Year 6 Transition Scheme

Posted by Judith Crome on 23rd June 2011

Liquid Connection has recently completed another Transition scheme for local year 6 students at Leatherhead Trinity School. Transitioning from primary school to secondary school can be scary and difficult for young people, particularly those who struggle within the school context, but we believe the change in school environment also offers students an opportunity for a fresh start.

During the planning stages of our Transition scheme, we work with the primary school to gain referrals for young people who may be vulnerable during the school transition. This may be due to low self-esteem, poor social skills, behaviour, attendance or language/learning difficulties.

There are a number of key changes which can be difficult for students when they reach secondary school, so the aim of each session is to help prepare them for that change. For example, the new school site is always much larger, and for the first time they must navigate from classroom to classroom. Some students may handle these changes confidently, while some students will get lost, confused, upset or even angry when dealing with these changes.

The 5 week scheme we have just completed featured the following topics:

Week 1: An introduction to secondary school
Week 2: Homework
Week 3: Timetables and Packing your bag
Week 4: Rules and Roles
Week 5: The Future

We will now work with the school to produce a short report about each student which will be passed along to their future secondary school. This allows the secondary school to have a greater understanding of the student’s needs and allows them to prepare thoroughly for their new arrivals.

Our Transition work is complimented really well by the services we provide in Therfield School, as we will be present to support members of the transition scheme when they begin in Year 7. If any of the participants struggle when they reach their new secondary school, our staff are able to see them within school for one-to-one sessions, and can provide advice and support to enable them to feel happier in school.
This relationship also means we can help these young people integrate into our local youth projects, such as BLISS or Total Football.

This opportunity to work with local young people holistically is very important to us, and helps us further our understanding of the young people and families we support.