The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A large number <strong>of</strong> people have contributed to this review. We are grateful for the considerable efforts they (<strong>and</strong> their organisations) have made to ensure that we secured as upto-date a picture as possible <strong>of</strong> the work currently going on in this country. A list <strong>of</strong> the schools, LEAs <strong>and</strong> other organisations who went out <strong>of</strong> their way to help us is contained at the back <strong>of</strong> this report. We should also like to thank the members <strong>of</strong> the project’s steering group for their support <strong>and</strong> the teachers <strong>and</strong> LEA <strong>of</strong>ficers who have attended discussion groups we have run on the themes <strong>of</strong> transfer <strong>and</strong> transition. <strong>Transitions</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Transfers</strong>: A Review Our colleagues Chris Comber, Helen Demetriou, Julia Flutter, Linda Hargreaves <strong>and</strong> Tony Pell helped with aspects <strong>of</strong> the review whilst Alan Russell worked on the final documents. 4
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <strong>Transitions</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Transfers</strong>: A Review <strong>The</strong> DfEE commissioned this literature <strong>and</strong> effective practice review on the effects on pupils’ progress <strong>of</strong> two related experiences: the move from one school to another (transfer) <strong>and</strong> the move from one year group to the next within a school (transition). <strong>The</strong> main purposes <strong>of</strong> the review were to clarify whether the research evidence for dips in progress at these critical moments was conclusive <strong>and</strong> to identify any successful strategies for raising <strong>and</strong> maintaining st<strong>and</strong>ards across transition <strong>and</strong> transfer. <strong>The</strong> review was particularly concerned with pupils’ progress at Key Stage 2 <strong>and</strong> with the ‘dip’ post Key Stage 2 where much <strong>of</strong> the existing research has been focused; however, it also took account <strong>of</strong> the smaller but growing body <strong>of</strong> evidence post Key Stage 1. In addition to reviewing existing research (mostly from the UK <strong>and</strong> the United States) the team approached schools <strong>and</strong> LEAs; national agencies such as OFSTED <strong>and</strong> QCA also provided valuable information. Overview In the last two decades a great deal has been achieved. Transition as well as transfer is now on the agenda. Transfer is better organised from the point <strong>of</strong> view <strong>of</strong> teachers, pupils <strong>and</strong> parents. <strong>The</strong> induction process has become more user-friendly with the result that fewer pupils experience anxiety about the move to the new school <strong>and</strong> those that emerge tend to be short-lived. Much, however, remains to be done in seeking to overcome the more intractable problems to do with curriculum continuity <strong>and</strong> teaching <strong>and</strong> learning. <strong>School</strong>s will need to redirect some <strong>of</strong> their present efforts towards achieving a better balance between social <strong>and</strong> academic concerns at transfer as well as at various transition points, <strong>and</strong> in the process, give greater attention to pupils’ accounts <strong>of</strong> why they lose ground or lose interest at these critical moments. <strong>The</strong> focus <strong>of</strong> activity in the past has been on the ‘exits <strong>and</strong> entrances years’ but the review suggests that in future attention needs to be directed more evenly across the whole <strong>of</strong> the middle years <strong>of</strong> each phase <strong>of</strong> schooling as pupils move from one year to another. <strong>The</strong> recommended interventions - which are spelled out in the body <strong>of</strong> the report - are designed to support schools in sustaining pupils’ progress <strong>and</strong> motivation at critical points in their school careers <strong>and</strong> in rescuing pupils who are seriously at risk <strong>of</strong> falling behind or <strong>of</strong> ‘dropping out’ <strong>and</strong> failing. Key points emerging from the study In relation to transfer • Most <strong>of</strong> the research <strong>and</strong> reported activities have focused on the personal <strong>and</strong> social effects <strong>of</strong> transfer on pupils. Only a small number <strong>of</strong> studies, including one or two by LEAs, have considered the impact <strong>of</strong> these changes on pupils’ academic progress. 5
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The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment

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