Room Transitions — EYFS Bronze

Module 1

Timing — when to move a child, and when not to

~6 min

🏠 Which bits apply to you. Modules 1 and 2 are about moving a child between rooms, so they apply at Croydon (seven rooms) and Lewisham (Tadpoles up to 2, then Frogs). At Bromley there are no rooms to move between — read Module 1 for the readiness signals, which you still need, then go straight to Module 2b, which is the Bromley version. Module 3 and the scenario apply everywhere.

The single biggest transition mistake settings make is moving a child based on their birthday rather than their readiness. A child moves rooms when they are DEVELOPMENTALLY READY, not because they turned 2 last week.

At Bromley the same readiness signals still matter — they just tell you when to change what is offered to a child rather than when to move them. A two-year-old who is ready for more is ready whether or not there is a door to walk through.

JLK typical transition windows (guidance, not gates):

Baby to toddler: around 18 months ± 3 months. Never before 15 months. Croydon only — at Lewisham the single move is Tadpoles to Frogs at around 2.
Toddler to pre-school: around 2y 9m ± 3 months. Never before 2y 6m. Croydon only.
Tadpoles to Frogs (Lewisham): around 2 years ± 3 months. The only room move a Lewisham child makes.
Pre-school to Reception: September of their 4th year (school system decides). Every site, including Bromley.

These are windows, not deadlines. Children within 3 months either side of the window are entirely normal.

Readiness signals for moving UP a room:

Consistently outgrowing the current room's resources — play looks “done” there.
Physical readiness: baby-to-toddler needs steady walking; toddler-to-pre-school needs mostly-independent toileting or good management with support.
Social readiness: seeking out older children, ready for more complex peer play.
Communication: enough language for the routines of the new room (following 2-step instructions for toddler; longer sentences and negotiation for pre-school).
Attachment to key person is secure — strong enough to weather the change.

Reasons to DELAY a transition:

Family upheaval — new baby, house move, bereavement, separation. Wait 4–6 weeks past the event.
Recent illness or hospitalisation.
Behaviour signals showing they're not settled where they are — moving them isn't the answer.
Key-person change is imminent — don't stack two major changes.
Peer separation from a strong friendship without another friend already in the new room.

Common pressure to move too early: ratios. If the baby room is over-full and the toddler room has space, there's pressure to move the eldest baby. Resist — unless they're genuinely ready. Moving an unready child creates weeks of unsettling that costs more than a few weeks of tight baby-room ratios.

Common pressure to move too late: the current key person doesn't want to let go. Understandable emotionally but not the child's needs. Manager holds the decision, gently.

I know JLK's transition windows are guidance, not calendar deadlines
I can name at least 4 readiness signals for moving up
I know the reasons to DELAY a transition — and I don't move an unready child for ratio convenience

Module 2

The JLK transition sequence — 6 weeks

~8 min

A transition at JLK is never a Monday-morning surprise. It's a 6-week structured process where the child, the family, and both rooms are prepared.

Week 6 before move — Family conversation.

Current key person and manager meet with the family.
Explain why we think the child is ready. Cite specific observations.
Introduce the target new key person by name.
Agree the transition timeline.
Ask the family what they're worried about. Address specifically.

Week 5 — New key person visits current room.

New key person comes into the current room for 20–30 minutes, sits with the child, joins their play.
Current key person introduces warmly: “This is [name] — she works in the [next room] and she's going to be your new key person.”
Photo taken to add to child's transition book.

Weeks 4–3 — Short visits to the new room.

2–3 short visits (~30 min each) with the current key person accompanying.
Visit at different times of day — morning play, snack, group time.
Child explores the new environment while feeling safe with someone familiar.
Meet the other children in the new room.

Weeks 3–2 — Longer independent visits.

2–3 longer visits (1–2 hours) without the current key person present.
Include a meal or a nap in the new room.
Current key person available to be called for if needed — but not present by default.

Week 1 — Handover.

Full formal handover meeting: current key person + new key person + manager. 20 minutes.
Cover: interests, routines, personality, family situation, EYFS statements they're working on, SEND / medical needs, family communication preferences, food likes / allergies, sleep preferences, comforters, favourite games, key friendships.
Handover written up as a “transition profile” — family gets a copy.
Current key person writes a farewell JLK Story that goes to family + is displayed in the new room.

Week of move — Warm welcome.

New room ready with the child's name at their new peg, photo on the family wall, transition profile visible.
Extra time from new key person during the first two days.
Current key person makes a “hello visit” on day 2 or 3 to reassure — but doesn't linger.
Family gets a warm text or note from the new key person at end of day 1.

Weeks 1–3 after move — Watch and support.

Increased observation. Look for signs of settling or unsettling.
Regular chat with family — how's home routine? Sleep? Appetite?
If unsettling shows — adjustments (more time from new key person, temporary return of a comforter, shorter days for a week).
If serious unsettling — discuss with manager. It is OK to return to the old room and try again later.

I know the JLK 6-week transition sequence and my role in each week
A transition includes visits IN BOTH DIRECTIONS — new key person visits child; child visits new room
Handover is a proper meeting, written up as a transition profile, shared with family

Module 2b · Bromley

Bromley — growing through one space

~5 min

Bromley is one open mixed-age space, so a child there never makes a room move. It is tempting to read that as "transitions don't apply to us". The opposite is true: the work still has to happen, it just has no door to hang itself on, and that makes it easy to skip.

