Transitions Workshops

Many schools have expressed a concern about preparing their year 6 pupils for the move from primary to secondary school. This concern arises every year, as many children express their fears and reservations at the prospect of leaving the only school they have known since early childhood and moving to the ‘big school down the road.’

So with these objectives in mind, Lighthouse Trust has put together a series of morning workshops and an assembly (if required) for Year 6 pupils which will an opportunity for a school to review attitudes and responses to these issues touched on earlier in the school year, and would provide a focus for these pupils at the end of term.

The following is an outline of the 3 workshops:

  • Changes – looking at the changes: the fears and the excitement of secondary school. How we have coped with change in the past etc.
  • Challenges – How do I find my way around my new school? What will be expected of me? Will I get in trouble? Will I get bullied? Will I have lots of homework?
  • Choices – making the wrong or the right choices. Looking at the life of Joseph and the choices he made and how to deal with set-backs. What do past pupils say about their experience of leaving primary and going to a secondary school etc.

All sessions seek to:

  • Provide a safe place to express difficult feelings.
  • Offer strategies for dealing with negative Emotions.
  • Give opportunity to develop practical problem-solving skills.
  • Address attitudes and thought patterns that produce negative behaviour.
  • Develop ability to manage life situations.
  • Age-appropriate activities which include, games, crafts, role play, discussion and DVD based observations, are used to explore issues and teach practical skills is a safe non-threatening environment.

Moving to a new school can be a daunting prospect, whether at the usual time of transition from primary to secondary school or later, as a mid-year transfer.

In education it is acknowledged that a thriving child may lose potential during transition periods between nursery, primary, secondary and further education.

According to the Institute of Education, children who experience a successful transition typically greatly expand their friendships and display higher levels of self-esteem and confidence once at secondary school.

They also settle well into school life, demonstrate greater levels of interest in school and work in comparison to primary school, find it easy to adopt new routines, and find work completed in year 6 to be very useful for the work they have to undertake in year 7.

Please get in touch if you would like this support.