Transition from Key Stage Two to Key Stage Three
Lifting the disadvantage barrier.
There is endless discussion about transition to school and starting school then transition between key stage 1 and 2 but what about that all important transition to secondary school?
We know that this transition is difficult for all students at an age when they are more self conscious and the transition to Secondary is a time when children have increasing responsibility for their own work, their travel, their choices not to mention they are navigating a new locality and friends; in short the cognitive overload is huge when children start secondary school!
But for disadvantages pupils this is magnified. Last year, over 120,000 disadvantaged students made the transition from primary to secondary school below the expected standard for reading. If their progress mirrors previous cohorts, then this would mean we are expecting just 1‑in-10 to achieve passes in English and maths at GCSE, and fewer than 2% to achieve the English Baccalaureate. The educational prospects for this group are incredibly bleak.
The first years of secondary school – Key Stage 3 (KS3) – are particularly important in shaping the progress trajectory of all pupils. For disadvantaged pupils in particular, KS3 presents a real barrier to progress. In England, many disadvantaged pupils do not appear to make any significant progress in their attainment during KS3 (DfE 2011).
Early secondary is
“a crucial time to ensure that higher-achieving pupils from poor backgrounds remain on a high achievement trajectory”
(Crawford et al. 2014).
It is the key point at which high achieving disadvantaged pupils start to converge in their attainment trajectory with pupils from more affluent background with lower initial attainment (Crawford et al. 2017, Allen & Parameshwaran, 2016; Shaw et al. 2017). This apparent deceleration in disadvantaged pupils’ educational progress at KS3 contributes to inequalities at GCSE that affect pupils’ opportunities in Further Education, Higher Education and therefore their overall job prospects. The gap in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their peers widens throughout the course of their schooling, both in England and in other developed economies (Caro et al. 2009).
This inequality is highly evident in secondary school (Shaw et al. 2017). On average, disadvantaged pupils make two months less progress every year than their peers at secondary school in England (Andrews et al. 2017) and (on average), pupils experience a slow down or stagnation in their educational progress during the early years of secondary school.
Research has found that more progress i to be made pes made per year in KS2 than KS3, especially in reading and writing (DfE). With these facts at the forefront of our mind it’s essential that when we are addressing transition to secondary we consider the reasons behind why KS3 might be particularly challenging for disadvantaged pupils.
Several studies have shown a dip in attainment coinciding with transition, especially in English and maths and this is a trend that has not improved significantly over time (ResearchGate – The impact of transition on pupil progress and attainment -1999).
In order to bridge the primary–secondary school word gap, we must aspire to work effectively across the education sector to develop greater consistency of curriculums and educational practices between primary and secondary schools. The development of through schools could begin to address this barrier. However, in addition to this, as educationalist we must provide space within the curriculum to support all pupils, but especially disadvantaged pupils, to develop the academic language they need at secondary school through training for teachers and support within schools.
Loic Menzies, Chief Executive of The Centre for Education and Youth and report author argues that:
“As schools across the country grapple to support their pupils as they return from lockdown, this new report shows that improved support for vocabulary can play a key role in helping children make the challenging transition from primary to secondary school and to make good progress with their studies. It’s no secret that many children struggle to adjust to the changes that come when they move between phases, but rich vocabulary can help them to flourish and overcome some of the challenges they face.”
In addition to learning the new routines and expectations of secondary school it is important that we consider other socio-economic barriers that children face during this time of transition.
Pupils and parents are both dealing with changes in friendships and relationships during this transition time; more so than any other transition in their education so far. With the impact of peer pressure comes the issue of bullying and the factors that contribute to this. As children break down the barriers of transition its important that they can build secure attachments to those in their classes and form groups, having a secure friendship network is very important for emotional regulation and the support of peers and older siblings is important in navigating this phase.
As the period of transition approaches for Year Six pupils and staff alike its essential that both Primary and Secondary Schools put in the time to effectively share information so that pupils start confidently in their new school. By anticipating the risk points for individual pupils linked to the barriers that transition presents, schools, working in partnership with parents/carers and young people can build a secure and purposeful support network.
When children move to secondary it’s important that children for the disadvantaged group are carefully tracked. Disadvantaged pupils have a higher rate of absence at the end of primary school and this gap increases over the first three years of secondary school compared to other pupil’s groups. Research shows that there is a disproportionate impact on the social and emotional learning and academic self-confidence of disadvantaged pupils following the transition from primary school to secondary school.
So, whatever we are doing in primary or secondary schools its important that transition is paramount if we are going to ensure that all pupils have their barriers to success lifted and the keys to open a successful future through a secure and purposeful transition.
Further Reading:
Comments