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The Primary / Junior School to Middle School transition
Furthermore, in a longitudinal study of more than 2,000 students in the West of Scotland, West et al. (2010) found that the impact of the primary to secondary transition extends beyond immediate post-transition anxieties to longerterm effects on student wellbeing and learning. The researchers used surveys of the same randomised group of students at ages 11 (primary), 13 and 15 (secondary) and 18/19 (post-secondary), as well as surveys of their parents and teachers. Accounting for independent variables such as socio-demographic, family and personal attributes as well as pre-secondary experiences, the researchers were able to track the impact of transitional school and peer concerns on academic attainment and wellbeing (i.e. self-esteem, depression and antisocial behaviour) across the years. In their study, the researchers divided transition processes into two separate dimensions – the formal school system (i.e. factors such as the size of the school, the daily routine and timetable, and the amount of work) and the informal social system (i.e. peer relationships and friendships). They argued that to analyse transition experiences, it is essential to understand the transition as a dual navigation through both formal and informal systems. This means that students could potentially be successful in one dimension, but not in the other. Both systems, however, contribute to the long-term effects of transition on wellbeing and learning outcomes. For instance, the researchers found that how well students got on with each other following transition had little impact on the educational attainment in the long run compared to how well they had coped with formal school concerns. In comparison, peer concerns had a significant impact on self-esteem in the earlier stages of secondary school and on the long-term consequences of mental health. The researchers concluded that the importance of a positive experience for students transitioning from primary to secondary could not be underestimated, and that transition programs need to focus on both formal and informal school systems.
This idea is echoed in the Victorian DET Middle Years Transitions Framework (MYTF, 2016) which outlines three key elements needed for successful school transitions. These include:
1 Planning for learning continuity, differentiation, progression and engagement, 2 Facilitating institutional adjustment; and 3 Supporting students’ social adjustment.
According to the MYTF, whilst social orientation is generally well-handled by schools, this is not always the case for academic orientation. This is primarily due to the lack of sharing of curriculum information, teaching programs and pedagogy between primary and secondary schools, and the differing teaching expectations.
Primary and secondary curriculum teams are rarely part of transition support activities. McGee at al. (2003) suggest that the lack of collaboration between primary and secondary schools is largely responsible for the educational discontinuity experienced by many students. Successful transition is more likely to occur when schools promote relationships, personalisation, care and autonomy, and when primary and secondary schools collaborate on transition activities (Wenden, 2015). These transition activities may include school visits, orientation and induction activities, information exchange and record keeping.
According to the New Zealand Government Education Review Office (2016), the responsibility for transition processes must be attributed to both primary and secondary schools; the former being responsible for preparing students academically and socially and sharing information, and the latter being responsible for the culture of the school and how well it welcomes and supports students. Transition programs need to go beyond simply developing orientation processes for students to become familiar with the school’s environment, personnel and programs.
Whilst the processes and transition activities in place can vary from school to school, the desired outcomes are largely the same. There is some consensus in the literature on the definition of ‘successful’ transition. This includes the development of new friendships, new confidence and self-esteem, a feeling of being settled and accustomed to new routines, engagement in learning, a sense of school belonging and the experience of a continuous curriculum between schools (Evangelou et al. 2008; Measor and Woods 1984; Wenden 2014).
WENDEN, 2015
A DISCUSSION OF THE TRANSITION ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS AT PYMBLE LADIES’ COLLEGE
Over the course of Terms 1 and 2, 2020, students from the 2020 cohort of Year 7 students at Pymble Ladies’ College were selectively invited to take part in three focus groups. The students were purposefully selected to reflect the range of backgrounds of Pymble students. The first focus group, which will be referred to as the ‘Junior School Focus Group’, was made up of seven students who had transitioned from Pymble’s Junior School, with students starting at the school at various entry points (i.e. Year 2, Year 4 and Year 5). The second and third focus groups, which will be referred to as the ‘Non-Junior School Focus Groups’, consisted of ten students randomly selected to include a mix of backgrounds (i.e. students coming from overseas, Boarders and students coming from Sydney-based primary schools). The focus groups met a number of times for an informal conversation with the Head of Transition – Middle School, and students were encouraged to be open and constructive in their feedback. They were made aware that the purpose of the focus groups was to review and refine the current programs in place.
Students were first asked to identify the key challenges encountered while transitioning from primary school to the Middle School. After some discussion, five key concerns emerged; the first two of which were shared by all focus groups:
• Managing the work load – both students from the Junior School and those who were new to Pymble felt that the jump from having very little homework in primary school to having some every night from a range of subjects was a big change from what they had known. This was intensified by having assessments and homework tasks across ten subjects. • Finding classrooms and being on time to class – this was again identified by all groups. Whilst the challenge of physical orientation was limited to the first week of their transition, the students felt that this presented an additional challenge to navigate.
