. These visits give educators valuable insight into how children learn, communicate and interact in familiar environments, supporting early identification of needs and helping everyone plan effectively for the move into reception.

By spending time with children in settings they know well, adults can also better support children to express their thoughts, feelings and experiences about transition, ensuring their voice is recognised and responded to throughout the process.

Visits might include:

• school staff visiting children and early years staff during the summer term
• early years educators, including childminders, attending school stay-and-play sessions
• mutual informal visits to observe children’s play, routines and interactions

By working together in this way, adults across all settings create greater consistency for children and help them feel familiar with the people they will meet when they start school.

Support parents with practical advice for school readiness

Families value clear, consistent guidance on how they can support their child’s development. Preparing to start school is just one part of this broader journey, and when adults across early years settings and schools share aligned messages, parents receive more coherent support and signposting.

Educators in all settings can work together to offer parents and carers practical advice that nurtures children’s confidence, independence and wellbeing. This may include encouraging children to:

• use the toilet independently, where possible
• practise washing their hands and dressing themselves
• carry their own bag and manage their personal belongings
• sit and listen to short stories or simple instructions
• take turns and play co-operatively with other children
• talk about their feelings and ask for help when they need it
• become familiar with everyday routines, such as snack or tidy‑up time

Alongside these practical skills, parents and carers benefit from the reassurance that children develop at different rates and confidence, curiosity and independence are all important elements of school readiness.

By sharing consistent expectations and signposting families to additional support when needed, educators across all settings can help parents and carers feel informed, empowered and better able to support their child’s transition into school.

Attend transition events where possible

Many schools organise transition events to help children become familiar with the people and environments they will encounter when starting school. These may include:

• stay-and-play sessions – opportunities for children to explore the school environment with familiar adults, helping them build confidence and positive first experiences
• teddy bears’ picnics – informal, play-based gatherings that allow children to meet staff and peers in a relaxed setting, easing early anxieties about starting school
• open days or transition mornings – chances for children and families to visit classrooms, meet key adults and get to know daily routines

In some cases, early years educators or parents accompany children during transition sessions, providing a helpful bridge as they become familiar with their future school.

Share activities that support familiarity with school

Adults working with young children across early years settings and schools can help children feel confident and prepared for the move into reception by introducing simple, familiar activities throughout the year. These experiences help children form positive expectations about what school might be like and reduce anxiety about the transition.

Examples include:

• talking about what school might be like and answering their questions
• reading books about starting school to spark discussion and reassure
• looking at photos of the school environment to help children visualise where they will be
• adding school uniform to the home corner so they can see logos and become familiar with what they will wear

Some schools share transition booklets or photos of classrooms, so children can become familiar with the environment ahead of time. Educators in early years settings can also share with schools how children are used to doing things in their current setting – for example, how they join group activities or tidy up. This helps schools understand children’s prior experiences and build on familiar routines, where helpful, creating a smoother and more consistent transition for every child. Importantly, this shared insight also supports schools to be ready for the children they will welcome, ensuring continuity of approach – particularly in relation to play‑based learning and emotional support.

Share meaningful information about children’s learning

Clear, open communication between all adults working with young children across early years settings and schools is essential for effective transition planning.

Sharing information about each child helps reception staff gain a well‑rounded understanding of their:

• interests and strengths
• communication and language development
• friendships and social interactions
• additional needs and any support already in place

Many educators report that conversations between key adults provide insights that go beyond written records and help shape more thoughtful and responsive support for each child.