Year 6-7 transition days

[TwigTheWonderKid]

My daughter has been offered at 1.5 hour face to face transition session in her new school, to meet her form tutor and the other chidlren who will be in her class. The school has planned for this meeting to be outside if the weather permits, or inthe school hall, if not.

Hers seems to be the only local secondary offering this, all the others are doing online sessions and her primary school isn't very happy about her returning to them after being in a different group. I'm trying to work our what is reasonable here and am just wondering what everyone else's schools are going?

[TwigTheWonderKid]

doing, not going!

[BlusteryLake]

We have not been offered this, but I would definitely let my son go if we were. I don't really understand your primary school's response, since the kids are able to mix with all sorts of other children outside of school now anyway.

[xyzandabc]

Our new school had exactly that plan. 1 tutor group at a time, so 30 students, meet each other, their form tutor and head of year in the hall for 2 hours. Keeping 2m apart.

They had to scrap it though because from a variety of sources, they were told it was unwise to burst the current primary school bubbles.

So now we have to book a 5 min slot individually to meet their form tutor and head of year and collect their uniform.

[Feenie]

I have a Y6 split into two bubbles going to six different high schools and NONE are offering transition days on site.

Blusterylake, children aren't supposed to be mixing outside their bubbles at all. You can meet in a group of 6 with 2m distancing outside.

[BlusteryLake]

@feenie yes they can mix outside their bubbles. For example, as you say, they can meet up to five other kids outside. No mention that these are from their primary school bubble, they can be any five kids.

[frustrationcentral]

Our school has arranged a 1.5 hr transition session with DS's tutor group. It's during the last week of term so our school has chosen for yr 6 to finish the Friday before so they aren't going back into school after the session

[stardance]

The head of year and a couple of teachers are visiting my sons class at school this week. They're taking induction packs and have made a video tour of the school for the children to watch. He has additional needs so he has already had a video meeting with them, along with the SENCO, which was really useful. The SENCO held a video meeting for parents too. It's such a shame they can't actually visit the school, i'm quite concerned about it, but there's not much more they can be doing.

[stardance]

Sorry should have added that if they offered an actual visit I would definitely let my son go. This is definitely a 'benefits outweigh the risks' situation for us personally.

[frustrationcentral]

I think it's really disappointing if secondary schools can't find anyway to do a socially distanced transition session, I imagine most schools have big enough playing fields etc to do something

[megletthesecond]

DD is doing the same thing for her transition. Tutor group meet outside or inside if wet weather.

Although the secondary put it back a week to after primary break up so they didn't mix "bubbles".

[BertBox]

Nothing planned for transition for my daughter's new school. We've had a 20 minute chat with a deputy head; but he's adamant no visits to the school will be taking place - I'd let her go if there were.

[Murmurur]

@BlusteryLake yes it can be any 5 kids, but they are still meant to stay 2m apart from each other aren't they? Not that they do.

OP our secondary isn't having any Y6s onsite this term at all. I think in your position it would depend on what measures they have in place to keep your child spaced out from others in their tutor. If it's just one tutor group at a time in the school hall, that should mean they are taking the spacing seriously. The classrooms have all been rearranged to allow groups of Y10s in, 2m apart, so they should have a good sense of what they can manage.

[cabbageking]

The primaries here planned 2 weeks at the secondary schools and it all looked good. Then one secondary changed their mind at the last minute and the whole thing crumbled.

[TwigTheWonderKid]

We've now had a formal letter from the primary saying chidren cannot return to school for the rest of the week after a transition meeting. As hers is in during the last week of term it means she can't go as she won't then be able to complete her last week at primary with her friends.

The problem seems to be the different interpretations of DfE guidance by the two boroughs the schools are within.

I totally get the primary's need to protect the bubbles of children and their staff but this does seem (a) arbitrary time frame for isolation (b) slightly redundant given that we could (though will not be ) letting her sit in a restaurant , or our local library for several hours this weekend whilst countless other people come and go. So frustrating!

[handmademitlove]

Our LA has said no transition visits. This is clear in the primary guidance but not mentioned in the secondary guidance. All secondaries here are doing virtual transitions, with extra days in September to do all the stuff they usually do on transition days.

[frustrationcentral]

I was half expecting our secondary to suggest transition in sept @handmademitlove

[netflixismysidehustle]

Our secondary is doing something similar. If I had a y6 child I would definitely be sending them in

[Lougle]

Our secondary have put together a virtual tour, videos of current pupils (talking about their experience of moving to the school), a set of transition activities to be completed at home or current school, and a virtual induction day. The virtual induction day is a year 6 assembly, maths, science, English and PE lessons. Then, the following week, there is a 'meet your tutor: virtual scavenger hunt.'

I expect it's taken more effort than the face to face induction would have, so I think they've done brilliantly.

[OhCrumbsWhereNow]

DD's new secondary is running transition days for the first two weeks of the summer holidays - full day of activities including treasure hunts, barbecue, sports, maths and english all in small bubble groups (hence 10 separate days being run... PAN of nearly 400).

Had an email from DD's primary school saying anyone attending a transition day cannot return to school for at least 48 hours, so appears lots of the other secondaries are doing sessions before the end of term.

[TwigTheWonderKid]

That's interesting OhCrumbsWhereNow though not sure what the significance of 48 hours is in terms of quarantine?

[frustrationcentral]

@OhCrumbsWhereNow , is that because they're thinking the secondary school won't instil social distancing? Or will be going indoors?

[OhCrumbsWhereNow]

Had a look at the email. Vast majority of DD's large primary are going to the same secondary (she's going to a different one) so it seems that they have asked the secondary to keep them in the same bubbles that they are in at primary and this secondary hasn't replied or sent the requested risk assessments.

So they've got a 48 hour quarantine process in place. No info on why 48 hours - just says as per their risk assessment.

[DuckALaurent]

We are considering 3 days transition programme in late August. Just pending feedback from parents re uptake.

[Georgielovespie]

I think the transition day is far more important than the last week of primary school with her friends. Surely all 30 of them cannot be in school.

As she knows when her transition day is she can count the day before as her last day at primary. Let's face it, this isn't how the final months of year 6 should have gone. but settling into secondary with familiar faces and meeting her teacher and being up at the secondary school is probably far better than going in blind.

Ds2's first day they had to line up on the field in front of their teacher, as he had done the traditional transition days he knew exactly what she looked like and spotted her from outside the fence so knew where he would be lining up. It made him very confident going in (only child going from his primary and knew no-one else outside school).

[GolfForBrains]

48 hour quarantine seems to defy all logic and feels more like punishment! Have you seen their risk assessment OhCrumbsWhereNow?