The project START is an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership in the field of School Education running for 30 months, from September 2016 to February 2018. In line with European Commission priorities, the general objectives of the project are:- to ensure a good start in education for all children, by enhancing the quality of ECEC and by ensuring that the benefits of ECEC are carried through to other school education levels; - to support teachers to adopt new methods and tools for dealing with complex classroom realities and diversified groups of learners. In the context of the needs identified at local and transnational level by the partners involved, the project proposal aims to DEVELOP INNOVATIVE APPROCHES, METHODOLOGIES AND TOOLS FOR FACILITATING CHILDREN’S TRANSITIONS across home, ECEC services and school institutions. Within this framework, the specific objectives of the project are:1) to examine existing transition practices with different focuses at each project location in order to take into account the diversified needs of target groups in each context; 2) to involve teachers, families and local stakeholder in designing innovative practices for smoothening transitions, with special attention paid to the school success of children facing complex situations (eg. socio-economic disadvantage) and to the engagement of families at risk of social exclusion (eg. Roma);3) to increase the competence of ECEC/school professionals by involving them in action-research and experimentation projects, with the support provided by experienced researchers;4) to promote the educational innovation of ECEC and school institutions by experimenting new pedagogical approaches and educational methodologies that support children – especially those who are most at risk of school failure – in facing successfully transition processes; 5) to identify principles of good practices that could contribute to trans-national exchange and learning as well as to the improvement of educational policies at local, regional, national and EU level.The partnership consists of 10 partners - university/research/training organisations as well as ECEC/school institutions – located in 4 countries:- ERI and OS Tisina (SL),- UNIBO and DD Vignola (IT),- Pen Green Research Base, Rockingham Primary School, Studfall Junior Infant and Nursery School (UK),- VBJK, Mezennestje day care centre and Kolva kindergarden (BE).The International Step by Step Network (ISSA) and the ‘Mensen voor mensen’ poverty advocacy group are associate partners to the project. The project methodology builds on participatory action-research and on international research evidence showing that continuing professional development interventions that are integrated into professionals’ everyday practice are the most effective in enhancing educational quality and in improving children’s learning. Transnational training activities stand at the very core of the START project as they lay the foundation for the design of effective action-research and experimentation projects within ECEC/school settings and - at the same time - build a solid framework for the exchange and transferability of good practices (SUSTAINABILITY OVER TIME). The main areas of activities and outputs carried out within the project are:1) desk research pertaining early years transitions and educational continuity (Output: literature review);2) development and experimentation of innovative pedagogical approaches and educational strategies for improving transition practices in contexts of socio-cultural diversity (Outputs: 4 case studies);3) elaboration and diissemination of educational resources and training materials (Output: Training Kit);4) elaboration and dissemination of detailed guidelines contributing to the advancement of transitions practice in Europe and beyond (Output: Recommendations for policy and practice). It is expected that the project will impact at national and international level contributing to the IMPROVEMENT of EDUCATIONAL TRANSITION PRACTICES and POLICIES. Long term benefits are expected for CHILDREN, FAMILIES and LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
The analysis of target groups at each location, which were carried out preliminarily, revealed that the following critical issues should be addressed: a) Fragmentation of educational systems at different level (split ECEC systems as well as the split between pre- and primary school) produces discontinuity in pedagogical approaches and practice implemented within such institutions; b) Children are required to make great effort to adapt to a new relational and learning environment during transitions from one setting to another; c) The above mentioned has negative repercussions on children's learning and socialising experiences which, in turn, have a detrimental impact on their school achievements on the long term; d) Children belonging to vulnerable/marginalised groups are particularly at risk of experiencing negative transitions which lead to lasting relational difficulties and poor educational performance; e) Practitioners and teachers are rarely supported to develop new practices for smoothening transitions. Due to this background, general objectives of the project were: 1) To ensure a good start in education for all children, by enhancing the quality of ECEC and by ensuring that the benefits of ECEC are carried on to other school education levels; 2) To support teachers in adopting new methods and tools for dealing with complex classroom realities and diversified groups of learners. Within this framework, the specific objectives of the project were: 1) To examine the existing transition practices with different focuses at each project location in order to take into account diversified needs of target groups in each context; 2) To involve teachers, families and local stakeholder in designing innovative practices for smoothening transitions, with special attention paid to the school success of children facing complex situations (e.g. socio-economic disadvantage) and to the engagement of families at risk of social exclusion (e.g. Roma); 3) To increase the competence of ECEC/school professionals by involving them in action-research and experimentation projects, with the support provided by experienced researchers; 4) To promote educational innovation of ECEC and school institutions by experimenting new pedagogical approaches and educational methodologies that support children – especially those who are most at risk of school failure – in facing successfully transition processes; 5) To identify principles of good practices that could contribute to transnational exchange and learning as well as to the improvement of educational policies at local, regional, national and EU level. The partnership consisted of 10 partners from 4 countries - university/research/training organisations as well as ECEC/school institutions: ERI and OS Tisina (Slovenia); UNIBO and DD Vignola (Italy); Pen Green Research Base, Rockingham Primary School, Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Primary School (United Kingdom); VBJK, Mezennestje Day Care Centre and Kolva kindergarden (Belgium). At the very beginning of the project implementation, there was change in the partnership structure (Studfall Junior School has left the partnership and Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Primary School has joined the partnership). Main activities: 1) Research pertaining early years transitions and educational continuity across different settings; 2) Elaboration and experimentation of innovative pedagogical approaches and educational strategies that support children’s transitions along a continuum of learning experiences; 3) Dissemination of the project’s findings and its educational resources, both in national and international debates (practitioner’s conferences, academic and policy-making fora) contributing to the advancement of transitions practices in Europe. The results: 1) Desk research pertaining early years transitions and educational continuity (Output 1: comprehensive literature review mapping and analysing empirical studies focusing on transitions across home, early childhood settings, preschool and primary school carried out within EU Member States); 2) Development and experimentation of innovative pedagogical approaches and educational strategies for improving transition practices in contexts of socio-cultural diversity (Outputs 2, 3, 4 and 5: in-depth case studies involving research institutions along with childcare, preschool and primary school institutions at each country location); 3) Elaboration and dissemination of detailed guidelines contributing to the advancement of transitions practice in Europe and beyond (Output 6); 4) Elaboration and dissemination of educational resources and training materials (Output 7: Training Kit illustrating some methods that were used in the START professional learning communities for discussing and improving educational transition practice). The impact is mostly linked to the new pedagogical approaches, educational methodologies and practice-based research tools.