• The amount of new students in the secondary school and the fear of getting ‘lost in the crowd’ – this challenge was identified by students coming from the Junior School and was expressed as a sense of loss. Students reported feeling like they had moved away from an intimate environment where they felt known and had a sense of belonging, to a new environment with hundreds of students and teachers.
• Making friends – both non-Junior School focus groups identified friendships as a key challenge to their transition. For some students, leaving their primary school friends and needing to make new connections required some adjustment.
• The challenge of learning continuation – during one of the non-Junior School focus group discussions, students spoke about the challenge of learning continuation. Using the examples of Mathematics and Languages, students talked about the range of abilities within the classes and the fear of being ‘behind’ their peers when presented with topics they had not covered in their primary schools.
Once students had identified the main challenges faced during the first months of their transition to the Middle School, they were then asked to provide feedback on the activities and programs which had been part of their transition from primary to secondary school. These activities were grouped into four ‘phases’ of transition (Delamont, 1991):
• Preparation – the primary school activities aimed at preparing students for the transition
• Transfer - activities and communication by the secondary school prior to students’ start in Year 7
• Induction - orientation activities at the start of Year 7, and;
• Consolidation - the merging of transition activities into the school’s overall learning and wellbeing programs.
The students’ feedback is explored below and follows a brief explanation of each activity and/or program.
1. Preparation
Taste of the Middle School – Students in Year 6 in Pymble’s Junior School (154 students in 2019) take part in an extensive program of activities called ‘Taste of the Middle School’. The program is made up of eight events, ranging from an opportunity to meet the Principal and key staff, two parent information sessions, a combined Chapel service with the Year 7 cohort, attendance at the Secondary Student Leaders’ Induction ceremony, a lunchtime visit to the Secondary School, participation in the Year 8 Kids Teaching Kids program, and Links Day, which will be discussed in further detail below. The purpose of the program is to familiarise students with the secondary campus and to give them a ‘taste’ of what life will be like in the secondary school.
When asked to share their thoughts on the activities, the Junior School focus group spoke positively of the opportunities to visit the secondary school. They particularly loved the experience of visiting the Conde Library once or twice in Term 4 of Year 6 to borrow books and suggested that there should be more informal opportunities like these to access the secondary campus. Despite their participation in the various events, the students noted that their familiarity with the campus was still quite vague and that by the start of Year 7, they were still unsure of finding their way around the school.
They also spoke about the informal transition preparation provided by their Year 6 teachers who spoke to them in class about what they could expect from Year 7. They loved these conversations and any insight into what secondary school might look like, but noted that at times when reference was made to life in the secondary school, it gave the impression that Year 7 would be very strict.
Primary School pre-transition preparation activities – Whilst for the Junior School students, transition preparation involved frequent contact with the secondary school campus and staff, the pre-transition experiences of the non-Junior School students (from 65 schools in 2020) varied significantly. For two students, transition activities at their separate primary schools involved a twoweek program in Term 4, during which they participated in a sample secondary school experiences where they would move to different classrooms taught by a number of Year 6 teachers. Students were encouraged to carry their bags with them and received homework from a range of their ‘new’ subjects. The idea of increasing homework was discussed by another student who explained that at her school, students were given homework more frequently in the last term of school and that this helped her to adjust to the feel of Year 7.
For other students, transition activities were limited to one day at a nearby secondary school, or informal conversations within their primary school. One student from a small country town explained that given the very small numbers in the adjacent primary and secondary schools, Year 6 students were allowed to sit in the secondary area for two days and had the opportunity to experience new subjects such as Food Technology.
Given the large range of pre-transition experiences, a discussion on the efficacy of activities within these schools remains outside the scope of this paper. What is evident, however, is that the amount of pre-transition preparation for students from external primary schools can vary significantly, from minimal preparation to more effective and thorough preparation. With Links Day being the only common pre-transition activity for all students, there is added impetus in ensuring that transition activities at Pymble are focused largely at reducing the gap between Junior School and non-Junior School students, and supporting all students to successfully navigate the transition.
