School leaders may find these investigative prompts and indicators useful when they review and improve their transition processes.
1. Effective leadership: How does the organisational and professional support by the school leadership promote the success of transitions to school for new entrant students? |
|
importance placed on successful transitions |
|
organisational support for the new entrant teacher |
|
communicate with and include new and potential new parents in ways that promote and celebrate the success of transitions |
|
support for the new entrant students in ways that promote and celebrate the success of transitions to school |
- ‘bridge’ the learning experience from early childhood services to more formal school - capitalise on individual’s strengths, identity, language and culture
|
unintended consequences of school leadership decisions on the success of transitions |
|
2. Activation of educationally powerful relationships: How does the school develop and engage in collaborative relationships that support students as they transition to school? |
|
explore and understand the expectations, relationships, aspirations of others in ways that are educationally powerful |
|
support for parents, family and whanau |
- relating to The New Zealand Curriculum - key competencies and values and how these build from Te Whāriki - about other school networks, extra-curricular activities |
relationships deliberately activated at the teacher and leader level |
|
3. Effective pedagogy How is the new entrant's curriculum responsive and adaptive to the learning interests, strengths and capabilities of students as they transition to school? |
|
curriculum-in-action |
evidence of understanding of early childhood curriculum and attempts to ‘bridge’ the difference planning in keeping with Literacy Progressions and Number framework appropriate and prompt intervention to assure students’ success as new entrants (ie do not wait till 6-year-old Reading Recovery) the focus on key competencies to support student agency opportunities to develop relationships and friendships problem solving and risk taking recognises and builds on prior knowledge, values, language culture and identity of each student students use first language to develop English literacy information from early childhood services and home included in development of education pathway/profile/portfolios to ‘bridge’ the difference planning in keeping with Literacy Progressions and Number framework appropriate and prompt intervention to assure students’ success as new entrants (ie do not wait till 6-year-old Reading Recovery) the focus on key competencies to support student agency opportunities to develop relationships and friendships problem solving and risk taking recognises and builds on prior knowledge, values, language, culture and identity of each student students use first language to develop English literacy |
use of formal and informal assessment practices |
information from early childhood services and home included in development of education pathway/profile/portfolios |
4. Productive inquiry and knowledge building How does the school's self review identify and improve the impact of beliefs, practices and processes that support students as they transition into school |
|
processes and clear indicators to review effectiveness of transition |
|
evidence of improvement and ongoing monitoring and accountability |
|
specific actions put in place for students for whom transition has not been easy |
|
5. Priority learners: How is the school supporting transition for priority learners (Maori, Pacific, students with special education needs, students from low socio-economic backgrounds)? |
|
organisational and professional support by the school leadership |
|
deliberately develop and engage in collaborative relationships |
|