Transforming KS3 To Aid Transition

Updated: Apr 21, 2022

In my previous role in an all-through academy as primary deputy and leader of UKS2 (a phase which didn't exist when I joined, with our first year 5 cohort moving up from year 4 the year I started) I worked with Directors of Learning from the secondary phase to plan and roll out a year 7 and 8 curriculum which takes inspiration from a primary curriculum model which makes explicit links between disciplines.

Once the curriculum began to be rolled out, I had the opportunity to observe it in action, and in doing so put together further ideas for how years 7 and 8 might be developed in the future to really aid transition between KS2 and KS3. Some of these ideas remained at proposal stage, whereas some were actioned.

Many of the proposals that I shared with the academy's senior leaders are linked to changes that were initially made because of the Covid-19 pandemic but which have gone on to have unforeseen positive consequences. Such proposals I have marked with an asterisk in the following list, although some of them were on my wishlist prior to the pandemic!

Proposed Developments for years 7 and 8

*Children remain in a year group ‘bubble’, in a specific area of the academy, with most lessons taking place in this area of the building. This is to reduce movement around the academy, reduce opportunities to see misbehaviour of other year groups and to reduce their own misbehaviour during transition.

*Children take the majority of their lessons in one classroom (PSHCE, Geography, History, English, Maths). This is to reflect the primary experience of remaining largely in one classroom and developing a familiarity with their surroundings. This classroom will also be where they spend Period 1 (P1). Lessons requiring specialist rooms and equipment will be taken in the relevant rooms e.g. music, drama, dance, PE, DT, art, science (where necessary). This is to ensure lessons in each subject can be taught properly, but also so that children do begin to experience transitioning around the secondary part of the academy.

Classroom environments developed to reflect learning across the linked curriculum e.g. use of working walls and displays and having resources and artefacts available to inspire and support learning. This is to provide visual links and reminders of current and previous learning (for both children and teachers), to celebrate good work and to further replicate the primary experience of working in a classroom environment that is designed to support and aid learning.

Classroom storage utilised to ensure that teachers have what they need to hand without having to transport lots of materials around the academy. This is to ensure teachers have what they need to hand, and so that transitions for teachers are as easy as possible.

Develop how time is spent whilst teachers transition to classrooms e.g. Do Nows for next lesson sent to previous teacher to leave on screen for children to complete in readiness for next lesson. This is to ensure that behaviour remains good during times when teachers are not present in the classroom.

Children have an advisor who also teaches a subject in their year group. This is to develop a core team of familiar staff who are not only available during P1 but who are around the KS3 bubble areas for the majority of the day with the particular purpose of developing strong relationships between children and teachers so that teachers know the children in KS3 extremely well.

Year group teams developed, meaning that particular members of staff teach a KS3 year group for the majority of their time. This is to develop a core team of familiar staff who are around the KS3 bubble areas for the majority of the day with the particular purpose of developing strong relationships between children and teachers so that teachers know the children in KS3 extremely well.

*P1 developed as time spent with advisor with one collective meeting per week during P1. This is to develop relationships between children and a key member of staff in the KS3 teaching team in to ensure that each child has a member of staff who has a holistic understanding of them, including issues relating to their SEMH needs, home circumstances, behaviour and attitude, attendance etc.

P1 time developed to incorporate review/recall from a wider range of curriculum subjects. This is to ensure that children can remember what they have learnt across a range of subjects.

PSHCE/RE curriculum developed to make further curriculum links. This is to provide a curriculum lesson where links across the subjects can explicitly be brought together at the same time as exploring some of the associated wider issues that there is not time for in other lessons.

Leadership and staffing structure of KS3 adapted to include a phase leader and necessary middle leaders to support the day-to-day running of the phase. The leadership structure will take in some aspects of the leadership of UKS2 as well, creating a middle phase. This is again to provide a dedicated team who know the children in KS3 very well in order to safeguard them in all ways as they move from KS2 to KS3.