It then goes about identifying that there is a dip in performance between KS2 and KS3. It comes short of stating that this is 'educational reverse' but instead states “some children cease to make progress in Year 7 rather than falling behind”
The main points identified are:
- Transition does not affect every pupil adversely – the problem is far greater within low income and disadvantaged backgrounds
- The social diversity within high school rapidly enables bondings of like-minded pupils, enabling the formation of troublesome groups early on
- Many pupils have difficulty in adapting to the learning methods in secondary school – In science in particular; the pupils have misconceptions about how exciting the content will be and are ultimately disappointed.
- For brighter pupils there is a suggestion that many of the things done in year 7 are a repitition of many of the skills they have already mastered in primary school.
- The suggestion that secondary teachers see their role differently – one of “breaking in” the pupils rather than a continuation of their previous work.
A number of solutions are also offered:
- One solution suggested is to give pupils more advice on the pursuit of their own learning in secondary school. This can be achieved through the use of induction programmes and teaching exchanges.
- Greater use of ICT and integrated learning aimed at ridging the learning gap between the two phases
- Greater research into the area is also proposed, particularly with reference to inclusion and teachers strategies for dealing with it.
- Whole school initiatives to find different ways to talk to year 7 pupils and perhaps give them a timetabled space to explore control over their own learning.
The article then goes on to summarise specific subject approaches which need to be looked at, notably:
Science faculties should make attempts to deliver their content in a more interesting way.
English departments tend to have “an overemphasis on imagination and reading” with little emphasis on structured development.
The article has confirmed my belief that students find the content of their lessons in high school disappointing, especially with respect to my own subject area – science.
It also confirmed my assumption that secondary teachers adopt the 'breaking in' strategy mentioned previously.
Summary of: ESTYN – Aiming for excellence in KS3
Moving On....Effective Transition from KS2 to KS3
This document is intended as a guidance and support document for schools and LEA's in Wales.
It focuses on current best practice in schools and LEA's in helping their pupils better manage the primary – secondary transition and also lists how primary and secondary schools along with LEA's are working together to improve continuity during transition.
Most schools need to raise standards in their transition processes to ensure good continuity.
Most of the schools and LEA's seen have good programmes and plans in place to tackle these issues, a few do not.
All schools agree that transition is the key area in the drive to raise standards at KS3
There are 3 main areas of research:
- Improving continuity in teaching and learning – Classroom observation from either side of the transition is thought to be one of the most effective starting points.
Also, while most schools are trying hard to improve the quality of transition, very few attempt to measure the success of their strategies.
The best secondary schools develop literacy and numeracy strategies across the whole curriculum to build on good work previously done in primary schools.
LEA's have been noted to be very supportive in helping schools to achieve these goals.
- Meeting the needs of learners – The treatment of pupils with individual needs, particularly SEN pupils, has improved.
Many schools have now introduced continuity projects with the secondary schools in order to enthuse pupils so that they look forward more to continuing the work in the secondary school.
Some secondary schools have given year 7 form tutors more responsibility to help the pupils manage the transition more effectively.
- Use of data and information – More information is being shared between the two schools to help the secondary schools better manage their expectations of the likely attainment of Year 7 pupils.
Arrangements for the receipt of such data need to be improved, much of it still arrives too late to be useful.
Some LEA's provide good systems to track pupil attainment over the transition.
Overall the report provides interesting information on how widespread each practice is.
The report challenged my views that not enough was being done to improve transition in England and Wales
The report also reaffirmed my belief in a number of strategies, particularly cross transition projects and teacher observation.
The Policies of School X on Transition
School X is a comprehensive school in the Vale of Glamorgan consisting of 1500 pupils and 90 staff.
In recent years, the school has undergone many changes in its treatment of the KS2 to KS3 transition, including the appointment of a Transition coordinator (Transco for short)
The schools stated aims for transition are:
To prevent the dip in attainment between KS2 and KS3
To fill in 'dead time' post SATs
To address concerns about patronising literacy and numeracy
School X draws from as many as 19 feeder schools, only four of which are exclusive to the school, this leads to an early aggressive marketing policy, first targeting primary pupils from year 5 before any choices for secondary school have been made.
During the pupils’ year 6 courses, a number of activities are put on in order to ease the transition process and the fears of the pupils.
The three main events are two primary days and a year 6 parents evening.
The Year 6 parents evening is held at School X and is an opportunity for parents to discuss any problems they have with senior members of staff.
Potential form groupings are also discussed and the parents can raise any issues they have with them and provide their own input.
At the first primary day, the pupils are given 3 'real' lessons in an otherwise empty school. The main purpose of the day is to get them used to the layout of the school.
The second primary day consists of four lessons following the pupils’ real timetable for the following year. The pupils are organised into their potential form classes for these lessons.
Data is passed on in March regarding friendship and attainment groups in order to spot any potential problems early on.
