The Transition Watch List

A proactive and preventative approach for transition between primary and secondary schools

At Pupil Pathways we have been consulting with schools and local authorities to find the best ways of making primary to secondary transition as smooth as possible. One constant in the discussion is the need for information to be exchanged between the three stakeholders: the primary and secondary schools and, where needed, the local authority. This is underlined by the DfE’s updated statutory guidance on ‘Working together to improve attendance’. 

With this in mind, we’re pleased to launch The Transition Watch List – a new dashboard within the Pupil Pathways platform. This has been developed in consultation with school and local authority leaders to provide a significant improvement in how secondary schools can benchmark their new Y7 pupils and use their past year Y6 attendance records to identify trends and patterns.  

Detailed attendance information for vulnerable pupils 

The Transition Watch List dashboard presents secondary school users with a list of pupils whose attendance in Y6 of primary school is of concern.  In addition to their existing pupil profile, which covers attainment, SEND and EHCP, support and any safeguarding concerns, the dashboard shows overall attendance including lates and the percentage of authorised / unauthorised absences. From there, the user can drill down to see detailed termly and weekly attendances, attendance codes and patterns, including any notes which the primary school has added to their management information system (MIS).

The attendance records and notes are made available through our integration partner Wonde. Their services allow us to move data seamlessly from the school’s MIS to SixIntoSeven and Foresight, the two main Pupil Pathway products, and keep this information up to date in the platform. Transition Watch List information is available for secondary schools to access in SixIntoSeven in June and July. The information becomes available in Foresight at the start of the new academic year so that week by week or term by term data can be compared to identify issues as the child progresses through secondary school. 

The Transition Watch List dashboard

The right information at the right time 

The quantity and quality of timely attendance information available through the dashboard is an invaluable tool for secondary schools. The accessibility of this information means that schools and local authorities no longer need to search through paper records or spreadsheets to determine which pupils are at risk of becoming persistent absentees. By removing this data-burden, the secondary school can focus on proactively putting early intervention in place for vulnerable pupils and those with additional needs.  

The Transition Watch List dashboard supports Pupil Pathways’ aim to facilitate better collaboration between schools and local authorities during transition, ensuring continuity of care for vulnerable pupils and that every child has the support in place to give them the best possible start at secondary school. To quote Dame Rachel De Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England, speaking at a panel discussion earlier this year on the topic Exploring the Links Between Attendance and Behaviour in Schools – “If we do the same, we get the same!”*. It really matters that we collectively focus on primary to secondary transition as for some children, especially those who are vulnerable, it can be an experience which can have a lasting impact on their educational futures. 

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*Dame Rachel De Souza spoke at the Schools and Academies Show in January 2024. Listen to the full panel discussion here. The contributors to the debate are Dame Rachel De Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England; Matthew Cooke, Chair, National Association of Virtual School Heads; Emma Balchin, Co-Chief Exec, National Governance Association; John Pearce, President, Association of Directors of Children’s Services; Chair, Jon Severs, Editor, TES.