In a room-based setting the move itself forces the conversation — a date, a new key person, a handover, a chat with the parents. In one space, nothing forces it. A child can drift from needing a baby's day to needing a pre-schooler's day with nobody ever stopping to say so out loud.

What replaces the room move at Bromley:

A named review at each readiness window — the same ages as the room moves elsewhere. The key person brings the child to the weekly meeting and says what is changing for them.
A deliberate change to what is offered — where they eat, where they sleep, which part of the space they start the day in, what is within reach. Write down what changed and when, the same way a move would have been recorded.
Telling the parents it has happened. Elsewhere a parent gets told "she's moving up to Frogs after half term". At Bromley the parent gets told nothing unless somebody chooses to tell them. Say it: "Amira's stopped napping in the morning and she's joining the big ones for the story — she's moved on a stage."
Key person continuity is the upside — use it. A Bromley child keeps the same key person throughout. That is a genuine advantage over a setting where they start again with a stranger every eighteen months. Say so to parents on tour, and mean it.

The risk to watch at Bromley: a child who is developmentally ready but physically still in the part of the space they have always been in, because nothing triggered the change. In a room-based setting the calendar eventually forces it. Here, only you do.

I know the readiness windows apply at Bromley too, even though nobody changes room
I will tell parents when their child has moved on a stage, even with no room move to announce
I can explain key-person continuity as a Bromley advantage, not an absence

Module 3

Family communication & the emotional side

~5 min

The child isn't the only one transitioning. Parents build strong bonds with the current key person — losing that relationship is genuinely felt. Ignoring the family's emotion around transitions damages trust even when the child settles fine.

The JLK approach to family communication during transition:

Introduce the new key person to the family in person before the child moves. Face-to-face, warm, at pickup or a booked meeting. Not just via email.
Explicitly acknowledge the current relationship. “I know how close you've become with [current key person]. That doesn't end — she's still in the setting and you'll see her every day.”
Set expectations for the first fortnight. “There might be some unsettling for the first week or two — that's completely normal. We'll be watching and we'll adjust if needed. If you notice anything at home, tell us.”
Give the new key person time to build trust. Weekly warm updates during the first month. JLK Stories continue as normal cadence.
The old key person doesn't disappear. A friendly wave, a “how are you settling in?” question in the corridor — but she's not the person to go to for handover-style updates any more.

What NOT to do:

❌ Skip the family conversation. “They'll adjust.” Both parents and children will — badly.
❌ Move a child on a Friday. Weekend break interrupts the settling rhythm.
❌ Move a child the same week as a new sibling arrives, a house move, or the day the family return from holiday.
❌ Move a child without their comforter, favourite book, or other transition object. Personal item helps.
❌ Let the two key persons fall out about “how the room does things.” Different rooms have different rhythms — that's fine. Both defer to what's best for THIS child, not the room culture.

The transition book: a small A5 spiral notebook that travels with the child. Contents: photo of child, photo of family, photo of both key persons together, favourite things list, a friendship photo, one JLK Story sample, comfort object description. Given to family at end of transition period. Some families frame these years later.

Reverse transitions — when a child is genuinely struggling in the new room, and after adjustments haven't landed, it IS OK to return to the old room for 1–2 weeks and try again. This is NOT failure — it's responsive practice. Explain warmly to family. Try again in a few weeks with a different pacing.

I introduce the new key person to the family in person, before the move
I acknowledge the current relationship explicitly, not silently
I never move a child on a Friday or on a week of major family change
I know a reverse transition is responsive practice, not failure

Scenario

“He's not settled yet”

~3 min

Amir moved from toddler to pre-school 3 weeks ago. He was assessed as ready. Since the move: he cries at drop-off (which he didn't before), naps have collapsed at pre-school, and his mum called yesterday to say he's saying “I want [old key person]” at bedtime.

Reveal JLK response

Read the situation honestly. This isn't “settling in period” anymore — it's now 3 weeks in with worsening signals. Time to act, not wait.

This week:

Warm conversation with Amir's mum. Acknowledge what she's noticed. “You're right — this isn't fully settling yet. Let's look at what would help.”
Involve the current (new) key person + previous (toddler) key person + manager. What have we noticed? What might be adjustable?
Options to try, in order:
- Old key person makes a “hello visit” to the pre-school room 3 mornings this week for 5 minutes each — scheduled and predictable.
- Shorter days for the next week (pickup at 3pm instead of 5pm).
- Comforter or transition object from home added to the pre-school room.
- Photo of Amir and old key person on his new peg.
- New key person prioritises 1:1 time with Amir the first hour of every morning for a fortnight.
If none of these lands within 1–2 weeks: consider a reverse transition. Return Amir to the toddler room for 2–3 weeks. Try the move again with different pacing later.

What you don't do: tell mum “he'll settle, give it more time”. Move Amir to a different room in the pre-school to change scenery. Add pressure by saying he “should” be settled by now. Blame it on home.

What you write up: the conversation with mum. The adjustments tried. The follow-up plan. In 2 weeks: are things better? If not, escalate to reverse transition — and normalise it as responsive, not as failure.

I read worsening signals honestly, not as “more time needed”
I consider a reverse transition without shame when adjustments haven't landed

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