There are many visits to each of the feeder schools by the Transco in order to give the pupils in these schools an opportunity to ask any questions and hopefully have some of those fears allayed. Year 7 pupils are also invited to attend on these visits to talk about their experiences with transition.
Heads of department are also dispatched to various feeder schools to gain an insight into the methods of learning at KS2 and to better understand what the students are capable of.
Transition projects are also undertaken in English, Mathematics and Welsh although with some of the feeder schools it is problematic due to them supplying more than one secondary school.
School X itself has also undergone some changes in respect to how year 7 is handled.
The entire English staff have been drafted into being Year 7 form tutors, also teaching their respective form English.
The rationale behind this is threefold, firstly to focus on literacy from the outset of KS3, secondly to give each Year 7 class an extended pastoral figure (8 hours per week,) and thirdly to create a single area within the school for Year 7
The English department have also been instrumental in bridging the gap in learning methods, using many of the methods used at KS2, trays, mini whiteboards etc..
The scheme of work for Year 7 has also recently undertaken a revamp in order to focus on so called ' key skills'
These skills involve levels in study skills, working with others and other disciplines in order to let pupils gain more responsibility and control over their own learning.
Finally, after a certain amount of time in year 7, School X sends back progress reports on the years intake in order to reflect on the successes and failures of that years transition and to build good KS2 – KS3 staff relationships.
The policies of school X seem to tackle all the recognised problems with transition and also go further than much of the reviewed literature suggests.
Huggins and Knight pointed out that one of the main problems in transition was the difference in pedagogies between the two key stages.
School X's policy attempts to bridge this gap by dispatching key members of staff to feeder schools in order to gain an insight into the methods used at KS2
Also, the English department’s attempts to bridge the gap in learning methods themselves represent significant innovation and progress in this area.
Another point in the Huggins and Knight article is the difference in opinions in the interpretation of national curriculum levels.
School X tackles this by the regular visits by key staff to the feeder schools – the relationships formed by this process can only be beneficial in bridging the opinions on assessment.
The “Moving up to Big School” article makes the point that many pupils suffer from either under or over stimulus in their mixed ability classes in year 7 leading to discipline problems.
School X attempts to tackle this by having well mixed groups of pupil supporting each other in class. It should be noted however that this is not a result of policy, rather down to professionalism of individual teachers.
The other point made is that children from disadvantaged backgrounds suffer much more from transition than other pupils.
By focussing on literacy in year 7, School X's policy targets a problem that according to most research data is much more prevalent in disadvantaged pupils.
The Estyn document makes a number of suggestions and observations of best practice in secondary schools.
School X appears to go over and above the recommendations outlined in the document.
School X makes good use of best practice involving the visits of KS3 staff to feeder schools although the converse does not appear to be the case.
The redesigning of the scheme of work in Year 7 in order to focus on key skills, giving pupils control over their own learning was one of the key recommendations in the Estyn document and is well implemented in School X
The reshaping of the pastoral system around Year 7 pupils is not identified by the Estyn document and seems to one of the ways in which School X is finding new ways to make life easier for the new intake.
In conclusion, the policies of School X deal with all the problems outlined in my reviewed literature. The school has also implemented other policies not mentioned in literature which seem to have a very positive affect on the year 7 pupils.
Overall I feel that the vast majority of pupils in School X enter the school with much greater confidence and anticipation that perhaps may have been the case in the past.
Contrary to what much of the literature says, there does not seem to be much of an overlap in work across the key stages and the pupils self esteem appears to remain intact.
In recent years curriculum links between the schools have been established and have grown, giving much benefit to the School X in its preparation for the new intake.
I can only hope that other schools are equally proactive in their attitude towards KS2-KS3 transition and that government continues to publish best practice documents aimed at raising standards in this area.
Bibliography
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Managing Schools Today Analysis (1999). “Moving up to Big School” Managing Schools Today, 9(2), pp8-10
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COLE, M. (1999) Professional Issues for Teachers and Student Teachers. London:David Fulton Publishers.
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LUCEY, H. & REAY, D.(2000) “Identities in Transition:anxiety and excitement in the move to secondary school”. Oxford Review of Education, 26(2), pp191-205
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DILLON, J. & McGUIRE, M. (Eds.) (1997) Becoming a Secondary Teacher: Issues in Secondary Teaching. Buckingham: Open University Press.
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HUGGINS, M. & KNIGHT, P.(1997) Curriculum Contimuity and Transfer from Primary to Secondary School: The Case of History. Educational Studies, Volume 23, (3), 333-348
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THOMAS, G. & LOWDEN, K. (2000) “Continuity and Progression in the National Curriculum for Wales”. The Welsh Journal of Education, 9(2), pp 18-33
- ESTYN. “Aiming for excellence in KS3”
Moving On....Effective Transition from KS2 to KS3
