School not having induction days at secondary?!

[WaitroseAldi]

Apparently the head teachers of a few of the local primary are saying they are not comfortable with sending year 6 upto secondary for two induction days. Is this what it has became?! The poor kids will have absolutely no idea what to expect come September, most of them haven’t even stepped foot into the school to look around.

It’s so sad and my Ds (autism) has not stopped worrying about it since his teacher told his class last week!

We have known for ages that transition days won’t go ahead. Last year the secondary schools had just y7 in for the first week in September so that they got to settle in.

Our school have cancelled year 6 transition as we have 20+ feeder schools but in the last week of August will have a three day summer school full of team building and ice breaker activities to meet each other which will be outside or in the sports halls / gym / canteen if weather does not allow. And then a normal transition / orientation day at the beginning of Sept without any of the other years in school. I think this will work better than a normal transition day as the students will get their timetables and meet their form tutors and actual teachers and may remember their way around site alot better than 2 days held 8 weeks before they start.

DD is also going into Yr 7 this year and her school is running something similar.

Children with additional needs will be offered additional days during the holidays to come on site and familiarise themselves with the layout but we offer this to all students regardless of year that need it.

Summer schools as an alternative to transition day seems like an excellent idea. I guess the problem will be, like all the other threads about enrichment stuff, some schools will bother and some won't. I'd like to see LEAs mandating what schools should still be doing for the wider curriculum as well as telling them what they can't do.

DD didn’t have transition day last year. The secondary school gave them a day on their own so that they could meet and see where everything is. She was anxious at first but they have settled in very well considering the circumstances. I appreciate having no transition day is challenging but most schools have staggered starting and finishing times and the year groups have formed bubbles which I can see might make keeping everyone safe more difficult. So whilst it’s not ideal they are doing what they can safely.

[quote Faffinator]@DoggyDoolittle same experiencd here year 11 and I think DD will end up staying at her crap school for sixth form cos she has no sense of what it's like anywhere else.

Virtual tours IMO are a total waste of time.[/quote]
Yes, same - current 6th form is ok, but really nothing to write home about. She has offers from three others, each with a much better reputation but all further to commute, and no close friends going... I so hoped if she was able to go and look, see the departments and some other students, it would help her make up her mind and feel excited about it.

I'd like to see LEAs mandating what schools should still be doing for the wider curriculum as well as telling them what they can't do. The problem with that is that every school has different circumstances. Summer schools have to be staffed, those staff need to be paid and also need to be available at the right time. If you have a lot of staff with holidays booked/childcare problems/health issues/etc then offering a summer school becomes much more problematic.

@Faffinator

Summer schools as an alternative to transition day seems like an excellent idea. I guess the problem will be, like all the other threads about enrichment stuff, some schools will bother and some won't. I'd like to see LEAs mandating what schools should still be doing for the wider curriculum as well as telling them what they can't do.

It’s not necessarily that some just won’t bother but it will depend on staffing. If the staff don’t volunteer, it can’t happen.

In Birmingham the council have made this decision I believe rather than the individual schools.

blameitonthecaffeine - I didn’t compare the schools, I merely stated the different arrangements. If 1 school can arrange transition then so can another. Different numbers of pupils would necessitate different arrangements but it would still be possible. The comprehensive could arrange outdoor activities but they haven’t.

It's the same here. DS is autistic too but only in year 5 so not an issue for us (let's hope things get better by next year aye). The local secondary schools aren't even holding much of an induction. I totally get we are in a pandemic but I really feel for the kids! It's so sad. If your son is anything like mine he probably likes to be fully prepared for everything in his life. Could you contact the secondary school and ask for some advice? Perhaps they can send some photos over of the school and the teachers, his form room etc? Things like this really help my son! Good luck 💕

@Howshouldibehave that's the point though

• if they are told to do it then they will have to find a way. Whether it's a day or a week yes might depend on school circumstances. But some schools need that minimum bar to be set now to erase the increasing disparity.

Same here. I can’t help but feel bitter that these are being cancelled but stadiums are full of football fans

Our senior year 7 summer school being run by outside providers think team camp something like that.
So transition day cancelled but week summer school as governments giving funding.

We are in Scotland and our primary 7s visited the high school last week for the full day. It was lovely watching them all excited in their leavers hoodies waiting for the bus.

Same here - inductions cancelled yet the bubbles (from our school and others) are mixing when they go to extra curricular activities such as scouts or taekwondo lessons. Schools having to be ultra careful in case one random parent complains rather than making sensible decisions.

[quote Faffinator]@Howshouldibehave that's the point though

• if they are told to do it then they will have to find a way. Whether it's a day or a week yes might depend on school circumstances. But some schools need that minimum bar to be set now to erase the increasing disparity.[/quote]

I find your quotes highly offensive. It's not that schools can't be bothered. We are working with more restrictions, more stress and less staff than ever.

How about I come into your work and tell you you can't be bothered when faced with massive hurdles?

@yeahdarling I teach in a sixth form college and I know for a fact that are working harder to find ways to go ahead with things than my DC secondary school is. You will note I said some schools and I also didn't say couldn't be bothered either, it is often motivated by an abundance of over caution. Fact remains that whilst some schools do and some don't, kids miss out.

Same here, a shame but I’d rather DD didn’t go and mix with hundreds of other kids right now while rates are so high. If one of them tested positive the whole lot would have to isolate. I’d be more upset if she missed her last week or two at primary as a result. Online tours and meet the teachers are planned. This year’s year 7s seem to manage just fine. Good if there are some exceptions for SEND too.

[quote Faffinator]**@yeahdarling* I teach in a sixth form college and I know for a fact that are working harder to find ways to go ahead with things than my DC secondary school is. You will note I said some schools and I also didn't say couldn't be bothered* either, it is often motivated by an abundance of over caution. Fact remains that whilst some schools do and some don't, kids miss out.[/quote]
If you work in a school you'll know that talking about 'some schools' is highly demoralising for school staff as we take it personally. Try having some empathy and think that all schools may not be able to work like yours and it's not that they haven't been trying as hard.

Its not really the same as for the current year 7 ( I have a current year 7, and one in year 6). Last year they at least started the process in the normal way, attended open evenings and open days prior to applying so they had a chance to choose a school after looking around and felt they knew where they would be going even though they weren't able to visit at the end of year 6.
This year lots of the children have never set foot in a secondary school at all, weren't really able to engage in choosing a school to apply for and have no real idea of what to expect when they get there. I'm confident they will be well supported in September and will be fine, but I think it will be an anxious summer for a lot of the children.

I didn’t have an induction day. The only concession was that we went in at 9, rest if school started at 10. We survived. These are not normal times

My dad's new school has just cancelled too
She has ASD and is quite upset about it but some schools are still going ahead.

DD not dad

@yeahdarling no I wouldn't take anyone talking about some schools personally and I don't know why you would either. I'm unhappy with my DCs own school. They have a new head and he is super cautious. I feel it would be better for the kids in that school if he was given some different guidance.

[quote Faffinator]**@yeahdarling* no I wouldn't take anyone talking about some schools* personally and I don't know why you would either. I'm unhappy with my DCs own school. They have a new head and he is super cautious. I feel it would be better for the kids in that school if he was given some different guidance.[/quote]
You don't understand why?

This past year has been horrific. Im tired of defending myself and my colleagues. Passive aggressive comments about 'some schools' doesn't help. You may be able to rise above but I cannot.

My dc has had his transition to school day cancelled. I'm absolutely gutted. But I know that his school won't have done it lightly.