On-Demand Webinar – SEND Champions: Transition Success

To launch our new SEND Champions initiative, we invited Transition Matters consultant Liz Stevenson to lead two twilight sessions for our primary SENCOs in March. 

Liz’s excellent session highlighted the important difference between ‘Induction’ and ‘Transition’, two ideas which can often be seen as interchangeable but should be approached quite differently. 

Liz defines induction as ‘the place the pupil is going to’ and transition as ‘the preparation of the young person’ who is moving school. Rather than seeing transition as a single moment in July or September, it should be thought of as a longer period of preparation and expectation-management to ensure that pupils have the life-skills they need to thrive at secondary school. 

These skills can be introduced from as early as year 4, and we’re delighted to share some of Liz’s top tips below.  

Better still, her transition twilight session is now available on-demand – watch here. 

Tips for a successful transition: helping primary school pupils build the skills they need to thrive at secondary school 

• Homework: start familiarising pupils with different expectations around homework management. Ask them to hand homework in on different days rather than always the same day, perhaps ask them to hand it in to a teacher other than yourself to different people or set them a date to hand in homework but without giving any further reminders before it’s due. 

• Time keeping: many pupils struggle with the size of secondary schools and getting to classes on time after breaks. Help them practice managing their own time by not always using a whistle or bell to alert them to the end of breaks. 

• Speaking to strangers (teachers!) and other pupils: at secondary school pupils are expected to speak to and work with adults and fellow pupils that they may have never met before, whether that’s asking for directions around school or being put in a workgroup with nobody they know. Practicing these interactions and mixing up teaching groups in year 5 and 6 can help build pupils’ confidence in these situations. 

• Friendships: often pupils won’t have had to make new friends at school since starting back in reception. Making new friends is a skill that we can support them with, from thinking about how to introduce themselves to what they would like to share with new people they meet.  

 Get lots more brilliant advice from Liz by watching her session on-demand here.

If you have any questions about SixIntoSeven or SEND Champions, please get in touch here.