What makes a successful transition from Primary to Secondary School?

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Theme: Transition Page 1

What makes a successful transition from Primary to Secondary School?

Author(s): Evangelou, M., Taggart, B., Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P. and Siraj-Blatchford, I.

Publisher: DCSF, 2008, Research Report DCSF – RR019.

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR019.pdf

What is the schools’ role in a successful pupil transfer from primary

into secondary school?

Effective teaching and learning is dependent on students being settled and comfortable in their environment. So helping students successfully to transfer from primary into secondary school is important. Teachers in both primary and secondary schools have a key role to play in supporting pupils through this process.

This study explores current transition practices and highlights what helped and hindered a successful transition. Over 550 children, their families and teachers participated in the project. The research findings embraced a range of diverse elements of successful transition, from developing new friendships to continuity of the curriculum. They also included a number of practical steps which schools could take to support a successful transition.

This research will be of interest to practitioners, policy-makers and parents keen to facilitate successful pupil transfer from primary into secondary school.

Keywords: England Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Primary schools, Secondary schools, Pupils, Parents, Parent school relationship, Transition, Inclusion, Bullying, Special educational needs, Longitudinal study

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What is a ‘successful’ transition?

Most children participating in the study (84 %) felt prepared for entry to secondary school. They found it helpful when their families and teachers addressed their worries, reassured and encouraged them and explained what to expect from the secondary school experience. Out of 16 % of children who did not feel prepared for transition only 3 % were worried or nervous a term after they started secondary school.

The data analysis revealed five aspects of a successful transition. They were:

 developing new friendships and improving their self esteem and confidence once at secondary school;

 having settled so well in school life that they caused no concerns to their parents;  showing an increasing interest in school and school work;

 getting used to their new routines and school organisation with great ease;

 experiencing curriculum continuity, i.e. they found work completed in Year 6 to be very useful for the work they were doing in Year 7.

From the schools’ point of view, transition was seen as an issue of pastoral care which aimed at helping children feel secure and settled in order to enable them to fully engage in

academic work. A teacher commented: “...if a child is not happy s/he will not be able to settle, to concentrate, to absorb, to learn”. Transition was given a high priority by senior management teams, particularly in secondary schools, because they saw that the ease with which a child could settle in to secondary education was directly related to the preparation for it.

The researchers summarised the factors that characterise a successful transition for children, parents and schools as

 social adjustment (new friendships and higher self esteem);

 institutional adjustment (settling well and getting used to new routines); and  curriculum interest and continuity (being prepared for the level and style of work in

secondary school, being challenged as well as having an opportunity to build on progress at primary school).

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What can schools do to support children’s transfer from primary to

secondary school?

The research found that the children who felt supported by their schools were more likely to settle successfully. A range of strategies employed by the schools included informing the children and their parents about the new environment and the rules and procedures in their prospective secondary school through booklets and talks; allowing Year 6 children to

experience the life in secondary schools through visits, taster days and joint social events between the schools; and sharing information between the schools. Some of the effective activities the schools engaged in were:

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 taking the Year 7 pupils outside school for team-building activities for a day or a weekend during their first days in secondary school;

 constructing the first day (half-day) in the secondary school so that Year 7 pupils were (virtually) alone in the school to allow them to experience the space without older pupils crowding the halls, canteens, etc. In some schools this practice extended for weeks with the Year 7 pupils having a different timetable from the rest of the school;

 visits from secondary school teachers to the Year 6 pupils in June-July to tell them about life in a secondary school, answer their questions and get to know the children. Often secondary teachers were accompanied by Year 7 pupils who shared with the primary children their experiences and perceptions of their secondary school and the transition process;

 primary schools running an open-door policy for parents to ask questions and discuss their worries about transition, and secondary schools holding welcoming parents’ evenings during Summer and Autumn terms;

 secondary schools collecting the data about each new pupil from their primary teachers, parents and the child themselves to facilitate their transition as well as form balanced tutor/form groups.

