Department of Education NSW updates transition to school review and resources

An updated version of the 2016 Transition to school literature review by the NSW Department of Education’s Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) has been made available on the Department’s website. 

The literature review is a significant tool for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, and can be used by ECEC services, schools and families to expand understanding of the transition process and inform practices that can support successful transitions for all children.

It examines the existing literature on the transition to primary school from home and/ or ECEC settings and encompasses a number of issues, including:

• what constitutes a successful transition to school
• how the concept of school readiness is defined and what school readiness incorporates
• the key factors which support a successful transition to school for children, their families and educators.

Given the importance of the transition to school in the life of a child, the literature review is important reading for those in the sector, not only to ensure that children have a positive transition experience, but also to support those who may find the transition process difficult. 

Although there is a significant amount of literature on this topic, there remains a lack of clarity surrounding how to measure a successful transition to school, the Department said, highlighting the role of the literature review in supporting knowledge growth in this space. 

A number of supporting resources are available for the ECEC profession, including: 

• Transition to school case studies.
• Transition to school discussion guides.
• Transition to school during COVID-19: Information for early childhood education and care services.

For more information please visit the Department website, here.