A Warm Welcome to Talking Transitions, A Message From the Team

Hello Parents and Carers!

We are Sian and Lynsey from City Family’s ‘Talking Transitions’ Team.

The reason we’re contacting you is because your little one is getting ready to start ‘big school’, which is a huge and very exciting change!

We are working with your little one’s early years setting to support the journey to ‘big school’ in September 2024.

How are we doing this?

Talking Transitions brings Early Years settings, Primary Schools and Family Centres together, to focus on your child’s communication and language development and their emotional wellbeing through this important time.

Talking Transitions offers a ‘package’ of playful experiences for you and your child to share together, prior to them starting school.

Currently, these schools are part of Talking Transitions:

Blenheim Primary School and Nursery
Edwards Hall Primary School
Fairways Primary School
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School and Nursery
Leigh North Street Primary School
West Leigh Infant School
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery
Chalkwell Hall Infant School
Bournes Green Infant School
Earls Hall Primary School

Milton Hall Primary School
The Westborough School
St Helens Catholic Primary School
Barons Court Primary School and Nursery
Hinguar Primary School and Nursery
Thorpedene Primary School and Nursery
Richmond Avenue Primary School and Nursery
Bournemouth Park Academy and Nursery
Temple Sutton Primary School
Prince Avenue Academy and Nursery
St Mary’s Prittlewell C of E Primary School
Greenways Primary School

If your little one’s new school is listed, the school will invite you and your child to join them for a fun packed ‘Talking Transitions’ event before the start of the summer holidays.

Southend’s Family Centres will also be supporting your child’s move to ‘big school’, by hosting Talking Transitions events over the summer holidays. They’ll invite groups of children and families (who will be starting the same school as your little one), to these events, so that they can start to make friends with their new classmates, even before school officially starts in September. Look out for these invitations!

Even if your little one’s new school is not listed, when they leave their current setting, they will be given an ‘All About Me Chatter Challenge’ for them to do over the summer holidays, which their new teacher will be looking forward to hearing all about in September.

What would we like from you?

Before the journey begins, we would like to gather your thoughts and feelings about your little one’s move to ‘big school’. We have created a short anonymous survey and would love it if you could complete it using the link HERE.

We hope that you and your little one enjoy all the summer activities on offer and wish you all the best for a smooth transition, as this new adventure begins!

If you have any questions regarding the project, or would like to find out more information generally about how to support your child with their transition to ‘big school’, please click HERE to the Talking Transitions web page.

Thank you.
Lynsey Weston and Sian Ansell, Early Years Specialist Teachers & Communication & Language Advisors
City Family CIC
education@cityfamily.org.uk
01702 844118