The primary schools in the study reported that the vast majority of the transition documentation and activities was initiated by the secondary schools. However, primary schools supported the secondary schools and played their own important role when, for example they adapted the curriculum and classroom practice following the Key stage 2 exams to make it ‘more like secondary’.

All the parties involved felt that for transition to be successful it was important to share the information and give transition appropriate amount of time and support.

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What hinders successful transition?

For children, poor transition was associated with experiences of bullying, worrying about doing well or making new friends in secondary school, and about having new and different teachers for each subject.

According to local authority officers, problems during children’s transition could occur if parents did not understand the admissions process well or tried to manipulate the system. The rate of confusion and misunderstanding was higher amongst parents in urban areas where neighbouring authorities had different procedures.

The most common obstacle for a successful transition identified by schools was not to have enough information: secondary schools were anxious to collect all the relevant information about each individual child whilst primary schools wished they had a better knowledge of processes and procedures at secondary schools so that they could better inform the Year 6 children and prepare them for transition when still in primary school.

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children. However they did look forward to secondary school which helped them develop an interest in school and school work.

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How was the research carried out?

The authors of this study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of pupils and their parents of the transitional process; identify any issues and practices that either support or hinder successful transition, and shed light on the background characteristics that may lead to more positive transitions.

The findings reported here form part of a major longitudinal study investigating the influence of pre-school, primary and secondary schools in England on children’s cognitive, social and behavioural development. 550 children and their families were involved in the transition sub-study. The researchers completed interviews with the Local Authority (LA) officials, conducted a survey of children and their families, and prepared 12 case studies of pupils who experienced and reported good transition between the primary and secondary schools.

Interviews with officials in six LAs allowed the researchers to explore any regionally specific practices and views on transition.

Questionnaires sent to the children during their first term in secondary school surveyed their perceptions of transition and of any special support programmes provided by both primary and secondary schools. Another questionnaire was posted to the parents. It investigated how families chose, applied and prepared their children for secondary school.

When choosing their sample for the case studies, the researchers selected equal numbers of boys and girls; in addition the children were chosen to represent a spread of different areas and to reflect a range of socio-economic backgrounds. To collect the data for the case studies, the researchers interviewed the children and their Year 6 and Year 7 teachers who were responsible for transition.

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What are the implications?

In completing this digest the authors began to ask the following questions about implications for practitioners:

 The study found that for many children making new friends and maintaining existing relationships with their peers was one of the most important factors of a successful transition. How could you support the children in this and help them make new friends and feel included quickly? Would it be helpful to consider the relationship building aspect when, for example planning and organising group work and classroom seating arrangements?

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School leaders might like to consider some of the following implications:

 The research suggested that information exchange between all parties involved in transition is vitally important. How can you encourage your colleagues to work more closely with the teachers from local primary/secondary schools and learn about each other’s schools? Are there any networking opportunities or joint CPD activities for different phase teachers in your area?

 The report indicates that parents can either support their children’s successful transition or hinder it, depending on how informed they are about the admissions procedures and how involved they are in the transition progress. Are internet forums for parents or having an open door policy a typical feature of your school? Could you discuss with your staff different approaches to involving and informing parents?

 The research shows that bullying is a key inhibitor of a successful transition. How are the Year 6 and 7 children experiencing transition supported through your school’s anti-bullying strategy?

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Where can I find out more?

Other digests

Continuities and discontinuities at transfer

http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/themes/transition/MonJun141013352004/

Managing institutional and personal transitions – developing the work in schools

http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/themes/transition/FriMay211010222004/

The primary side of the transfer divide: heads' perceptions and pupil progress

http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/themes/transition/FriMay71503492004/

'I didn't expect that I would get tons of friends...More each day': children's experiences of friendship during the transition to school

http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/themes/early_years/WedJan141638402004/

Other research

Research of the Month (RoM) Transfer from the primary classroom http://www.gtce.org.uk/teachers/rft/trans_prim1002/

References

Galton, M.., Gray, J. and Ruddock, J (1999) The impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment. Norwich: DfEE publications.

What makes a successful transition from Primary to Secondary School?