Nursery to reception transfer record - does it matter

[DontCallMeBaby]

I was handed DD's transfer record by nursery yesterday (private day nursery, DD is 4.3 and in the pre-school room, goes to school in September). They've been good enough to note that it goes yellow-blue-green-grey, and that yellow is what you'd expect of a 3yo, green of a 5yo and grey by the end of Reception, but that's it. I don't know what a 'yellow' against 'creative development' means, for instance, and whilst I am trying desparately not to be neurotic and PFBish about the the number of yellows rather than the blues I would expect and greens I would hope for ... well, I am.

But does it matter? Is the school going to take a blind bit of notice of it, or are they going to make up their own minds about DD? I'd so much rather see something more descriptive about the kind of child she is (a little shy, too quick to quit, fiercely proud of herself when she does manage to achieve) than these colours, tbh.

I suppose I also wonder whether she's been sufficiently stimulated as well (the 'creative development' bit they could have written when she was two, for instance) but probably too late to worry about that now.

I think I need to stop being an idiot. But part of me thinks I might need to practice not being steamrollered and bamboozled by school ...

Bump now the kids are in bed?

Hi DCMB - I don't know very much about the transfer forms and how much importance schools attach to the information in them. But I agree with you that it's surprising her nursery didn't provide more descriptive information.

My DD is also starting Reception in September, and I've just had a meeting with her keyworker at playgroup. All parents were invited to have these individual meetings to discuss their child's progress in general and the transfer form in particular. The form they use there doesn't really indicate levels as such; for each heading, the keyworker had put down some observations (generally factual rather than just her opinion), and there were also three or four tickboxes per section relating to things DD can do, social skills, concentration etc.

I was asked to look over the form, raise any other points I felt were important, and there was an extra section at the end where I could add any additional information myself (eg things I felt DD particularly enjoys or is good at, or any other relevant info to her starting school). I was also asked to sign it; in fact I assumed this was a necessity, ie they couldn't send it on to the school without my consent, but perhaps it was just a courtesy? I hadn't known what to expect, but certainly left the meeting feeling happy that they were passing on accurate and useful information.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I would have thought you should at least be allowed some kind of input, especially where your opinion differs from the nursery. Could you ask to meet her keyworker to discuss the form and have some clarification about what these levels actually represent?

And please don't worry that you're being an idiot or PFBish - this is a very important step for your DD (and you!), so you don't want there to be any doubt that her new school hasn't got quite the full picture IYSWIM.

Hope this helps, let me know how you get on.

I binned ds1's last summer, the teacher asked for it on the home visit and I said I no longer had it. She did suggest I came in and had a longer visit with her to go through the compentances and where I thought he was at, I vaugly agreed and it was never mentioned again.

Message withdrawn

With ds1 (this was 3 years ago mind) my nursery said they were actively discouraged from putting anything too high by the schools, as you had to leave them "room" for improving over the rest of the foundation stage.

TBH, I know several parents that had their kids in one nursery for 3 days a week and another for the remaining 2 and their transfer docs widely differed between the two different nurseries. I can't see that the primary schools would set much store by them - it's just yet another government required form checking exercise.

Thanks all.

Teddimac, I might see if I can have a chat with someone, I do like to understand things ... on the other hand I hope the school will get a fuller picture anyway, as they provided a form for us to fill in (and for DD to draw a picture of herself on the front). That was more on the personality side of things, and oh did I agonise over that! I know if I was a teacher I'd be scrutinising those forms to spot the mad parents before they came anywhere near me!

ChasingSquirrels, I like your style.

Herbietea - I do sympathise, hence not storming in demanding to know WHY all the yellows! They have a note with this, and with previous reports, that says something like 'we can only provide feedback on those behaviours which are demonstrated at nursery, not those at home' - they must have had parents in the past going on about what their DC can do, and how can they NOT put it on the report ...

Yorkiegirl, I think you're quite right really - I shall revert to whinging about the government. Stupid meaningless colours ... oh, apart from the green for 'dispositions and attitude', that one's good, obviously ...

Anyway, sod the colours, the truth is it's a lovely nursery and it makes me cry to think of her leaving.

I think it's a very vague, very rough indication of which milestones have been met.

When dd went into Reception last year the children were grouped roughly by ability but those groups have changed round quite a lot over the year. The Reception teacher will pick up on what your dd can / can't do.

I think its basically a starting point to work from. I'm pretty sure that the children are re-assessed constantly throughout the year and by Christmas the nursery's assessment won't mean very much at all

I'm not convinced the assessment will mean a great deal by September - two months is still a long time in a 4yo's life!

Time to go and extract her from nursery for her second school visit. Last week's apparently successful visit has mutated over the week to the point where it was 'I was crying and wanted mummy*' this morning.

• I think she is fibbing, if she was telling the truth she'd have wanted daddy