Children’s School Lives Study

Initiated in 2018, the Children’s School Lives research follows 4,000 children in 189 schools through their primary years to learn, in detail, about and from their experiences. The innovative study design and mixed methods approach draw on significant expertise and experience, nationally and internationally, in longitudinal research. The study is carried out by University College Dublin’s (UCD) School of Education on behalf of the NCCA.

Report 4, Children’s School Lives: Preschool to Primary School Transition, focuses on the move from preschool to primary school. This is a significant time and event not only in the lives of the children, but also their families. The report captures the experiences of children, parents/guardians, early years educators and primary teachers. Below are some of the findings.

• Children were generally very positive, saying they liked going to school, liked their teacher and had made friends in class.
• Teachers rated social, emotional and self-care skills as most important for children starting primary school.
• Almost all parents/guardians of children in Junior Infants reported that their child had attended an early years setting prior to starting primary school.
• There is a need to strengthen the collaboration and cooperation taking place between preschools and primary schools in order to support children’s transitions from one setting to the other.

Access the report here: www.cslstudy.ie