A PILOT scheme to help children get settled into "big school" is to be trialled in York, the Department for Education and Schools (DfES) has announced.

Council chiefs said York's "excellent record in developing services for children in the early years" had been acknowledged after the DfES selected the city to run a project helping children moving from pre-school.

The scheme aims to help youngsters at what is considered a difficult time as pre-schoolers suddenly try to adjust to a way of life very different from anything they have previously known.

A large number of delegates from education authorities across Yorkshire and the Humber gathered at York Racecourse this month to share ideas and hear key speakers on the issue. The From Babygrow To Uniform event aimed to provide local education authorities with a chance to hear educationalists at the "cutting edge" of transitional developments.

Delegates were also encouraged to reflect on their own practices and identify the steps for further development.

Different approaches to helping young children move to new schools were also on display.

Coun Carol Runciman, City of York Council's education chief, said: "York has a lot of expertise in this field and has led the way in many new developments. The conference gave us a chance to showcase what we are doing and learn from the work in other authorities."

Event organiser, Jane Golightly, of City of York Council, said: "Between birth and six years children go through a number of major transitions.

"The pilot scheme is very much about examining and highlighting good practice in terms of easing children through these transitions and the event was an opportunity to showcase some of the techniques being used."

Updated: 10:50 Thursday, November 17, 2005