Transition is not the same as induction
To start, let’s get the language right. We are not talking about those ‘special’ events in July to prepare year 6 pupils for the organisational whims of their new school. One-off events like these are not about transition but induction – inducting pupils into new places and procedures. Transition, on the other hand, needs to be a much longer, more detailed and ambitious process. Indeed, in its perfect form, transition begins upon entry to primary school and finishes when the child leaves secondary school.
As with all things education, the brain is at the centre of the issue. After all, the more education is focused on the neuroscience of learning, the better we will be at designing an education system that is genuinely fit for purpose. With this in mind, let’s get something clear: the traditional splitting of education into primary and secondary has absolutely nothing to do with the brain. It should do, but it doesn’t. The historic reason for separating education into distinct phases is firmly rooted in practicalities.
It is a law of nature that when systems grow in isolation from each other, it is almost inevitable that they will develop different approaches, attitudes and beliefs. This is certainly true of primary and secondary education. In many places they have evolved separately for over 100 years with little regard to the needs of young people.
The situation is further exacerbated by the argument that primary-age children learn best in one way and secondary pupils learn best in a different way. Too often these assumptions have little basis in the facts. Of course, the brain of a 3-year-old and an 18-year-old have different levels of maturity and will respond in different ways to stimulation, but the neuroscience of learning suggests that the variations between the two are not as great as our school systems would suggest.
It is my view – and the conclusion of many commentators on the subject – that having such a large gap between the two phases of education cannot be a good thing for the children going through it.
To ensure a more cohesive approach to education, I am proposing a seven-step approach to transition to help us achieve this goal. It is an approach borne out of experience and empirical observation, and it is meant to be straightforward and achievable, wherever there is the will to make the necessary changes.
The seven steps are as follows:
1. Agree on the long-term aims of education in your geographical area.
2. Increase teacher understanding of each phase.
3. Increase pupil understanding of the long-term goal of their education.
4. Encourage opportunities for pupils of different ages and phases to learn together.
5. Develop a curriculum plan from infant to adult for your area.
6. Build learning experiences between the phases into the calendar.
7. Make sure your induction programme is a subset of your transition programme.
To learn more about these steps, download my webinar or read my book, Independent Thinking on Transition.