Recommendations for Pymble’s Junior School:
• Prepare students for an increase in class/homework whilst students are still in a familiar environment
• Develop small group workshops in the Junior School led by current Year 7 students with the aim of:
• Discussing with Year 6 students their feelings of moving to secondary school, correct any untruths, provide tips, strategies and reassurance
• Introducing staff from the Middle
School
• Provide more informal opportunities for Year 6 students to attend class showcases from various subject areas in order to visit the secondary campus and increase familiarity with the campus
2. Transfer
Links Day – As part of the ‘Taste of the Middle School’, Junior School students participate in Links Day – a day which brings together all students expecting to start Year 7 at Pymble the following year. Throughout the day, Year 6 students from a range of primary schools, in addition to Year 6 students from the Junior School, take part in taster lessons and Peer Support activities.
For all focus groups, Links Day was the highlight of their transition activities while in Year 6. They appreciated having a taster of what lessons might be like and meeting teachers, as well as being able to tour the school. The most important element of the day according to all three groups was meeting their peers and making new connections. A number of the girls spoke about the connections they had made with other students and explained how they had exchanged phone numbers and shared their social media accounts at the end of the day. One non-Junior School student shared that, as a result of the connections made at Links Day, she was able to meet with those students again at the Garden Party later in the year. Whilst students commented positively on the value of meeting the Year 9 Peer Support Leaders, they were enthusiastic about the possibility of also having an additional connection with the existing Year 7 students. This has been a challenge in previous years due to the need to have a year group off campus on an excursion in order to have the physical space to welcome Year 6 students into the Middle School classrooms. Links Day is a significant event for Year 6 students as it is the first time the two groups are brought together and share a common experience. Yet, whilst the day allows all students to experience the same transition preparation, it is experienced differently by each group. For the non-Junior School students, the day can reveal a difference in the level of confidence between students, with students from the Junior School often in large groups and confident in their surroundings. For the non-Junior School students, many of whom are the only student from their primary school, the day can be an exciting yet daunting experience. This is all the more acute for those who come from small primary schools in remote, regional or international locations.
Handover from Junior School to Middle School – Over the course of Term 4, the Junior School and Middle School at Pymble work together to exchange student data and information. This includes the identification of vulnerable students and specific support needs. The Learning Support and Counselling teams join with staff from the Middle School Leadership team to meet with staff leaders from the Junior School as part of the Year 6 to Year 7 handover. Academically, secondary school teachers are provided with information on their students’ academic backgrounds with a range of data including NAPLAN and Allwell testing results provided through an online tool. This is used to ensure that student needs, skills and strengths are identified and supported as they transition to the secondary school.
Furthermore, in the first few weeks of Term 1, the Learning Support and Middle School teams share important updates relating to specific support strategies with the class teachers of a range of students. These measures help to ensure a level of educational and support continuity.
From an academic perspective, teachers are able to access some key information on non-Junior School students’ numeracy and literacy levels (through NAPLAN and Allwell data). However, more specific information regarding their ability to be organised and to access the learning, as well as their feelings around transition, are harder to come across due to the challenge in communicating directly with more than 60 schools. Moreover, the continuity of curriculum, given the diverse range of primary schools which
feed into Pymble’s Year 7 cohort, is more difficult to navigate. As one student from the non-Junior School focus group articulated, the difference in topics covered between primary schools made some subjects particularly challenging. For her, Mathematics was a difficult transition and, whilst she felt confident in some areas, in others, she felt that her peers had covered topics that she had not previously learned. Another student commented that in her language subject, whilst her teacher had suggested that it would be a fresh start for all students, it was apparent that some students came with years of practice in the language. Whether the students themselves felt confident in that language was a different story, but the impression it gave others was that there were significant differences in starting points.
Recommendations:
• Explore the possibility of developing a buddy program where Junior School students would be buddied with Year 6 non-Junior School students in Terms 3 and 4 of Year 6. This would support the transition of new students to the College, provide an immediate connection between both groups particularly at Links Day, and build leadership skills and awareness for Junior school students as they support their peers.
• Develop the handover of information for non-Junior School students. This could include, for instance, a survey to be completed by external Year 6 students prior to their commencement which provides greater understanding around their worries, needs and expectations of secondary school.
3. Induction
Connections Week – during their first week in the Middle School, Year 7 students take part in a four-day Connections Week. The purpose of the program is to provide students with a range of opportunities to make new connections with their peers and teachers, learn about their new routines and set themselves up for their learning. The week can perhaps best be summarised in three key goals:
1 Creating connections – students spend the large majority of their time completing activities in their Connect group of approximately 16 students. This group is led by a range of leaders for different activities. This ranges from their Connect teacher and Head of Year, to Year 10 Peer Support Leaders and House Prefects.
2 Preparing students for their new routine – connect groups meet numerous times over the course of the four days for organisation sessions. During this time, they are taken through their timetables, shown how to use their lockers and diaries, and are explained the school rules and code of conduct.
