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LEADERSHIP WITH CHARLOTTE ROWLEY Supporting learners with their next steps


In her regular column on the art of school leadership this month, CHARLOTTE ROWLEY, Deputy Headteacher at St Gregory’s Catholic Academy, looks at the ways good schools and their leaders can help manage the transition from key stage 2 to key stage 3.


I trained to be a secondary English teacher 11 years ago and moved to primary leadership just over 2 years ago. When I was Assistant Headteacher in a secondary


school, one of my responsibilities within the role was key stage 2-3 transition, working with a large number of primary schools to support the Year 6 children in their progression to Year 7. The experience as Transition Lead was invaluable and it was this which influenced my decision in moving to the primary sector. I loved the pastoral support and preparing the pupils for the next stage in their next educational journey, helping them to form new friendships, learn about new subjects and interests and most of all, learn more about themselves. Watching pupils grow into young adults and preparing them to achieve their hopes and dreams is incredibly rewarding.


Getting the transition journey right for learners is so vital. Secondary school is a huge step to take from primary and so ensuring that they are supported academically and pastorally to make this as seamless as possible is crucial. I don’t wish to keep harking back to the pandemic and COVID, but the lockdowns had a significant impact on all of us, but most of all, the mental health of our children and young people. The statistics linked to mental health disorders and pupils, even from a young age is startling and you do not have to be a psychological expert to know that any significant change in a young person’s life can be hugely detrimental to their well-being if they are not supported along the way. The social and institutional adjustments for young people can be challenging for many.


How can we develop pupils’ learning?


Transition does not and should not begin in Year 6 with a few days sampling secondary school lessons or workshops, it should start much earlier within key stage 2. Put simply, communication is key. Primary and secondary school settings collaborating and working together effectively on curriculum mapping and sequencing to ensure that those curriculum end points are secured is crucial. Also making sure that children are prepared for Year 7 and beyond, know the expectations but are also stretched and challenged to avoid repetition of their learning is invaluable and ensures that high expectations remain.


Encouraging metacognition and self-regulation strategies as early as possible is also not to be underestimated. I am always amazed when I walk into an Early Years classroom. This fierce sense of independence among young children is something that we should all be inspired by! Encouraging these strategies to foster throughout school life and encouraging children to take ownership over their learning is an excellent way of building resilience among learners and overall confidence in taking risks. It is ripples into the phases of education, the number of pupils leading their own learning will only strengthen. (The EEF have some excellent literature and research based on Metacognition.)


The logistics and new routines Whenever I ask Year 5 and 6 if they have any questions or concerns 18 www.education-today.co.uk September 2023


about secondary school, most respond by highlighting that homework is a worry and 99% of pupils ask me ‘What happens if we get lost?’ This is a genuine concern and one that we need to reassure. It is vital that children are familiar with the setting and surrounding of the school. Have they been to the school to explore? Have they watched a video tour, received pupil-friendly maps and timetables to put their mind at rest or received checklists to help and scaffold?


These simple strategies can make a huge difference and even greater if a pupil has special educational needs or is particularly anxious about the change. Some pupils need extra visits when the school is not too busy (when Year 11 have left following their GCSEs, or in a trips week when school is not quite as full may help). What information has been shared between the schools so as to make the transition processes smooth for all pupils depending on their level of need? This is something to think about.


Not being afraid of older peers


Forming positive relationships with older peers can be a real positive in the transition process. By involving older pupils (particularly the current Year 7s) in the process as tour guides, buddies and academic mentors helps with the settling in process and will help to abolish another myth of secondary pupils being frightening or intimidating. Having positive role models who can share their transition story will ease nerves and provide an extra layer of support for young people. Peer collaboration is an effective strategy of support. (Again, the EEF have a very helpful Transition Toolkit to support teachers and leaders.)


A list of simple yet effective strategies


Here are a few things that from experience, have helped pupils over the years:


• An open evening that captures the essence of the school, showcasing but also highlighting the high expectations and does not shy away from the fact that the transition will have challenges. Most of all, it captures how all children will be supported in Year 7.


• Communication with the secondaries and visits to all feeder primary schools.


• Structured taster days, but events throughout the year which enable Year 6 to visit the school and see for themselves.


• An afternoon tea event for pupils who are coming to Year 7 in low numbers or without their friends from primary school.


• Additional visits for children with SEN to help them with the step up.


• Transition days that include treasure hunts, lessons, teambuilding.


• An effective summer school programme, which is focused on developing academia to prevent dips in knowledge and academic confidence, but also trips and even residentials to provide pastoral support and forming friendships.


• Have a website of resources that parents and pupils can access to prepare them. This may include maps, sample lesson recordings, timetables, home learning, quizzes, Q and A, bespoke PSHE resources, reading lists, etc.


Overall, the simple strategies are often the best. Mostly, the key ingredients of positivity, compassion, reassurance and belief in our pupils often does the trick!


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