importance of transition from primary to secondary school

While students’ interests can provide the basis for an engaging programme, knowing students’ strengths can help to shape teachers’ work in setting the appropriate level of challenge for students. disruptions of social networks, both with teachers and with peers, less individual attention from teachers at secondary school because of the way secondary schools are organised, making personalised relationships between teachers and learners more difficult to achieve, Year 9 students ‘testing the boundaries’ as part of adjusting to the new school and growing up, inappropriate classroom placements of some students in relation to their learning and/or social needs, diminishing the student’s self-concept and ability to cope well, less responsive teacher pedagogy leading to student disinterest and lack of engagement. using innovative and flexible practices that managed the complex and unique challenges related to including students with high needs. Most children will cope with these and feel accustomed to the changes by the end of the first couple of weeks. It also includes a discussion of broad, cultural features of a secondary school that help to transition all learners effectively. They begin to form positive relationships with staff. New Zealand students who are most vulnerable include Māori, Pacific, those with special education needs and those from low income families. Transition support and activities should start 12–24 months before students begin secondary school, with primary and secondary schools communicating in a handover process. Primary and secondary schools should aim to develop effective transition policies. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) estimates that of the 63 million out of school children of the primary school age globally, 34 million (54%) live in sub-Saharan Africa. Analysis of assessment, attendance, retention, stand-down and suspension data can identify students that need additional emotional or learning support, and can also explain the impact of any new transition process. Many of the most vulnerable students have typically not experienced the success they need to keep them at school. At the most inclusive schools teachers and teacher aides had developed student networks around students with high needs to promote their social inclusion in the school. There is a particular focus on their development of the key competencies from The New Zealand Curriculum. Students bring to the transition process different skills and dispositions. Journal of School Health, 87(8), 593-601. The values, ethical orientation or culture within a secondary school is fundamental to how well it welcomes and supp… In this context, engagement is defined as students’ participation and intrinsic interest in learning (Akey, 2006), as well as their feelings of self capability and enjoyment of school and learning (Gibbs and Poskitt, 2010). Teachers must have an accurate and clear understanding of what each student can do, needs to learn next, and how this new learning will be achieved. They had a sense of connectedness and a voice in determining the long-term direction of the school. They felt that engagement was enhanced when staff were approachable, accessible, and interested in them and their child. A student’s transition can be complicated by the social, emotional and physiological changes that can negatively impact on their learning. The following example is from the ERO report Careers Information and Guidance Education (ERO, 2012a). The values, ethical orientation or culture within a secondary school is fundamental to how well it welcomes and supports students. Parents liked to be well informed and have opportunities to meet a range of school personnel. Primary school educators can prepare all children for the transition – beginning in the year or years before moving schools. The former process has a procedural focus in which students and parents become familiar with the school environment, meet school personnel, and find out about aspects of the programme. In addition, the school has recently started a paired reading programme that involves Year 13 boys taking time out from a study period to read with a junior student. Students valued teachers who could connect with their world view. they belong in their new school, and are well included in school activities and programmes, they are positively connected to their peers, other students in the school, and to their teachers, their teachers know them, including their strengths, interests and learning needs, and show they are interested in them, they are understood and valued as a culturally located person, they have a sense of purpose in being at school, they have an understanding and commitment to their learning pathway through their schooling and beyond, their current learning follows on from their previous learning (the curriculum is connected and continuous) and is appropriately challenging, learning is interesting, relevant and is fun, their families have been included in decisions. Year 8 teachers have a role in this; ongoing support at secondary school as part of the health programme, including role playing; forms part of a structured programme for form meetings. In some secondary schools, ERO found enrolment and transition practices were a key part of establishing successful partnerships. One of the secondary schools in this evaluation had developed indicators to guide the evaluation and analysis of data related to Pacific students. They particularly appreciated it when teachers made learning interesting, understood and enjoyed them as teenagers, and had a sense of humour (Ministry of Education, 2010). This is followed by a phone call from the dean and tutor teacher. Some of these students may need particular health and support strategies to be working before they can become fully engaged in schooling. Students’ wellbeing and learning must be maintained as they transition from primary to secondary schools. Most schools were supported strongly by their community and had developed a clear sense of identity, including valuing and acknowledging the historical, cultural and physical aspects of the community. In Including Students with High Needs (ERO, 2010) schools were also innovative in facilitating the