TS Spotlight
The Big Step to ‘Big’ School
Our Approach to the transition process - Written by Ms Thackeray Assistant Headteacher & Head of Creative and Performing Arts
When I see our grown up students walk out of our doors for the last time in Year 11 as eager young adults, I am reminded that they were once much smaller! A mixed up bag of excitement and nerves. For at the beginning of September each year, new cohorts across the country undertake possibly the most significant and daunting progression in their educational lives so far...the transition to secondary school. A school can only foster a community where students thrive if they lay the foundations of a safe, motivating, and aspirational environment. At Twickenham School our transition process starts even before Year 7 begins, and is carefully designed to help our new students make the best possible beginning to their journey with us.
So, what makes a successful transition programme and why do we do it?
The significant shift in academic experience: The academic leap from primary to secondary education often involves adjustments to the curriculum, teaching methods, and increased responsibilities. Ensuring the curriculum maps seamlessly from Key Stage 2 and provides appropriate challenge is key, and an ongoing piece of work for many schools. This ‘scaffolding up’ allows for a development of knowledge and skills as opposed to working backwards from exams and ‘teaching to the test’ approaches. From Year 5, students are invited to subject sessions and taster days to build familiarity with the specialist teaching spaces, content insights and begin to recognise the expectations of secondary academia.
The emotional impact of transition: Anxieties and uncertainties commonly experienced by students during this period can overshadow all else. Notably, changing from a single student-teacher relationship to a range of many staff members across a day requires a solid support network to capture pastoral, emotional and family engagement concerns. Our successful transition programme will introduce key people, ensure students know how they are supported and create a safety net for the future. Our structured programme offers orientation activities, school tours, and interactions with key staff, creating a supportive atmosphere that eases the apprehension of both students and their parents.
The social paradigm of transition: Establishing new friendships and navigating the social dynamics of a larger school can be daunting. Transition activities that encourage team building, group projects, and social events foster a sense of belonging, helping students form positive relationships that contribute to a supportive school community. Creating connections before school term begins provides reassurance and promotes an excitement for what’s to come; often the influencing factor for transition success.
Moving from the familiar environment of primary school to the larger, more complex setting of secondary school can be overwhelming, but a well-designed transition programme encourages collaboration between primary and secondary schools, ensuring continuity in the educational experience. Sharing information about student strengths, areas of improvement, and individual needs ensures that secondary school staff can provide tailored support from the outset. Ultimately, transition experiences set the precedent for what’s to come, how equipped students are to cope and how successful they will be. Every element of transition is designed to enable success – truly a whole school effort for a whole new school experience.
