What actually is year six transition?

[LisaSimpsonsbff]

This is going to sound like I'm being goady about either the government decision on year groups to prioritise or about parents' concerns about their children missing out - I promise I'm not trying to be either. I just keep seeing all these things about primary transition and how vital this is and I genuinely have no memory of any of this, and my child isn't old enough, so was wondering what they actually do?

Usually there are visits to the secondary school they are going to. They meet teachers, some of the children coming from different primaries, learn to navigate round the (much bigger) school etc. They might do some problem solving group work, like making a parachute for an egg, to encourage them to get to know each other better.

I know one secondary school, fairly near me, where the year 6 children attend for the whole of the last half of the Summer term.

None of that is likely to happen this year but I think some primaries are trying to do some preparation when they go back.

At schools I've worked in it tends to be a one-day visit to meet their tutor group, perhaps have a tour. That's all. Nothing that can't be done in September unless there are specific needs.

We're in a 3 tier system, so transition years are year 4 and year 8. Not that anyone is taking that into account (shrug).

The year 4s last year had several visit days to middle school, and were visited at their school by their new class teachers and some of the current year 5s. It did help DS to feel less worried about starting a new, much larger school, and we were able to iron out a class allocation issue that would have caused a problem otherwise.

Apart from the secondary school visits, the year 6 teachers do a lot of work with the children to get them ready for secondary school.
There is a focus on PSHE, dealing with conflict, issues that may be worrying children, mental health, etc.
More independence and responsibilities around the school is given in the form of jobs.
Sometimes there are visits from local police / youth organisations to talk to the children about things to look out for and avoid, such as gang culture, anti social behaviour, carrying knives, etc.
And of course the fun things like end of year productions, residential trips, leavers assemblies.

Mine consisted of spending couple days at new secondary school , meeting new teachers as one or two would visit primary school , finding out who was in their new class etc
For some children this is a huge step as some may be in very small primaries suddenly going up to a much larger schools

@SallyLovesCheese your schools aren't very well prepared then as mine left several years ago and it was much more comprehensive than that and all secondary schools have great links with their feeder schools as such

Also as you work in schools you must know for some children this is a huge step up

There were loads of transition events/plans for mine when they went up. They had various days over at secondary and then a couple of days away with their new secondary school class in July.

No visits here (they do a transition day as the 1st school day in September).

Teachers from the local secondary come in to talk to the children.

General "growing up" themes are introduced such as coping with bullying, finding your way around, learning to organise yourself, making new friends etc.

I think (as parent of a Year 11 who's missed out on this and looks rather bereft) that being able to draw a line under primary school, say goodbye and move on is very important. Some children will be itching to go and will be happy to walk away without a backward glance, others will want to be able to finish primary school feeling that it is "finished" and they are now on to the next stage.

Ok, thank you - I definitely don't remember any of this so it's interesting to hear about. Thinking about it I suppose it was a bit of an odd situation in my school because we were an 11+ area so two of us were going to a different school than the others and that was a bit of an awkward/tense thing anyway, so I don't know whether they'd still handle it differently and perhaps make less of a big deal out of it in that area?

If you'd have asked me last year at May half term whether my DD was ready for secondary, I'd have said no.

But the amazing events, workshops, sessions and visits laid on by Y6 (primary) and Y7 (secondary) teams helped grow her confidence, independence and eagerness for the next huge change in her life.

She loved every minute.

She was comfortable saying goodbye to a school and friends she'd known for 7 of her 11 years and was less nervous about being a small fish in a huge pond.

In Scotland this is the P7 transition. Our kids are missing a week long residential (that builds confidence, independence and team work with kids other than their friend group), several half day themed events at the high school (maths and sport) plus 2 days in the school (but with their primary teachers there). Plus they do work on PSE to prepare that can't be done remotely and other visit/enterprise events. Transitions are so important and I'm incredibly sad that my DS is missing all of this. Same goes for nursery to primary kids and the S6s who've missed their end of school experiences.

The government has not been clear enough that this is a data driven decision to do witb a drop off in attainment from year 6 to 7, especially for certain groups. All the years going back are driven by assessment focused, sociological reasons to do with attainment gaps.

They expect these year 6s to be getting intense maths and English in the newly available time.
fluffy, I am 3 tier, too.It makes next to no sense to do the same thing!!

That's really interesting, @Piggywaspushed - I've seen lots of discussion about attainment gaps among the youngest as a reason they were going back, but I've never seen that discussed in relation to year 6, only ever as being about 'transition' (which is why I was wondering quite what that meant)

My dd did two lots as she was going to a different secondary from most people so she went on both. One was a two day solving a murder extravaganza where all of the lessons were focused around this one event, all of the children from all of the feeder primaries went on the same day and they mixed them all up so she got to talk to different kids and saw that they were all just children and there was nothing to be worried about.

At the other one she did two days of ordinary lessons in all of the subjects. PE, library, dance-the lot. They set their fingerprints up for,the canteen and they were taught how to use the system so they didn't have to worry about that when they started and they found out what house they were in.

I don't know why I wondered about what they do in grammar areas on MN, since I'm married to a grammar school teacher... He looked at me blankly and said 'of course we don't do anything in the summer, they come from primary schools scattered over half the county, organising a day would be a nightmare. They come in a day early in September'. So now I know!

It's squirrelled away in the current guidance. It says (I paraphrase!)

'They aren't going to be doing any fun stuff so teachers are freed up to deliver the stuff that matters most in all that lovely non fun time so there will be no gaps because they have nothing to do with wider society at all.'

Spot my despair!

@LisaSimpsonsbff DS is going to a grammar school this year. His school do usually do a visit day with half the forms going on on one day and half on the other. I don’t think this will happen this year. Someone comes in from all the high schools at separate times to speak to the children. This MAY be able to happen for DS as there are only 3 boys going to the boys grammar and one girl going to the girls’ but the majority are going to one (non local) high school so they might not be able to visit unless they do the talk outside perhaps.

There’s usually a lot of PSHE, they do their sex education and Bike ability. The school nurse does the sex education so may not be able to come in and there’s no way bike ability will happen. Apparent from that it’s a lot of sports, project work (although DS has done this as part of his remote learning) and end of primary things.

It’s interesting that @Piggywaspushed says they’ll be focussing on Maths and English. DS is now working on the year 8 Maths curriculum so I doubt he would benefit from intensive Maths tuition although if he could be taught how to spell that would be great 🙈. He’s loving using Oak Academy to access high school schools science lessons too, which he won’t have time to do if he goes back to school.

I’d rather his place be left for someone who has not been able to learn remotely or who needs intensive catch up sessions.

It's a rite of passage. They have a leaving assembly where the head teacher gives out awards, the signing of shirts etc it's all important for the children to mark these events in their lives before heading into the next chapter.

The grammars in my area open for a week and do lessons on a “fun” topic (parents pay for it, not sure what happens if you can’t). They also do a weekend camp in the first few weeks of September.

strugglingwithdeciding

As I said, those with specific needs may need a proper transition. But most pupils are fine without lots. My first teaching school was a one-form entry with most pupils going on to the big local secondary (over 1,800 pupils) and they coped fine with an evening tutor group meeting with parents in July, then going back just Years 7 and 12 for a day in September before the rest of the school.

The reason there's a big push on PSHE etc. in Summer 2 is because these subjects tend to get put to one side because of SATs.

I wonder if they'll actually get much if any transition this year??

I’ve had a letter from DS’s school telling us the usual transition days are cancelled. He’s not bothered particularly as his older brother is there so he’s been to a few open days and parents evenings as I’m a single mother and he always tags along.