There’s hardly a dry eye in the hall as each graduate takes to the stage in their bright blue caps and gowns to receive their scrolls. Rather than this being the culmination of a university degree, it’s three- and four-year-olds celebrating the transition from nursery to school and a scene that is increasingly being replayed in nurseries around the UK.
Lexden Lodge Kindergarten in Colchester, Essex, has been holding these formal graduation ceremonies for the past five years and has even bought mortarboards and gowns for the children to wear as they parade in front of their parents and pose for the professional photographer.
‘It was a wonderful surprise for the parents the first year that we did it because they weren’t expecting the children to be all dressed up,’ says principal Mahila Samarbakhsh. ‘They look so grown-up in their gowns and everyone is always very emotional.’
The graduation ceremony at West Lea Park Day Nursery in Leeds is a highlight of the nursery calendar and receives great attendance from parents. Deputy head Dawn McGregor-Vaughan says it is a good way to celebrate the end of an era for children, parents and staff. ‘The children get a buzz out of it because they’re all dressed up in their caps and gowns and they get lots of applause,’ she says. ‘Not all the children will go to university, so this is a bit of fun for them – although washing all the gowns after the celebration is a mammoth task!’
GROWING POPULARITY
While the term ‘graduation’ officially denotes the awarding of university degrees, these ceremonies became popular in early years settings in the US in the 1990s and are growing in popularity here. John Marston, MD and founder of Marston Robing, began selling children’s gowns and hats – which cost £18 a set – in 2008 in the UK. Mr Marston believes their popularity lies in the enjoyment of attending the ceremony, with the caps and gowns making it ‘distinctive and special’. He adds, ‘These are events that crystallise those hopes for the future that one has for one’s children.’
While many nurseries are keen to adopt the American tradition, some shun the commercial side and choose to make the outfits themselves, including Chantreyland Children’s Nursery in Sheffield.
‘We have never bought or hired clothing and wouldn’t move on to it,’ says director Roger Bell. ‘We see it as a fun activity that the children should be fully involved in. They enjoy decorating the mortarboards and have ownership of the event. I expect a significant proportion of our children will go on to university and it may even help to prepare them for their university graduation ceremony.’
DAUNTING AND SCARY?
Although nurseries holding graduation ceremonies regard them as fun and celebratory, consultant clinical psychologist Emma Citron cautions that some children may find the event daunting or scary and questions whether they are appropriate for the early years.
‘It can be emotionally burdensome and gives the wrong messages of what nursery is about. It is not about succeeding academically like getting a degree but about making friendships, sharing, being kind and understanding basic concepts. Above all nursery is about fun,’ she says. ‘While moving to school is an important transition to mark, it should be done without feeding into a culture of academic expectation and performance.’ She suggests celebrating the transition by planting a tree or holding a tea party for parents instead.
Steph Atherton, director of Graduation Station, which sells children’s graduation caps, gowns and gifts, argues the ceremonies are not intended to put pressure on the children or undermine the serious achievement of university graduation.
‘Nurseries embrace the theme in different ways. They hold parties with parents present, party food, moments on the stage signing songs, talking of what the children would like to be when they grow up and all in their full bright-coloured gown, cap, year tag and tassel,’ she says.
‘Other settings choose lower-key events where the children have a chance to dress up and have a picture taken. A key message some of the nurseries use is the importance of always trying your best and who knows what you can achieve.’
At Chantreyland the ‘graduation’ is combined with a family summer garden party, while families at A Step Ahead nursery near Horsham, Sussex, are invited to a ‘passing out ceremony’ in the grounds of a local hotel complete with exploring the kitchen garden, bear hunt and parachute games. Head of operations Lorraine Brown says, ‘It’s not only about the children saying goodbye to nursery but for the team to say farewell also as we have been such a big part of their journey through nursery.’
Stockton Stepping Stones in Warwickshire holds an informal ten-minute ceremony followed by a family picnic. The nursery is on a school site and the Reception teacher and head are invited to mingle with the families. ‘The event is all about celebrating what the children have achieved and marking a new part of their lives, very much like university graduations. The parents and children are always excited about the event and enjoy being part of it,’ says manager Louisa Faulkner.
ALTERNATIVES
Early years consultant and author Anne O’Connor doubts that graduation ceremonies support children’s well-being during the transition to school and questions whether they even make sense to the children participating. ‘I do however feel there is a place for low-key, child-focused celebration that acknowledges the move into – not “up” – to school,’ she says.
‘Settings can present children, and their families, with their learning journeys or similar portfolios that contain observations, photos and drawings from their time in the EYFS. These are documents that I know from experience families and children enjoy looking at together long after the children have left the setting and are a tangible acknowledgement of the child’s growth and progress as they transition from one stage into another.’
This is an approach embraced by Kendal Nursery School in Cumbria, where children are presented with their special books compiled during their time at nursery. ‘The children are justifiably very proud of the books and we encourage the parents to show them to their child’s Reception teacher as a good way to get to know the child,’ says head teacher Veronica Broyd. ‘We would rather do something that is relevant to our community, children and our families rather than an American-style celebration. It is nice to mark the rite of passage, but how relevant is a big graduation with funny hats for three- and four-year-olds? It’s more relevant for the parents.’
School-leavers from Red Hen Day Nursery in Louth, Lincolnshire, and their parents are invited to a party on the farm where the nursery is based. These often culminate in a treasure hunt with children working out how to get a box of treasure – aptly, Little Red Hen story books – floating in a boat in the middle of a pond.
Manager Julie Thompson says, ‘There’s awe and wonder as they open the box of books and they also get given their learning journeys. It’s a fun event but also quite sad because some of the children have been with us since they were babies. We want the celebration to encompass the nursery’s ethos and vision, and there is so much on the farm to do that is ours, not an American celebration.’
LOWER-KEY
Kintore Way Nursery School and Children’s Centre in Bermondsey, London, has consciously moved away from a graduation event, favouring holding a number of small leavers’ ceremonies over a few days for around 20 children and parents.
‘The children used to make paper graduation hats but we’ve stopped doing “conveyor belt art” because it’s not meaningful for them,’ explains head teacher Rebecca Sherwood. ‘I’d prefer to leave the graduation ceremony for university, but parents do like the photos so we take pictures of the children wearing a cap and gown during continuous provision.’
Children are grouped with those with whom they will be moving to school and are invited onto the stage to say something in the microphone if they wish. ‘It’s great to see how their characters have developed, and some really come into their own when they’re given the microphone,’ says Ms Sherwood.
‘They often say what they’ve enjoyed at nursery or what they are looking forward to at school, but there are surprises. One ceremony turned into a Frozen sing-off with girls wanting to sing “Let it go”. One boy was asked if he’d come back to visit and shouted “No way!” They are relaxed events with lots of laughs.’
MORE INFORMATION
www.graduationattire.co.uk
www.graduationstation.co.uk
www.marstonrobing.com
