Transition Y6 to Y7

Transition Year 6 into Year 7 May 2020 Lancashire Secondary Consultant Team [email protected] 1 Contents Page 2 Rationale and Communication 4 Things to Consider 5 Mathematics- Additional Information 9 Science- Additional Information 11 English- Additional Information 18 Appendices 1 Rationale and Communication Smooth transition from Year 6 to Year 7 is especially important during these difficult times. This document refers to curriculum transition, and aims to provide schools with prompts for consideration when planning and reviewing the curriculum in the core subjects. For support and ideas on emotional preparedness for transition see the guidance document: Guidance to Promote Positive Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health during Coronavirus Pandemic and planning for schools to re-open. In the case of curricular transition, secondary colleagues should also consider the information and strategies in the two documents below: Gap Minimising During School Closures Closing Gaps It is more important than ever that communication between primary and secondary schools be as strong as possible. The usual information sharing should take place, but there may be additional things to consider as regression and gaps are likely to be a greater issue than in a 'normal' year. Please note: relevant information should only be shared with appropriate organisations. Specific information about student X should only be shared with student X's secondary school and only if it is appropriate to do so to ease X's transition to secondary school. 2 Approach to Remote Learning As a result of school closure and a move to remote learning, schools have opted for a variety of approaches to best serve their students. Many schools are employing a holding and consolidating approach to learning, while others are operating a continued curriculum approach or continued with some alterations. Primary and Secondary Partner Schools may wish to discuss How primary schools have approached learning during the closure: Hold and consolidate Continued curriculum Continued curriculum with some alterations Another method Secondary Schools may wish to Record teaching and learning approach to remote learning for each Primary Partner school and the students associated with that method. For example, if 90% of the new Y7 cohort have followed a hold and consolidate programme and the other 10% continued with their Y6 curriculum, this may impact significantly on starting points for the Y7 curriculum for those students. Learning science suggests that learning via computers is less effective than in the classroom. Consider strategies for assessing the effectiveness of remote learning for Y6 students to aide planning for potential Y7 curriculum changes by reviewing baseline procedures. Ensure relevant departments have relevant curriculum information for their subject and consider reviewing and amending subject specific curricula. Consider catch up/ gap closing strategies that may be most appropriate for the cohort. Consider reviewing your approach to setting. 3 In some cases, schools may have adopted different learning approaches for different student groups, depending on their educational or social needs. For example, some students may have received paper based work, when the majority had electronically based work, or some may have had a reduced curriculum. Primary and Secondary Partner Schools may wish to discuss If primary schools have adapted their strategy for individuals or groups of year 6 students. How the approach was adapted, for which individuals and groups and any reasoning behind the adaptation. Secondary Schools may wish to Consider planning for additional intervention for these students. Provide additional resources or equipment for these students if available. Some pupils may not have engaged with work set by their schools. This could create additional issues when they join Y7. Primary and Secondary Partner Schools may wish to discuss Whether any Y6 pupils/students have not engaged well with home learning. What actions have been taken to address this? Any strategies which have proven more successful with an individual. Secondary Schools may wish to Consider an enhanced transition for these students (alongside that offered to other vulnerable children at transition (see Appendix 1). Consider assigning pastoral and or academic mentors to these students and identifying a support plan in preparing for and during Y7. 4 Things to consider Different secondary schools may follow different curriculum pathways in much the same way as primary schools. Different schools may place a greater emphasis on different skills when a student arrives in Y7. As the summer term progresses, would it be advantageous for students if their secondary school set and collected some tasks which would help secondary staff familiarise themselves with student knowledge and skills? Ideas and examples for English, mathematics and science can be found in the relevant subject areas. Would it be beneficial for students if secondary schools set some tasks around particular skills and knowledge they require at the beginning of Y7? This could be a useful strategy to consider for all those involved. It could provide opportunities for secondary teachers and students to get to know each other, thus reducing the anxiety some students experience around moving to high school, while simultaneously allowing secondary teachers to prepare for Y7 with a greater knowledge of their new students' abilities. At the same time, this process could free up some time for Y6 teachers to plan for closing any curriculum gaps or any interventions they anticipate as a result of school closures, for the new cohort of Y6 students in the autumn term. Primary and Secondary Partner Schools may wish to discuss If it would be beneficial for Secondary schools to set some learning or recall tasks for the Y6 students moving to that school. Secondary schools to set tasks for Y6 students based on key concepts, knowledge and skills they would expect / be using at the beginning of Y7. Secondary schools to provide orientation and familiarisation activities - accessible / fun curriculum based tasks set via short videos. For example, tasks based around maps of the school such as planning routes from one area to another. A secondary school's response to Y6 to Y7 transition may vary from department to department depending on how great the impact on learning required for that subject has been as a result of school closures. It is important that schools are flexible in their approach to ensure focus is on ensuring students' needs, emotional and academic are catered for as well as possible. The additional information for English, Mathematics and Science presented in this document reflects the potential need for slightly different approaches and styles. 5 Mathematics - Additional Information Both Primary and Secondary schools are free to choose or design their own curriculum. Therefore, there are a variety of curricula. Currently, the three most widely followed schemes/ mathematics curricula followed by primary schools in Lancashire are: LAPS – Lancashire's Learning and Progression Steps White Rose Mastery Maths No Problem (Mastery) If a school is operating a holding and consolidating approach, they are likely to have completed the full autumn term and the majority of spring 1. Holding and consolidation work is likely to focus on those areas of mathematics covered in the autumn and early spring terms. Primary schools operating different curricula may have covered slightly different content and are likely to have used different pedagogical approaches. Further information about the content coverage for each of the curricula mentioned above can be found in the appendices. Appendix 2: LAPS – Lancashire's Learning and Progression Steps Appendix 3: White Rose Mastery Appendix 4: Maths No Problem To ensure efficient transition for students, mathematics departments should take into account both the content coverage and the pedagogical strategies employed by primary partner schools. Both White Rose and Maths No Problem use the pedagogical premise of "Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract" which is yet not a widely adopted approach in secondary schools. Primary and Secondary Partner Schools may wish to discuss The curriculum model employed by the primary school. If coverage varies from that expected in the autumn term and spring 1. What primary schools have asked Y6 students to focus on since school closure? If a school continued with the planned curriculum, what the students have covered since remote learning began. Are there any topics Primary colleagues feel students have found more difficult than others? What pedagogical approaches have been used to introduce new concepts? The particular strategies and procedures students may be using for key skills required in Y7. For example in Maths No Problem, strategies such as the worded method may not be familiar to secondary colleagues. NOTE: Secondary colleagues should also consider how they will assess the skills and competencies of the Y6 students as they enter Y7. It will not be appropriate to give students a formal 'test' if they have had very little recent 'in school' learning. 6 It may be more appropriate to liaise with primary colleagues requesting examples of student work if available, or to set short activities and tasks to be carried out over the summer term that would afford secondary colleagues information on the key concepts and skills they require of a new Y7

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