social context for students with high needs. A significant number of students previously disengaged from education enrol at this school. Information gathered from these students showed that many had misconceptions about secondary school life. Evidence also shows that it is crucial that students experience success in their primary schools before they come to secondary school. Transition from primary to secondary school The move to secondary school means a number of major changes for all children. . Overall, the evidence from ERO’s evaluations as well as that from wider education research suggests that leaders and teachers in contributing and receiving schools should carry out the following to support student transitions to secondary school. Teachers and leaders should: A school’s values, ethical orientation or culture are fundamental to how well it welcomes and supports students. They take stock of what is already happening that could be adapted to improve the transition experiences of students. Moving from primary school to secondary school is an exciting time of life, but for many children it can also be a daunting prospect. Bronfenbrenner's ecological model served as a theoretical framework to examine parents’ and teachers’ experiences with transitions for students with ID/ASD … Secondary Transition planning is a partnership between students with disabilities, their families, the school, higher education, training programs, employers and community service providers. It is critical that students experience seamlessness in their learning as they transition from their primary to secondary school. In the Youth 07 study, connectedness was defined in terms of students feeling that they: In their research on social connectedness and psychological wellbeing, Jose and Pryor (2010, p.30) found that the degree of belongingness, being valued, and valuing other people is predictive one year later of higher levels of wellbeing. Other research indicates that poor transitions impact on students’ wellbeing and on their achievement in the future (West et al, 2008). more structured learning, with a variety of teachers and different learning environments to get used to. looking for synergies between transitions and the school’s overall approach to promoting students health, wellbeing and learning. In our sample, Year 10 Māori and Pacific boys seemed more likely to experience decreases in performance. Students’ need to be social and to know about themselves, is met through a culturally responsive programme and a classroom culture that celebrates diversity. Such retesting can create additional anxiety and a disruption to students' learning. Students need to make positive adjustments to their new school and classes so that their wellbeing is maintained and their learning is coherent and continuous. Relationships are the most critical factor in the transition process. Students choose the combination of courses and modules that will support their future plans. Two key self-review activities can assist secondary schools to develop or improve transition processes. Also take into account the developmental needs of youngsters and phase changes … ensuring the individual student’s education plan was completed with short and longer term goals established. The critical point about knowing what students can do is that teachers can pitch new learning at a level where students experience success. Bishop et al emphasise the importance of Māori students’ culture being at the centre of interactions in the classroom so that learners “are able to make meaning of new information and ideas by building on their own prior cultural experiences and understanding” (Bishop et al, 2003, p. 201). Schools could prepare vulnerable students by actively helping them to acquire the Key Competencies through the curriculum they provide. However, the transition to secondary is too often poorly managed and teaching fails to build on the gains pupils have made in primary school. For children and young people, the most significant transitions occur when they start school, move from primary school to secondary school, and from secondary schooling to adult life. Part of knowing the student is to explore the cultural capital they have, and use their knowledge to shape the curriculum. Transitions and changes are part of everyone’s life. Further compounding the problem was that these issues were found to be more prevalent amongst lower socio-economic communities – the very communities where a learning and wellbeing-focused partnership could be most beneficial for vulnerable students. The transition from primary to secondary school is therefore an important life transition that can affect children’s attainment and wellbeing in the longer term. a sense of contribution to school and community. Careful attention to planning appropriately pitched, yet challenging learning pathways as those students progress through the school might well make a substantial difference to their desire to learn. A successful transition from primary to secondary school involves a student being able to move as seamlessly as possible to their new setting. Journal of Adolescence, 50, 31-43. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.04.003. In these classrooms the students’ cultural contexts were incorporated into teaching and learning programmes and into the classroom environment. The move from primary school to secondary school can be a very difficult time for children and young people, in particular for those with special educational needs. Notes: Transition rate measured as students with any secondary schooling as a fraction of primary school graduates. the student’s whānau, family or caregivers were involved in the development of the transition plan, there were suitable strategies for helping the student to successfully transition from AE, the exit transition included clear roles and responsibilities for those supporting the student, support from external agencies was coordinated (e.g. Findings from research carried out by the Ministry of Education, however, show that about a third of teachers had no contact with parents during the year. The table below outlines the changes ERO has observed and includes possible implications for schools’ practices. [1], Young adolescent learners are curious, motivated to