CIRCLETS Seminar: Monday 15th Oct, 2012

Researching primary-to-secondary transfer in English schools:

Emerging findings from three research projects

Presented by:Andy Chandler-Grevatt, Alison Daubney, Duncan Mackrill,

Judy Sebba, Jo Tregenza and Joan Williams

Theoretical perspectives

Draws heavily on Gray, Galton, McLaughlin, et al (2011) The Supportive School Cambridge Scholars Publishing

• Theory of gradual change: transfer works best when school environment matches needs & dispositions of young adolescent;

• Dips in attitudes & attainment reflect poor fit – increasing need for independence clashes with less freedom, teacher-dominated discourse. Onset of puberty exacerbates dissonance between ‘ideal’ and ‘reality’;

• Status passage: special rites designed to initiate into new roles;

• Start of secondary involves ‘negotiation and re-negotiation of multiple relationships & identities.

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Why research primary-secondary transfer?

• Replicated evidence of dip in attainment following transfer – 49% of pupils in English & Science and 33% in maths made no gain in

their level score one year after moving from primary to secondary school (eg. Galton, Gray & Rudduck, 2003, p.59)

• …Y7 science, pupils spent much of their time copying out details of experiments or writing out instructions (p.iii) - KS3 strategy

• Attempts to demonstrate differential effects of transferring at different ages have noted only minimal differences

• Science shows the sharpest declines in attitude especially for girls in most developed countries

• Mixture of continuities & discontinuities needs regular review

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Improving transfer of pedagogy

• Differing pedagogies employed in primary and secondary science “..the main reason for pupils’ dissatisfaction with lower secondary school science lies with poor pedagogy..” (Russell, 2009: 3)

• “..high-quality sharing of pedagogy and practice between primary and secondary teachers is key to improving transfer issues, helping pupils to recognise the value of the work they have done at primary school and to see their learning in science in terms of progression rather than repetition.” (Russell, 2009: 3)

• Sharing pedagogy and practice involves facilitating skills exchange while avoiding the need for teachers to visit one another. Video & audio technology, real-time communication between schools using standard school IT (GfL) networks is now possible. Pupils and teachers can observe one another & communicate directly.

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The Five Bridges of Transition

• The bureaucratic bridge – e.g. communication of pupil records both personal and academic and administrative meetings between schools.

• The social bridge – e.g. ensuring primary pupils become familiar with their secondary school prior to transition – maps, staffing, etc.

• The curriculum bridge – curriculum continuity between phases -secondary teachers build on existing levels of attainment rather than seeing the secondary curriculum as a ‘blank slate’.

• The pedagogic bridge – develop cross phase links between Year 6/7 teachers to ensure consistency in pedagogic approaches.

• The management of learning bridge – ensure pupils are aware of challenges of transition, make their own decisions & add their voice L2LGalton, Gray & Rudduck (1999)

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• Galton, M., Gray, J. and Rudduck, J. (1999) The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment, London: DfEE

• Galton, M., Gray, J. and Rudduck, J. (2003) Transfer & Transition in the Middle Years of Schooling. London: DfEE

• Gray, J., Galton, M., McLaughlin, C., Clarke, B. & Symonds, J. (2011) The Supportive School: Well-being & the Young Adolescent Cambridge Scholars Publishing

• Russell, H. (2009) Foreword: Primary Secondary Transfer in Science. Perspectives on Education. London.

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References

TRANSECT PROJECT

Research by:Chris Brown, Andy Chandler-Grevatt, Judy Sebba

and Joan Williams

Funded by AZSTT

Aims 1

• To maximise pupil achievement in science by helping Yr 7/8 teachers to build on skills acquired by pupils in primary schools

• Facilitating the sharing of experience and practices by selected groups of teachers across the primary and secondary phases of education

• Encouraging critical reflection on these practices by means of structured video-linked dialogues and online discussions

• Providing opportunities for pupil mentoring and support whereby Yr 7/8 pupils in secondary schools will be partnered through the use of this technology with Yr 5/6 pupils in local primary schools

Aims 2

• Breaking down perceived or real barriers in science education across the two phases of education

• Easing transition concerns for Yr 5/6 learners by demystifying secondary school science

• Consolidating the value of previous science work undertaken by Yr5/6 learners

• Providing a transferable model of good practice relevant to Science CPD across a range of UK contexts

Strands of the Project

• Pupil Project: Schools carry out a project that is decided between a class of primary (Year 6) and a class of secondary school (Year 8) children. The project takes place in each school and ideas, results and information are exchanged using Skype between the classes.

 • Teacher ‘Sharing’ (Lesson filming):

This only involves some schools. One lesson is filmed and edited in each school. Teachers within each school watch the edited video of the lesson on a secure website, discuss and formulate questions regarding transition issues. Use Skype or meet to discuss the lessons.

 • Evaluation (Questionnaires and Interviews):

To find out to what extent the interventions have supported transition, there are a few activities that are used to capture information about the experiences and attitudes of the pupils and teachers involved. These take the form of a Questionnaire that is taken twice by the children involved and two interviews of a group of children involved and the teachers involved.