3 Setting up for their learning – during the four days, students take part in a range of rotational orientation activities. The aims of these sessions are to help students set up their devices, connect to the school network, understand how to use the library and discuss how to manage their learning.
Immediately following Connections Week in the year of the study, Year 7 students were asked to complete a survey giving feedback on various aspects of the week. The results showed that students were largely positive about the transition activities, with more than 80 per cent of the 142 respondents providing a rating of Good (4/5) or Excellent (5/5). Students rated social activities highest with Connect time and Peer Support sessions receiving the most positive feedback. When asked to provide suggestions on how the day could be improved, the suggestions which appeared most frequently related to the need for more touring of the school campus and a desire for more opportunities to connect with others outside of their Connect group. Whilst students valued spending some time with their Connect groups, many suggested that they would have preferred more varied options in order to meet others outside their Connect or House group. Interestingly, whilst students appreciated having four days of orientation, many suggested that they were ready to start lessons earlier. One student suggested that a gradual approach to lessons could be an alternative. Having experienced a transition to online learning during the pandemic, students used this (i.e. having three, then four, then five lessons a day over three days) as an example of a strategy that could support Year 7 students to transition to full time lessons. Data from the survey did not identify whether students had come from the Junior School or from an external primary school. For future surveys, this information could provide greater insight into the efficacy of the Connections Week activities for each group and their specific needs.
Recommendations:
• During Connections Week:
• provide additional opportunities for school tours
• provide more opportunities for simple connection time rather than back-to-back task-based activities
• Shorten the duration of Connections Week and provide a gradual increase of lessons per day
• Encourage teachers to create a seating plan in the first few weeks to ensure that Junior School students are mixed with non-Junior School students and are encouraged to make new connections. This is also a way for students to remember the names of their peers more easily
• Encourage teachers to provide additional time for students to meet their classmates and take part in some starter activities rather than jumping straight into lessons
4. Consolidation
Ongoing transition activities throughout Year 7 – Throughout the year, there are a range of activities organised as part of ongoing transition activities. These include the Peer Support program, the Year 7 Camp, a Wellbeing Day involving a range of outdoor activities at a nearby sport and recreation centre, after school homework help offered by the Learning Support staff, and weekly lunchtime social activities run by the Year 12 Prefects with the aim to facilitate social connections. Attendance at the latter can vary significantly with food-based and physical activities rating most popular and bringing in a wider range of students. In general, however, these activities tend to attract a higher proportion of non-Junior School students. Whilst one non-Junior School student noted that she had met some of her closest friends at the organised activities, she suggested that it could be quite dauting to attend alone. Another student suggested that perhaps one way to increase attendance would be to encourage students to come with their friends or to organise a special ‘invite a new friend’ event. The idea amongst some students, particularly Junior School students, she suggested, was that the lunchtime activities were for students who may not have made connections yet and that Junior School students, therefore, “probably didn’t need it”.
Attendance at the after school homework help session has similarly been inconsistent despite changes to accommodate student times. During the first part of Term 1, targeted homework help for Year 7 was run after school, in line with the resource offered to students in Years 8 to 11. Following feedback that the timing of the activity was difficult for some students given after school co-curricular commitments, the timing was changed to lunchtimes, with no change in attendance rates. Whilst parent communication with the Middle School team indicated a need for assistance with skills such as time management, organisation, planning and general homework questions, students were more reluctant to take up the opportunity. When the homework help session went online during the period of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, attendance continued to stay low. What this suggests is that whilst the need for such resources exists, as evidenced by parent and teacher communication, Year 7 students are hesitant to take the step to ask for or access help.
With regard to Peer Support activities and the Year 7 Wellbeing Day, the student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. All focus groups spoke favourably of Peer Support opportunities, although some students noted that the quality of Peer Support was highly dependent on the Year 10 leaders and the effort they put into organising sessions as well as their leadership skills and confidence. The offsite Wellbeing Day which took place in mid Term 1 received the most favourable feedback with students speaking of the enjoyment at having an opportunity to be social and to connect with one another outside the classroom.
Recommendation:
• Provide in-house study skills workshops throughout Year 7 that support students to gradually learn the skills they need. This would be additional to the existing study skills incursion currently scheduled in the Year 7 program.
CONCLUSIONS
The extensive range of activities and programs provided across both Year 6 and Year 7 at Pymble reflects a recognition of the impact of the transition experience on students’ wellbeing and academic outcomes. It also demonstrates an understanding of the need to have activities and programs which help students to navigate both the formal school system and the informal social system. The program captures the key components of transition for Junior School students. Further developments to the program could be explored in activities to better support the diverse range of new students.
