Transition to Post-Primary
By the time a child reaches their final years in primary school, they will be totally familiar with their school environment. They will know their teacher very well, be comfortable with most if not all of the people in their class and will probably know most of the other faces in the school too. By 6th class, they are the most senior people in their school, they will be used to being given responsibility and they tend to be looked up to by the younger pupils in the school.
We realise that moving to a new school environment in secondary school can be a daunting and challenging prospect for the pupils and the parents alike.
In St. Brigid’s, teachers of 6th class aim to help the pupils to make as smooth a transition as possible into their new secondary school through a number of ways.
-
Our close proximity to St. Paul’s Secondary School, our local secondary school, means that 6th class pupils have the opportunity throughout the year to visit the school. This takes the form of attending the annual Transition Year School Play, visiting the school grounds for sporting events and having a tour of the school towards the end of 6th class. This can be helpful for sharing information about the school, setting expectations, and also so the children get to meet the principal in advance.
-
Throughout 6th class, visits from some of the students who left 6th class the previous year, and who are now coming to the end of first year, is helpful. They tell the 6th class students about what post primary is like, what they wish they had known in advance, their tips, and answer questions.
-
6th class teachers provide sample timetables from the post primary schools and during the final term of 6th class, teach the students how to read them.
-
6th class teachers request a copy of the post primary schools’ rules and go through them with the children.
-
Pupils complete a ‘Transition to Secondary School’ workbook, which highlights some important skills and information which may be helpful for pupils transitioning from primary to post primary school.
-
Teach the words for the different subject areas e.g., home economics, business studies, modern foreign languages etc., so that the children know what the new subjects will be.
Education Passport
As well as this, The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has developed an Education Passport to support the transfer of student information from primary to post-primary school. Towards the end of 6th class, pupils will be provided with a ‘My Profile’ form which they will be asked to complete in class. Parents will also be asked to complete a ‘My Child’s Profile’ at home and to return it to the school when done.
Upon confirmation of enrolment, both of these documents, along with the child’s 6th class end of year report, will then be sent to the child’s relevant post primary school. This process enables the post primary school to evaluate the pupils as individuals and enhances the smooth transition to a new school environment.