Starting at The Bridge School in EYFS

Information for prospective parents and carers:

Prior to children being placed at The Bridge school, we offer half termly group tours to prospective parents / carers.

Parents / carers seeking to have a tour of the EYFS Phase are advised to call school directly to arrange a tour, which will be led by a member of the EYFS Teaching Team.

Information for parents and carers of children allocated a place at The Bridge School:

For children who are placed at The Bridge School, confirmed by the Local Authority through naming The Bridge on your child’s EHCP, the transition process begins with an initial letter confirming your child’s place. This is followed by:

• An informal ‘Starting School- meeting with two members of staff from the EYFS teaching team. This is typically at the child’s home, to allow them to be comfortable in their surroundings. We value time together, getting to know each child, and their parents / carers, and having quality time to answer questions that families may have.
• The term before your child joins the setting, parents/carers and their child will be invited to an open evening in the EYFS Phase. The classrooms will be set up and small groups of children and their parents/carers will be invited to familiarise themselves with the space and meet some of the EYFS team who will be working with their child.
• Contact will be made with your child’s current setting and a transition meeting will be arranged with each individual child.
• Multi-agency professionals will be contacted and relevant information will be shared to ensure all strategies are in place to support each individual child.
• A photograph book will be provided for each pupil with photographs of reference of the setting.

Photograph books for the current EYFS cohort can be access here:

The first term at The Bridge School:

Settling each child into the setting is our priority during each child’s first term in the EYFS Phase. To support this, parents / carers of children new to EYFS are invited to come into school for a ‘Welcome to EYFS’ coffee morning. Further information on what each parent / carer can expect from their child’s first year in school will be shared. Additionally, during the first term, a Communication and Outcomes meeting will take place. This is where parent / carers will meet with their child’s class teacher to discuss their child’s individual Communication Profile, and also to discuss and agree short-term Outcomes linked to the long-term Outcomes detailed in their child’s EHCP.

Daily communication will be in place between school and parent/carers through each child’s home-school diary. Information on events and the curriculum will be shared through a termly Newsletter.

The EYFS team fully committed to supporting each child’s transition into the setting, and welcome and calls and queries that parents and carers may have, to ensure that this is as smooth as possible.