1 August 2025

At Scallywags, we know that the early years are full of transitions—some big, some small, but all important. Whether a child is starting nursery, moving to a new room, or preparing for school, these changes can feel exciting, emotional, and sometimes overwhelming—for both children and their families.

We have walked alongside many families through these changes, I can honestly say: transitions are where the magic of connection really matters. That’s why our Transition Policy is more than just a document—it’s a reflection of how we care.

💛𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘆

Children at nursery go through many transitions:

• Starting nursery for the first time
• Moving up to a new room
• Getting ready for school
• Moving house
• Welcoming a new baby sibling
• Changes at home, like routines, separations, or even holidays

While adults might see these as “part of life,” to a child they are huge shifts in their world. That’s why we approach every change with empathy, planning, and personal care.

🏠𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘆: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗲

We know those first days are full of emotions—tears, smiles, nerves, and lots of cuddles. Our approach is all about slow, secure, supported starts:

• Home visits give us the chance to meet you in your space and begin building a bond with your child.
• Three settling sessions help gently build routine and confidence:
  1. One hour with you present
  2. Two hours including a meal
  3. Four hours including rest time
• We’re flexible—if your child needs more time, we give it. It’s not about a deadline—it’s about feeling ready.

🚪𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀: 𝗔 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱

When your child is ready to move up to a new room, we plan it with care:

• Visits into the new space (with their current key person)
• Friendship-based group moves where possible, to keep familiar faces close
• Parent updates and a transition booklet, with “All About Me” info for the new key person
• The move only becomes permanent when your child is settled and happy

🎓𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹

This is a big moment in every child’s life—and in every parent’s heart. We want children to leave Scallywags with confidence, curiosity, and calm.

Here’s how we support that:

• Role play and resources (uniforms, photos of schools, stories)
• School visit invitations and teacher meet-ups
• Peer buddies and school logo boards to help children see who’s going where
• A final learning report passed on to their new teacher
• Ongoing conversations about feelings, questions, and changes

It’s not about rushing children to “be ready”—it’s about helping them feel seen and secure in the next step.

🏡𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲? 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗨𝘀

Sometimes transitions happen at home: moving house, new routines, family changes, new siblings. These can deeply affect a child’s emotions and behaviour.

We ask parents to keep us informed so we can:

• Offer extra support through play, story, and discussion
• Use social stories to explain change in a child-friendly way
• Provide parent support packs filled with tips and age-appropriate activities
• Collaborate with you, not just react

Because how we care during these moments shapes a child’s emotional resilience for life.

✨𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀

For children with SEND, we hold Person-Centred Planning (PCP) meetings to ensure every transition is tailored, collaborative, and calm. We work closely with families and specialists to plan changes in a way that honours each child’s unique needs.

🤝𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱: 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽

Transitions aren’t just about logistics—they’re about relationships. The connection between a child and their key person, between staff and families, between home and nursery… these are the bridges that help children cross from one stage to the next with confidence.

At Scallywags, we don’t treat transitions as a checklist. We treat them as a journey—and we walk it together.

If your child is going through a transition soon, or if you have questions or worries, we’re here. Your child’s wellbeing, voice, and emotional security are always at the heart of what we do.

💬𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴? 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥’𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵.

Transition blog written by Demi Eastment