Starter for 5: Transition from Primary to Secondary

It might seem a little early to start thinking about this, but, if you are in the business of primary to secondary transition, there's no time like the present! Some of the strategies that I share in these articles take a little longer to implement than the usual transition activities so its worth thinking about it in advance.

I'll start this starter off with this blog post which sets out the true purpose of year 6. Not as a year of SATs prep or getting ready for secondary, but as something much more important...

The True Purpose Of Year 6: https://www.aidansevers.com/post/the-true-purpose-of-year-6

And with the above said, here's my advice to secondary schools, who really do bear the burden of making sure that transition is done really well...

One thing secondary schools can be getting on with as soon as possible, is making sure that the year 7 curriculum is the right one for pupils coming in from primary. In this blog post I outline three characteristics that can underpin a KS3 curriculum in such a way as to support those new pupils coming in:

Three Characteristics of a Supportive KS3 Curriculum: https://www.aidansevers.com/post/three-characteristics-of-a-supportive-ks3-curriculum

And then there's this: probably one of my most annoying, controversial blog posts ever. To quote it:

"We talk a lot of making sure that year 6 children are ‘secondary-ready’. But what if we’ve got that all wrong, or at least partly wrong? What if we actually need to make secondary schools ‘primary-child-ready’?"

This is the starting point and the foundation for all that I think and write about primary to secondary transition, and it is a position I arrived at when working in an all-through school where I had the opportunity to work with both KS2 and KS3 on getting the best transition possible.

Brave enough to read more? Here it is:

Making Secondary Schools Primary-Ready: https://www.aidansevers.com/post/making-secondary-schools-primary-ready

And if you've read that one, and are willing to continue challenging previous practice, try this one for size:

True Transition Begins in September: https://www.aidansevers.com/post/true-transition-begins-in-september

Here's a taster:

"September is the time to introduce the new expectations, systems and routines and the key is to be supportive in how they are introduced, following a gradual release of responsibility model. Expecting the finished article in week 1 of year 7 is unrealistic, and kindness and empathy will be required in how new year 7 children become familiar with the new expectations, systems and routines."

Ripping up the transition rulebook will most likely need a few logistical changes, too. The last of the 5 today is all about transforming the practicalities of year 7 so that it can truly be a transition year:

Transforming KS3 To Aid Transition: https://www.aidansevers.com/post/transforming-ks3-to-aid-transition

And here's a cheeky bonus if you're a TES subscriber:

5 ways to make Year 6 transition easier this year: https://www.tes.com/magazine/archived/5-ways-make-year-6-transition-easier-year

If you'd like some bespoke help with developing how you do primary to secondary school transition, here's your 3-step plan:

Drop me an email
Have a phone call with me to talk about your school
We'll work together to empower you and your staff to enhance teaching and to enrich your pupils' lives