AIBU to ask about your Y6 children and transition to secondary schools?

[Arrivederla]

Hi - just wanted to get some ideas on what parents would like to see happening around transition to secondary at this difficult time.

I work in a secondary school and have been asked to prepare some activities for Y6 children to come in on a transition day to get some idea of the school, staff, tutors etc. The school are hoping to get face to face activities going rather than just online stuff, but it's looking quite complicated as activities will have to take place outside with social distancing.

What would you like your children to be doing/would consider worthwhile? Would you be happy to send them in at all? The usual activities are mostly impossible to roll out as they involve being inside/using equipment/students being too close together.

To add to the complications other staff are doing sports and problem solving activities and I am supposed to be looking more at pastoral stuff, possibly roleplaying friendships, miming emotions etc.

Any thoughts or suggestions of what would be useful for your children very gratefully received!

Honestly the one thing DD wants to do is meet some other students. I would make stuff fun and relaxed and not too formal.
Only a few children from DDs school are moving up and she’s very scared she’s just going to be with strange kids.
One of the things her school do is a find a classroom task, like a treasure hunt, to help them learn the school. I’m not sure if you can amend it so it’s safer?

I used to tell the incoming Year 7 when I saw them as Year 6 during the Summer term that they needed to know two things only, Where to go for lunch and Where to go for a pee!

If they were worried about getting lost I told them You will get lost but we usually find you again, I still didn't know certain room numbers in another block and I get a bit lost.
The main thing is to reasure tham that everyone feels the same in a new school, including new teachers, that used to surprise them.

I would ask your Drama dept for some fun drama games that can be done outside. These are great icebreakers. I would be delighted if DS was offered any time in his school- it all seems to just be a virtual meet.

We have been told it can't happen by county.
We are having an online parent's evening and zoom meetings with our new forms.

Face to face I would have word games getting to know each other - stand in a circle and each has a number. You start with 'I am number one and my favourite thing is my dog, number 4' then number 4 says something - no use of same number.

You could do pair work and do the alphabet
A animals I like animals
B bees I hate bees etc

Obviously distances

I’d steer clear of miming emotions!
Those who don’t like “acting” - and there are a lot of them - will feel awkward and put on the spot, and a magnet for teasing comments.
Forget ANY “emotion” stuff.
Just so team building activities, even if other people are problem solving.
Nothing that risks someone looking a dick - like emotions!

agree with @Ellisandra my DS would love just to be in the school and see his new classmates. Team building, problem solving, all fab ideas. Not sure about Emotional stuff, they will be too nervous to be honest I expect.

I just want mine to spend time in the building, to feel confident about finding their way round. I want them to enjoy their summer holidays without worrying about September so this would help them. The school have sent some videos of a teacher walking around school and how to navigate which is great but not as good as being there in person.
Most of all my dc want to know what school is going to be like in September, they need a plan but nobody can give them this. They also want to practice catching the bus to school which they can't at the moment. They and their friends want as much clarity as they can get about their future.

Mine would like a tour of the most important things such as her form room, toilets, lunch hall etc and a chance to meet new classmates and teacher.

Forget ANY “emotion” stuff

that with bells on

We've had some You Tube video's introducing the teachers, pastoral leaders and one showing them looking around the school.

They also send a weekly activity park about 'unlocking the mind'.

Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate them all.

I'm not so worried about icebreakers - although thanks for all the good ideas - but more about an activity that could last about 40 minutes. The idea of "feelings" is something that is slightly being imposed from above as other staff will be doing the fun, sporty, problem solving things and this is meant to be a "pastoral" activity.

Just to clarify, the students will be in groups of about 20, and I will break them down again into groups of about 4 or 5 so hopefully the embarrassment factor won't be too high (I do take the point though).

How about some 'getting to know you' stuff like a facts about each other scavenger hunt (find the name of someone with a pet dog, etc). The shopping list memory game with their names. A team quiz about the school?

I'd keep it light and avoid the 'emotions' stuff too.

Sorry, x post about icebreakers. You could probably make a school/peers scavenger hunt plus quiz last 40 minutes. Might need careful planning if you don't want them out of sight though.

Each child put 1 worry they have about transition on a piece of paper, fold it up and put in a box. You take the worries out and discuss - in a big group or small group

Could you get some y8s to record a few video messages about how they felt and what it was like. You could show them o the small groups and use them as a, starting point for discussion. Ask them to think together about what problems they might face and how might they solve them. So it's pastoral but not too personal?

Finding his way round the place.
So, could you do a trail round the school (with map and clues?) so they actually get to wander round.
Please, no to acting, emotions, talking in front of a big group.

Thanks - some good ideas here.
HugeAckman - I like the sound of that but unfortunately we have to be outside so showing the video messages might be awkward (at least without the students getting too close together and crowding round a tablet).

It's a nightmare!

Fun, fun and did I say fun.

No stuff that is heavy/emotional/telling them to make a family tree with mums/dads etc.... I hate schools that do that - always outs people who don't live with X or Y for whatever reason rather than let them say in their own time when they are ready and if they want to!

No roleplaying!! It still terrifies me now and I'm 40!!

Go off in groups and find X room and then onto Y and make their own maps to find... in the way that they find easier to remember.

What about some sort of Bingo task? Find someone who has a sister, someone who plays football, etc

It doesn’t matter that “feelings” is being pushed from above. If your role is pastoral care, then you need to step up and advocate for the children and explain what an appropriate feelings session is, for a group of kids in this situation. It isn’t enforced acting, for example! In large or small groups.

A transition day is not the day for a nervous pupil to bare their soul - potentially showing weakness - to complete strangers who can be BRUTAL.

The point of a pastoral activity is to get the kids comfortable with each other, so if one of them is nervous, the others have started to form a bond with them so they have empathy.

@warnc007 I find that kind of session (my experience is with adults) really useful. You get people talking well with it, “have you found the hang glider yet?” It’s good fun, and very simple.

My kids love playing “2 truths 1 lie” as a way to get to know things about people.

I think the idea of the scavenger hunt is a good one. Something that allows them to explore the school. “This is where you go if you need xyz” or similar.

Anything about emotions and role play my son would struggle with, so if you have to go that route, maybe consider an alternative option.

I also like the idea above about their questions/concerns in a hat then pulling them out and discussing them.