In Australia, as in many parts of the world, early childhood education has become the subject of much scrutiny, generating a great deal of attention in research, policy and practice. With increasing focus on global economic competitiveness, many nations are looking to early childhood education as a site for enhanced future performance – both for individuals and economies. Within this, there is recognition of the importance of a positive start to school as an indicator of future engagement with school and later educational success. Recent international attention to the transition to school – as reflected in the OECD Starting Strong V and in moves for ‘baby PISA’ – locate the transition to school on national and international education agendas.
Transition to school is understood and applied in many different ways, reflecting different theoretical positions, approaches to policy, educational contexts, applications and expectations. Some positions highlight the role of readiness and adjustment, others detail transitions processes. Still others question the timing of transitions and the role of continuity, change and disruption in educational transitions. This presentation will focus on a number of shifts in conceptualisations of transition and tensions arising from these for those involved in the transition to school.  Reference to different theoretical models highlights issues such as the timing of transition, stakeholders in transition, the image(s) of children experiencing transition, markers of effective transitions and the role of readiness within transition.  Efforts to reposition transition to school, for example through the Transition to School: Position Statement, will be discussed. This statement resulted from collaboration between researchers, policy-makers and educators. It characterised the transition to school as a dynamic process, involving multiple stakeholders using the four pillars: opportunities, expectations, aspirations and entitlements.