Projects

East Sussex

Secondary x 1Primary x 1

Video lesson exchange.

Pupil project.Skype did not

occur.

Hampshire 1

Secondary x 1Primary x 1

Secondary video only

Pupil Project with Skype.

“Ecology”

Hampshire 2

Secondary x 1Primary x 1

Secondary video only

Pupil Project with Skype.

Evaluation Methods

• Pupil Questionnaires: Attitudes to Science

• Teacher interviews

• Pupil interviews

• Videos of Lessons

Evidence so far

• Varied success

• High enthusiasm by most staff and pupils

• Several barriers for primary and secondary schools working together

• Several technology based barriers.

Thoughts so far

• Early days for ICT and transition

• Location and sense of place

• Attitudes and engagement of pupils to science and transition

• From videos – pedagogical issues very apparent

Transition in and through music education

Presented by:Alison Daubney, Duncan Mackrill,

and Judy Sebba

Previously highlighted issues:

• Music in the curriculum• Extra curricular opportunities• ‘Wider Opportunities’• Instrumental learning• Young people’s musical identity• Differing Pedagogy • Setting up and meeting expectations

Aims of the evaluation

• Assess the changes in practice at school and local authority level

• Identify evidence of impact on pupil outcomes in personal, social and educational development following transition

• Assess the outcomes of extending the online self-auditing and music transition planning to a wider community

• Highlight the aspects of the Musical Bridges work that have the greatest capacity for scaling up

• Make recommendations about future phases of Musical Bridges

• Identify the potential for transfer of the approach to other subjects/whole-school transition

Overview of Musical Bridges

• An ‘evidence gathering’ phase, culminating in the ‘Soundtracks’ report (Ashworth, Atherley & Chappell 2011)

• ‘CPD1’ - continued professional development (CPD) clusters (3 in total) from January 2011

• A longitudinal study of 25 young people in three contrasting geographic areas throughout their transition to secondary school – from their last term in year 6 to the end of year 7 (‘Changing Key’)

• ‘6 into 7’ – a radio report made by pupils in schools in the CPD clusters reporting on their transition from year 6 into year 7 and published on the Radiowaves website. This was followed up with the same pupils 15 months later. Now in year 8, these pupils produced a radio report on their musical lives and interviewed younger pupils

• ‘CPD2’ – continued professional development clusters organised in conjunction with Music Services in ten local authority areas. This is a rolling programme from January 2012.

Children’s music experiences at home and at school – Diamond 9s

Children’s music experiences in school

Overall ranking across all groups: Year 6

Children’s music experiences out of school

Overall ranking across all groups: Year 6

What helps music transition (1)?

• A desire from schools and individuals to improve transition in and through music

• Support, commitment and ‘permission’ from other colleagues, particularly senior leadership teams (SLT)

• Understanding from SLT about what excellent musical learning ‘looks like’

• Time allocated for meaningful professional development, to develop practice and opportunities and to grow relationships

• A clear understanding about how the development of better transition impacts upon pupils

• Linked schools working together

• Opportunities to meet face to face, exchange information, ideas and plan developments in and out of school

• A positive music culture permeating schools and embracing local community cultures and opportunities

What helps music transition (2)?

• Music regularly part of the curriculum throughout primary school and at secondary school

• Equal and trusting partnerships between primary and secondary schools – not a ‘secondary driven’ approach

• Realistic reflection upon current practice and the impact of this upon pupil learning, motivation, participation

• Proper consideration of pupils’ musical expectations and interests within all aspects of music education

• Opportunities for pupils to visit and become familiar with secondary schools during the later years of primary school

• Visits by secondary school teachers and past pupils to lead and share music making opportunities

• Regular opportunities for musicians of different ages to make music together, e.g. transition choirs, bands, joint concerts etc.

What helps music transition (3)?

• A more ‘joined up’ curriculum, with a greater understanding relating to the perspectives of primary and secondary colleagues and pupils

• The curriculum needs to build upon pupils’ musical experiences and expectations – this requires meaningful differentiation

• Better data transfer – Ofsted (2012) suggest that this should be ‘sound based’ (ie. an audio/video portfolio)

• Information transfer which is deemed useful and manageable, particularly by secondary teachers

• Opportunities for staff to observe practice in cross-phase settings and to discuss and reflect upon this; being willing to accept perspectives of others

• Music service providers can be a ‘constant’ in both primary and secondary provision – they need to be a part of the development, along with other external agencies and private music teachers in schools.

• Instrumental teachers and class teachers contextualising/bringing together the different aspects of musical learning.

What helps music transition (4)?

• Opportunities to continue with or start instrumental learning in secondary school

• Continuity in provision of instruments, opportunities and funding

• Access to all in relation to extra curricular opportunities (eg. no auditions)

• Clear information regarding instrumental lessons, places to store instruments, rehearsal times etc.

