'School's Great — Apart From the Lessons': Sustaining the Excitement of Learning Post-Transfer

Abstract

The Department of Education and Science (DES, 1989) published a report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate (HMI) based on visits to primary schools in summer 1986, and to secondary schools in spring 1987. Many of the pupils who were seen in their primary schools were again encountered after they had completed almost two terms of secondary education. The report concluded that, while teachers worked hard to ensure pupils transferred without ill-effects, schools were not achieving effective links in all aspects of the curriculum. Moreover, while parents and governors were usually well briefed, the opinions of pupils were largely overlooked, a fact which HMI found disappointing as the majority of pupils were thoughtful, informative and articulate when discussing their transfer. Now, ten years later, there is renewed concern about pupils' academic progress when they make the transfer from primary to secondary schools.

Improving the transfer to secondary school: how every child's voice can matter

“…School staff might usefully ask themselves how much opportunity children really have to engage in two‐way conversations about moving up. For example, Morrison (2000) describes one school which uses e‐mail as a vehicle for current and upcoming students to liaise outside of the face‐to‐face induction time.…”