In the context of education, transitions are any time that children move between settings or activities. Transitions can be smaller – like moving between activities or areas within their learning environment – or larger, like moving from preschool to kindergarten or changing schools. Effective transitions are characterised by continuity for children and are an important foundation for future learning.
Effective transitions:
- promote children’s learning and wellbeing
- improve children’s confidence in managing change
- foster a sense of belonging and connectedness to the community
- grow partnerships and positive relationships between settings.
Effective transitions rely on schools, educators and families working together to make sure the child’s story is passed along and their needs are met across settings. Gone are the days of asking children to be ‘school-ready’. We are working towards schools that are ready to support children through strong communities for learning. Effective transitions is a strengths-based approach and ensures families and children are active participants in sharing their stories.
ACT-wide approach to effective transitions
As part of Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT 
(845kb) an ACT-wide approach to effective transitions has been developed to support a consistent approach to transitions for children aged birth to 5 years-old.
An overview of the ACT-wide transitions resources available is provided in this document Overview of resources (168kb). The overview includes the intended audience for each resource.
Systematised approaches to effective transitions provide continuity of knowledge about a child’s learning and development and can improve a child’s confidence in managing change. It helps them grow partnerships and positive relationships and fosters their sense of belonging and connectedness.
Continuity and Transitioning Framework video - transcript 
(21kb)
Resources
The ACT Transitions Map identifies key transition points and provides information and resources to support a range of transitions. It provides detailed information on the different early childhood settings across the ACT including links to additional reading, resources and transition supports available.
The Building Effective Relationships Video supports educators to build relationships across early childhood settings throughout transitions. It outlines the benefits of strong relationships and explains how effective transition processes can enhance connections between services and settings.
These resources support transition partners to ensure children and families have a positive experience when transitioning from home, moving into, or through an early childhood service and to a formal school setting.
The Continuity &Transitioning (C&T) Framework provides background and guiding practices for the ACT-wide approach to effective transitions.
The C&T Statement captures educator, child and family reflections and includes examples and tips in each section to help guide users. The C&T Statement is shared with the receiving service or setting and can be used to frame further discussions to support a great transition experience for all.
The C&T Statement can also be used by early childhood support services such as paediatricians, speech therapists, hearing or vision specialists, physiotherapists, psychologists, play therapy services, or social workers to capture information about children with developmental needs or disability transitioning to preschool.
Supporting resources are designed to help early childhood professionals and schools to enhance transition practices and implement the C&T Framework and Statement.
- Continuity and Transitioning Framework (388kb) provides guidance on how to implement the framework including supports for completing the C&T Statement.
- Continuity and Transitioning Statement (82kb) is a template used to record reflections. Examples are provided to support completion. Practitioners from early childhood support services may choose to only complete page 2 of this statement.
- Continuity and Transitioning Statement: A guide for families (204kb) is designed to support families to complete the ‘Family reflections’ section of the C&T Statement.
- Implementation of the Continuity and Transitioning Framework: Guide for Educators (3.7Mb) provides an in-depth overview of the resources available and offers practical supports for implementation.
The How to effectively use C&T Statements video demonstrates the benefits of using the C&T Statement in the preschool context. It supports preschool educators to implement best practice transitions approaches and plan intentional learning experiences.
How to effectively use Continuity and Transitioning Statements video - transcript (24kb)
Playschools are unique to the ACT. They are not-for-profit, early childhood education and care services that provide play-based educational preschool program for children aged three to five years.
Many children are enrolled in Playschools in the ACT and transition between and through early childhood education and care services to school.
Continuity and Transitioning for Playschool (1Mb) provides guidance for schools to support transitions between Playschools and public preschools in the ACT.
A child’s first experiences and interactions will shape their early learning and knowledge of who they are and the world around them. Parents are their child’s first teacher, and the play-based experiences families incorporate into daily rituals at home create dispositions for learning, such as wonder, and curiosity. The Home Learning Resources (3Mb) provides four at home learning experiences to support families to embed play-based experiences and daily rituals.
Other Set up for Success resources to support parents as first teachers are available here.
Further support and information
If you are completing a C&T Statement for a child in the 3 year-old initiative transitioning to preschool and would like further support or have any questions, contact the Early Childhood Community Coordinators via earlychildhoodcommunitycoordinator@act.gov.au.
If you are completing a C&T Statement for a child with developmental needs or disability transitioning to preschool and would like further support or have any questions, contact the Preschool Pathways Partners via preschoolpathways@act.gov.au.
For general enquires about the ACT-wide approach to effective transitions, contact Early Childhood Policy via earlychildhoodpolicy@act.gov.au.