• ‘Music buddies’

• Meaningful CPD which is thought-provoking, challenging, engaging, relevant and accessible to all, regardless of teachers’ musical experiences and confidence

• Realistic expectations about the development of transition

• Using the ‘five bridges’ document to track progress and identify next steps

Sustainability?

“I think this will be sustained now, because I think once you’ve said ‘actually, this isn’t good enough for our children’ and those discussions have started to happen, and I think there’s a will now to keep it moving. I think it probably would have happened anyway, but having the Musical Bridges has helped with that…the biggest thing for us now is time”.

(Headteacher, CPD1)

Transfer projects within the NCSL Teaching School Alliances

Research byPhillip Kent, Judy Sebba and Jo Tregenza

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Improving outcomes through effective JPD in teaching school alliancesAn R&D network projectDefinition of JPD adapted from Fielding et al, 2005

• ...learning new ways of working through mutual engagement that opens up and shares practices with others

Key Characteristics of JPD

• Process by which individuals, schools or other organisations learn from one another

• Involves interaction and mutual development related to practice

• Recognises that each partner in the interaction has something to offer – based on assumption of mutually beneficial learning

• Research-informed, may involve collaborative inquiry.

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The Teaching School Alliances in the National College JPD project

• Harrogate & Rural Teaching School Alliance -established alliance (for ITE) – 14 mainly small primary schools, registered as company doing NQT peer observation, teacher (‘outstanding’) observation using IRIS technology & early years.

• Gateway Teaching School Alliance, Nuneaton – 5 primaries, one secondary, ‘student detectives’ observing across schools.

• DenbighHigh/Challney TSA, Luton and Enfield – 4 secondaries, one primary and a 6th form college – (‘outstanding’) teaching & learning, transition, phonics & behaviour. Using IRIS technology.

• Kesgrave/Farlingaye TSA, Suffolk – involves 6 secondaries looking at ‘outstanding’ teaching using lesson study, peer observation, collaborative research, work shadowing, IRIS

• Southfields TSA, South London – involves 2 secondaries and 2 primaries looking at ‘outstanding’ teaching using cross school observation – exploring use of IRIS technology.

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Denbigh High – Challney TSA: Developing a Pre-Transition Passport'Pre-Transition Passport' developed in primary that would:• engage pupils in the process prior to their transition day

• develop transition day activities based on Passport contents

• act as an extension to the induction programme

• demonstrate what work pupils are capable of doing for Y7 tutors.

What they did and outcomes:•Pupils undertook survey of Y6 – explored transition days, buddy partners, parents' evenings & 'summer school' sessions

•Pupils more engaged in transition process, less intimated & better informed about the support available

•Teachers more aware of previous/current standards

•Better teaching & learning experiences (Bridges 3 & 5)

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Denbigh High – Challney TSA: Secondary teachers learn to use phonics through working in primary schools

• 12 ITE secondary trainees team taught literacy lessons (phonics), & collaborative planning in primary.

• Planned, taught & evaluated secondary lessons in their subjects using phonics.

• Taught small groups of other trainees how to teach phonics.

• Outcomes: Trainees developed greater confidence in using phonics & saw relevance to secondary pupils’ learning. Tutors and trainees have reported better teaching & positive pupil outcomes.

• Trainees in PE and Maths reported has been an advantage in gaining employment in schools.

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What can we learn from these (ongoing) projects?

• Focus on teaching practice and pedagogy crucial

• School students are best conveyers of information about teaching & pedagogy:increased involvement increased commitment

• Observing teaching is the most means of improving practice – primary & secondary observing each other & both by students

• Support, commitment and ‘permission’ from SLT

• Recognising that the subject transition can assist the overall transition as well as vice versa.

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References

• Ashworth, D., Atherley, M. and Chappell, A. (2011): Soundtracks: Supporting young people’s musical progression from primary to secondary school. www.musicalbridges.org.uk/files/2012/01/Musical-Bridges-Sound-Tracks-report.pdf

• Galton, M., Gray, J. and Rudduck, J. (1999) The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment, London: DfEE

• Galton, M., Gray, J. and Rudduck, J. (2003) Transfer & Transition in the Middle Years of Schooling. London: DfEE

• Gray, J., Galton, M., McLaughlin, C., Clarke, B. & Symonds, J. (2011) The Supportive School: Well-being & the Young Adolescent Cambridge Scholars Publishing

• Russell, H. (2009) Foreword: Primary Secondary Transfer in Science. Perspectives on Education. London.

• Sebba, J., Kent, P. & Tregenza, J. (2010) Joint Practice Development: What does the evidence suggest are effective approaches? NCSL website

• Sebba, J., Tregenza, J. & Kent, P. (2012) Powerful professional learning: a school leader’s guide to joint practice development On NCSL website from 29 Nov 2012

• Symonds, J., Long, M. and Hargreaves, J. (2011): Changing Key: Adolescents’ view on their musical development across the primary to secondary school transition. www.musicalbridges.org.uk/files/2012/01/Changing-Key-FINAL-Report.pdf

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