Early Insight, Better Outcomes: How Tameside Is Transforming Early Years Transitions with StepIntoSchool

THE CHALLENGE

Transitioning from nursery or childminder settings into primary school can be a vulnerable moment in a child’s journey, especially for those with additional needs or complex home lives.

In Tameside, the system for gathering and sharing information before StepIntoSchool was inconsistent and unreliable.

This lack of integration created gaps in communication, delayed planning, and increased the risk that children would arrive at school without the support they needed in place.

“We were using Microsoft Forms. But the process was disjointed. Supporting documents were submitted separately, and there was no way to quality assure what had been sent, or even confirm if schools had received it.”

THE SOLUTION

To solve this, Tameside adopted StepIntoSchool, designed specifically to support early years transitions.

The new system provided a secure, centralised space where nurseries, childminders, and schools could easily upload, review, and update key information about each child.

From the start, Tameside was clear: every early years provider, regardless of size, should be included.

“We involved childminders as well as nurseries, because they’re doing the same work to get children school-ready. Their knowledge is vital, and it shouldn’t be excluded. – Penny Greenwood, Early Years Consultant at Tameside Council

The rollout included flexible training sessions (including twilight options), support videos, and hands-on help.

Karen from Pupil Pathways played a key role too, providing demo videos, after-hours support, and direct assistance when needed. Even with challenges such as workload pressures or digital confidence, providers were supported every step of the way.

“It’s not just about ticking boxes. This is about children feeling known, supported, and ready to thrive from day one.”

THE IMPACT

Thanks to StepIntoSchool, primary schools in Tameside now receive meaningful, timely data, often by the end of May. This gives teams weeks of valuable planning time, particularly to support SEND pupils.

Schools have been able to arrange bespoke transitions, adapt learning environments, and even tailor resources to children’s interests – like featuring dinosaurs in the classroom for one child whose passion was identified during a home visit.

Five key benefits reported by the Tameside team:

· A single, centralised space to store and review all transition information

· Flexibility to update records right up to the September start

· Stronger lines of accountability and communication between settings and schools

· Secure, GDPR-compliant transfer of sensitive data

· Better preparation for children with additional needs

Weekly follow-ups, cross-team collaboration, and enhanced communication between schools and providers all contributed to a smoother transition experience and a more confident start for the children involved.

LOOKING AHEAD

Building on this success, Tameside plans to expand access to more team members, extend StepIntoSchool’s use to nursery-to-nursery transitions, and introduce even stronger quality assurance checks.

These improvements aim to make the process even more consistent and inclusive, ensuring no child slips through the cracks.

As Penny Greenwood from Tameside Council put it, early and secure sharing of information isn’t just an administrative task, it’s what makes truly personalised transition possible.

StepIntoSchool is helping local authorities turn a previously patchy and manual process into something structured, inclusive, and genuinely child-centred.