Whilst this paper has focused generally on Junior School and non-Junior School students, it acknowledges that there is room for more specific research on the range of experiences faced by students from the multitude of backgrounds, including Indigenous, international, CRICOS1, rural, and local contexts.
1 CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students) refers to the government register of Australian education providers that enrol and teach overseas students studying in Australia on student visas.
References Delamont, S. (1991). The hit list and other horror stories: Sex roles and school transfer. The Sociological Review, 39(1), 238-259. Department of Education and Training, State Government of Victoria. (2016). Research and Background to Department of Education and Training (DET) Middle Years Transitions Framework. Retrieved 9 May, 2020, from https://www.education.vic.gov. au/Documents/school/principals/transition/ DETMiddleYearsTransitionsFramework_ BackgroundPaper.pdf. Education Review Office, New Zealand Government. (2016). Evaluation at a glance: Transitions from primary to secondary school. Retrieved 13 May, 2020, from https:// www.ero.govt.nz/publications/evaluationat-a-glance-transitions-from-primary-tosecondary-school/6-transition-from-primaryto-secondary-school/ Evangelou, M., Taggart, B., Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P. & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2008). What makes a successful transition from primary to secondary school? Nottingham, United Kingdom: Department for Children Schools and Families. Retrieved 18 May, 2020, from https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent. cgi?referer=http://scholar.google.com. au/&httpsredir=1&article=3431&context= sspapers McGee, C., Ward, R., Gibbons, J., & Harlow, A. (2003). Transition to secondary school: A literature review. Report to the Ministry of Education. Retrieved 9 May, 2020, from http:// www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/ schooling/5431 Measor, L., & Woods, P. (1984). Changing schools. Philadelphia, USA: Open University Press. Serbin, L., Stack, D., & Kingdon, D. (2013). Academic success across the transition from primary to secondary schooling among lower-income adolescents: Understanding the effects of family resources and gender. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42(9), 1331- 1347. Wenden, E. J. (2015). Rising to the challenge: Exploring the transition from primary to secondary education in a Western Australian school. Retrieved 17 May, 2020, from https:// ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1714. West, P., Sweeting, H., & Young, R. (2010). Transition matters: pupils’ experiences of the primary–secondary school transition in the West of Scotland and consequences for well-being and attainment. Research Papers in Education, 25:1, 21-50.
A conversation between Mathilda Shephard, Macquarie University Practicum Student and Justine Hodgson, English Faculty, Pymble Ladies’ College.
BY MATHILDA SHEPHARD AND JUSTINE HODGSON
Sarah Loch (Editor): I invited Justine Hodgson of the English Faculty and her final-year practicum student, Mathilda Shephard from Macquarie University, to contribute to Illuminate as I observed that what they were working on in their Year 7 class aligned with important pedagogical research relating to the power of play in enhancing student wellbeing and learning. Mathilda visited the Pymble Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) Centre with me one afternoon and was so inspired by seeing children involved in the experiential learning that play affords, that she wondered how this element of learning could be integrated into the secondary English classroom. Discussions with Justine emerged as to how the pair could enhance the students’ study of Susan Cooper’s novel, King of Shadows (1999). They committed to incorporating aspects of play and student-directed learning and drama pedagogy into the unit. In their article, Justine and Mathilda reflect on the role of play in the context of a secondary classroom, its potential for enhancing student wellbeing, and its impact on the teaching experience. Justine and Mathilda chose to collaborate on this article via the platform of an interview format as they felt this would effectively mirror their working processes whereby rich conversations emerged through ongoing observation and discussions. One educator/author poses a critical question designed to prompt reflective thought and, through the tool of an online Google Doc, the other educator/author offers a response. The article also includes text from emails which were part of the editorial process and the inclusion of a third voice, Sarah, the editor of the journal. This evokes the truly collaborative nature of education – where educators seek one another out and come together to share ideas.
Justine Hodgson: In what ways did your integration of playfulness in the secondary English classroom enhance student learning and wellbeing (as the two are inherently connected)?
Mathilda Shephard: I felt that the integration of playfulness in our Year 7 novel study of Susan Cooper’s King of Shadows (1999) significantly increased my capacity to support students’ learning and, simultaneously, wellbeing. Play facilitated greater opportunities for a fun, informal and student-directed exploration of the power dynamics in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and, in turn, Nat’s negotiation of power in King of Shadows as he embodies the character of Puck. Having visited the educators at Pymble’s OSHC Centre and discussed the role of play in early childhood education, I began to consider the significance of play for adolescents and the possibility of incorporating play into the teaching of secondary English.
