The first contact between high school and Year 6 children and their families will generally be through the school prospectus. This is sent out to primary feeder schools in the October term and is often followed up with an open evening where parents and children can visit the school.
A Transition Timetable
Year 6 Students' Thoughts
A Transition Timetable - Autumn to summer, Year 6
This timetable shows the main elements of the transition process. Individual elements may be held at slightly different times in different schools.
Autumn term
September/October;
November;
- High schools send out prospectuses to primary schools and these are distributed to parents/carers.
- High school open evenings where parents and children can view the school and meet staff.
- Parents make choices and submit preference forms.
Spring term
April;
- Allocation of schools and appeals process.
- Parents’ evenings for children who have been allocated schools.
Summer term
May/June;
June/July;
High schools receive local authority lists showing which children will attend and how many will come from each feeder school.
Pupil Achievement Unit sends out transition forms. Year 6 teachers assess children and complete the forms to show academic ability and interests. Information is passed on to high schools electronically or handed over by teachers. High school teachers visit primary schools to gather profiles and meet children. Some high schools provide welcome booklets, quiz books and introductory material for pupils.
Induction days where Year 6 can familiarise themselves with the layout of the school and meet their new classmates. Around the same time there will be an open evening for parents and children
Primary schools work on issues associated with transition. They may also work on transition units
Year 6 Students Thoughts - Ideas and desires
Year 6 pupils were asked what would make transition easier for them. Here are some of their ideas:
- letting us choose friends we would like in our class.
- taking part in activities that would build our confidence and help us to be more outgoing.
- watching a video of the new school where teachers and children explained what the school was really like.
- being given clear maps of the school.
- having a buddy system.
- continuing Circle Time.
- holding after school or lunchtime clubs where we could meet other children who were going to the school.
- talking to Year 7 pupils.
- talking to other Year 6s who would be at the new school.
- accessing websites about the school.
- using a CD ROM about transition which included practical advice and confidence-building exercises.
- meeting new teachers and having them come into the primary school.
- asking teachers to think about how they speak to children and what they sound like.
- asking other pupils to be kind, helpful and friendly.
- getting more reassurance from teachers, parents and peers.
When the children were asked what they would take from their old school to high school, many named a teacher or a mentor.
A number of Year 7 and 8 pupils were interviewed and asked what they thought would improve the transition process. Their suggestions included:
- producing better maps clearly showing different floors of the school.
- giving each pupil a small laminated timetable.
- having more time to get used to the school and find their way around.
- introducing a buddy system.
- having Circle Time.
- training in confidence building and social skills.
- starting a week before the other children come back to school.
- a separate lunchtime and break time for Year 7s.
- less movement around the school for Year 7s so that children stayed together and found it easier to get to different lessons. Ideally, Year 7s would have their own block or floor of classrooms. Alternatively, teachers could come to the classroom rather than pupils moving around.
- having more Year 7 lessons in the home classroom, with the form tutor taking, for example, all humanities lessons.
