TransitionPeter Westbury, Assistant Headteacher

Holy Family Catholic High School

What makes a successful transition Sharing strategies and issues

◦ Primary liaison◦ Pre transfer◦ Start of KS3◦ Successful KS3

The wasted years

Transition KS2-3

What makes a successful transition Sharing strategies and issues

◦ Primary liaison◦ Pre transfer◦ Start of KS3◦ Successful KS3

The wasted years

Transition KS2-3

What makes a successful KS2-3 transition?

Institute of Education data analysis revealed five aspects of a successful transition. A successful transition for children involved:

◦ developing new friendships and improving their self esteem and confidence

◦ 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

What makes a successful KS2-3 transition

What makes a successful transition Sharing strategies and issues

◦ Primary liaison◦ Pre transfer◦ Start of KS3◦ Successful KS3

The wasted years

Transition KS2-3

What makes a successful KS2-3 transition? Your thoughts Biggest issues you face Experiences Paperwork

Primary liaison Pre transfer Start of KS3 Successful KS3

School event invites Workshops (eg Science, Drama) Year 5 and Year 6 days at feeder secondary school Support for Level 6 students (masterclasses?) Sports events Previous pupils visiting primary

Successful transition – Primary liaison

Your thoughts Biggest issues you face Experiences Paperwork

Meetings with Y6 teachers and other staff (eg SENCo) Taster Day (in possible new groups) Parent/student new intake evenings (chance to meet the

form tutor and Progress Leader/HOY Information pack to parents – welcome, dates, important

information and forms for completion, summer school detail, music lessons, etc.

Individual pupil information sharing – issues and concerns

Tours of school / open evenings

Successful transition – Pre transfer

Your thoughts Biggest issues you face Experiences Paperwork

Find way around Balance of form groups (using gained information) Time with form class and tutor Only year group in school for time Early lunches Team building events Year 7 yard Sept/October mini-parents evening/

‘meet the tutor’

Successful transition – Start of KS3

Your thoughts Biggest issues you face Experiences Paperwork

Early testing and correct setting Use of previous data for all teaching and pastoral staff Progress monitoring Leadership emphasis on key stage curriculum and model

structure Key Stage 3 graduation and rewards

Successful transition – Successful KS3

Your thoughts Biggest issues you face Experiences Paperwork

What makes a successful transition Sharing strategies and issues

◦ Primary liaison◦ Pre transfer◦ Start of KS3◦ Successful KS3

The wasted years

Transition KS2-3

“In his Annual Report 2013/14, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector reported that primary schools had continued to improve but the performance of secondary schools had

stalled. The report noted that one of the major contributory factors to this was that, too often, the

transition from primary to secondary school was poorly handled. Consequently, the gains made by pupils at

primary school were not embedded and developed at Key Stage 3.”

The Wasted Years

…the quality of teaching and the rate of pupils’ progress and achievement were not good enough.

…slow progress made in English and mathematics and the lack of challenge for the most able pupils.

…achievement was not good enough in just under half of the MFL classes observed, two-fifths of the history classes and one third of the geography classes.

…a serious concern given the government’s ambition for all pupils starting Year 7 in September 2015 to take the EBacc subjects when they reach their GCSEs in 2020

…lack of priority given to Key Stage 3 by many secondary school leaders …too many secondary schools did not work effectively with partner primary schools

to understand pupils’ prior learning and ensure that they built on this during Key Stage 3

…leaders prioritise the pastoral over the academic needs of pupils during transition from primary school.

…many secondary schools do not build sufficiently on pupils’ prior learning.

The Wasted Years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRmIVXo6wPM

This link is for ‘The Wasted Years’ report and findings:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-key-stage-3-curriculum-survey-2015-8-good-practice-case-studies

Other helpful links:https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/opinion-our-findings-key-stage-3-provision-are-worrying-says-ofstedhttp://www.ioe.ac.uk/successful_transition_from_primary_to_secondary_report.pdfhttp://www.education.leeds.ac.uk/research/projects/the-challenge-of-transitionhttp://www.theschoolrun.com/school-life/transition-secondary-school

Helpful Links