achieve when challenged, and capable of critical and complex thinking. open days for Year 8 students after the seniors have left for the year; visits by deans and some teachers to the students’ Year 8 schools; encouraging students during these visits to talk about their concerns about secondary school, setting up long term social support activities such as peer support programmes e.g. For instance, Ministry of Education research indicates that while most students felt they had adjusted well after some weeks in their first year of secondary school, later in the year it became evident that these same students had experienced many ups and downs as they adjusted (Ministry of Education, 2010). Examples of good practice were evident in a further 57 percent of schools. Deans follow their year groups through from Years 9 to 13 and they know students well. Junior students share these digital records with parents and whānau at student-led conferences. For example, pupils, especially those with ASN, reported feeling concerned about the larger environment of the secondary school. Practical steps for managing social relationships and fostering a sense of connectedness. Teach students how to recognise their feelings and where to go if they feel they need help. The interests become a springboard for the curriculum, and an especially powerful way to prevent vulnerable students from disengaging. developing a whole-school approach to supporting students as they come into the school, and as they move through year levels in the school, involving students and the community in policy and practice decisions that relate to transition initiatives, incorporating transition practices into curriculum, and teaching and learning programmes. Wylie et al (2006), commenting on vulnerable students in New Zealand, state: There are signs of a growing mismatch and discontent with schools among the lower-income group, and overlapping that to some extent, among attending low-decile schools. Leaders are typically important in introducing a culture that accepts responsibility for meeting student needs and developing flexible and innovative responses to all students’ learning and wellbeing. The transition to secondary school often involves experiencing differences in the physical environment of the school. ERO suggests there is a close link between The New Zealand Curriculum principlesCultural Diversity and Inclusion. Both require teachers to value students as individuals and celebrate the diversity that students bring. Teachers and deans are the best placed to monitor the progress of individual students. The monitoring of individual students is especially important in the case of vulnerable students, including those who have Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and those who have been identified as potentially disengaging from learning. Neal, S., Rice, F., Ng-Knight, T., Riglin, L., & Frederickson, N. (2016). Secondly, the school can consider how well they are ensuring each student experiences a successful transition through their strategic self review using Year 9 and school-wide data. Dashed line indicates mean county transition rate. Young people who experience a positive transition into their new school are more likely to: This positive start can make a big difference to young people’s school engagement, learning and wellbeing. Children often have strong feelings about moving into secondary school. They are involved in forming and questioning their identities on many different levels. This progress is recorded on digital learning logs. The Headteacher writes to all Year 6 parents in September to explain the process of applying to a secondary school. In Including Students with High Needs(ERO, 2010a), ERO identified the following practices as effective in transitioning students into a primary school. These procedures are based on an assumption about the period of time students will take to settle into their new schools. At Years 9 and 10 there is a broader approach and the plan becomes more focused and specific as students move through Years 11, 12 and 13. Pereira and Pooley’s study noted that adolescent social relationships were a key area of focus for students and were ‘a long term adjustment issue’ (Pereira and Pooley, 2007, p166). Giving families suggestions for how they can support and develop their child’s social and emotional skills, coping and help-seeking strategies can also be helpful. There was also a lack of attention to providing students with programmes that aligned to the assessment information gathered. Some secondary schools established and sustained partnerships with parents, whanau and families through staff being accessible, personal contact, special events and celebrations, and community meetings and activities. The remaining 25 percent represent other ethnic backgrounds. Catholic Education Commission of Victoria. Research shows that primary school educators are good at identifying which students are likely to encounter difficulties with the transition to secondary school. Students with a history of poor success and social difficulty are at great risk of disengagement from learning and subsequent lower achievement levels. Students are interested in learning when the curriculum connects to their prior achievement, is relevant, and they can learn something new and exciting (or in an exciting new way). Disappointingly, teachers were “more likely to have had infrequent contact with the parents of low achieving students” (Ministry of Education, 2010, p.114). Practical steps for building relations with parents and communities, and to facilitate students’ transition into secondary school include: Transitions are more successful when students’ learning is seamless as they move from primary to secondary schools. Negotiating the transition from primary to secondary school - Perceptions of pupils, parents and teachers. Young adolescent learners mature at varying rates and go through rapid and irregular physical growth, with bodily changes that can cause awkward and uncoordinated movements. For a smooth transition, the teacher plays a critical role (Coffey 2013; Topping 2011) and sharing information concerning the child is valuable to support transitions (Chedzoy and Burden 2005; Green 1997). 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