Transfers, Transitions and Pupil Progress at KS2KS3

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Transfers, Transitions and Pupil Progress at
KS2/KS3

• Maurice Galton
• Faculty of Education University of
• Cambridge
• Pan-London Effective Practice Conference,
  Wednesday 12 October 2005

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Some key points at transfer

• Last few weeks in primary school (feelings of
  anxiety, loss, expectations etc)
• Reality of life at secondary school (status
  passage, friendships, teachers and teaching,
  ethos (rules discipline).
• Consolidation Process, becoming a professional
  secondary student.

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Some Issues at transfer

• Continuity versus discontinuity in organisation,
  socialisation, curriculum, pedagogy and
  management of learning
• Expectancy effects versus a fresh start
• Suspending judgement on behaviour versus zero
  tolerance

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Design Considerations

• How many schools? (generality v replication)
• What kind of measures (triangulation)? How often?
• Who should be involved (pupils. teachers,
  parents)? How many?
• What are the ethical issues?

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Data Collecting Measures

• Attainment KS2 tests but what at KS3?
• Attitudes Questionnaires with picture cartoons
  for triangulation?
• Teaching Observationstructured vs. participant
  or permanent record (video vs. audio-tape)?
• Other data - Interviewsindividual or groups?

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The Curriculum at KS2 Getting a Quart of
knowledge into a Pint Pot!

• Some subjects squeezed. Variations in curriculum
  time (up to 150 minutes per week)
• less time for following pupils interests (magic
  moments) because of need for coaching, revision
  booster classes etc.
• High levels of stress from SATs etc (teachers
  and pupils)
• Increased amounts of setting, homework (mainly
  English mathematics) but less informal feedback
  to pupils (homework rarely marked in pupils
  presence)
• Continuing dips in performance on transfer

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The Curriculum at KS3 Finding time for learning

• Curriculum overload, imposed targets and testing
  diminish opportunities for creative teaching
• Dealing with difficult, disengaged pupils took up
  nearly all non-contact time so little opportunity
  for reflection and development.
• KS3 strategy broadly welcomed but recommended
  structures thought to be de-motivating.
• Little evidence of cross-curricular activity
  involving core subjects.
• Macbeath Galton (2004)

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Teacher Pupil Interactions
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of Task Questions
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Pre and Post Literacy Hour Questions (KS2)
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Pupils Attitudes Motivation

• Have been monitored in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2004
• Enjoyment of school has declined, particularly
  among more able pupils.
• Attitudes to core subjects have dropped in both
  Y6 and Y7. Girls strongly dislike Y7 science.
• The nature of motivation has changed. Little
  interest in doing more than required to achieve
  necessary performance level.

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Other Recent Evidence

• Study carried out by New Economics Foundation
  (1000 pupils from one LEA)
• Only 12 of secondary pupils strongly agreed that
  school was interesting
• Only 27 of secondary pupils rated their overall
  school experience positively (65 primary)
• But the academically top-performing primary
  schools had less positive attitudes.
• Source The Guardian April 27, 2004

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Schools Approaches 1997

• Administrative Headteacher meetings, Y7
  coordinator SENCO visits to primary schools
• User Friendly Summer induction day(s), Parents
  evenings, use of drama, ICT and PE facilities
• Curriculum continuity Use of QCA bridging units,
  summer schools for gifted (arts/drama) less
  able (maths/English)
• Teaching and Learning Little activity
• Exploring and ExplainingLittle activity

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Schools Approaches Today

• Administrative Greater use of computers for
  data transfer
• User Friendly More use of pupil exchanges,
  buddies etc.
• Curriculum continuity Vast increase in use of
  Bridging Units
• Teaching and Learning Some Peer observation
• Exploring and ExplainingLittle change

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Bridging Units

• locally produced but not too many
• extend existing work rather than one-off topics
• provide meaningful context

• Must be taken seriously by teachers
• Not just about helping pupils adjust
• build in group activity

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Peer Observation

• More and more schools are encouraging exchanges
  between Y6 and Y7 teachers but there can be
  problems
• Exchanges often take place after Y6 statutory
  tests when teaching may not reflect the norm
• Informal unfocused observation can be influenced
  by expectations
• Best when focussed on specific pupils (by gender,
  ability etc)
• Look at particular transactions (challenging
  questions, peer interaction)
• Consider permanent record (video) to share with
  colleagues at follow up meeting

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Post Transfer Induction

• Some schools run induction weeks at the start of
  term
• Generally organised around form tutors
• Offers work in orientation activities, study
  skills, thinking strategies, trust exercises and
  identification of learning styles but
• Little attempt to apply what is taught in subject
  lessons so little transfer of learning

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Some Blue Skies Thinking

• Identify pupils at risk (below Level 4 in English
  and Maths or extreme behaviour problems)
• Reduce class size to 20 and increase normal Y7
  classes (e.g. 4 classes of 20 and 4 of 32).
  Provide special area
• Devote mornings to Literacy and Numeracy with
  integrated humanities
• Reduce allocated time for other subjects by half
  compared to normal Y7 classes (e.g. French1
  period science2)
• Change teaching approach employ primary trained
  teachers
• 95 of pupils gain at least one level. In Y8 they
  compete with other pupils for places in higher
  sets. Self-efficacy greatly improved

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More Blue Skies Thinking

• Reducing KS3 to Years 8 and 9 while devising a
  Year 7 programme designed to re-engage pupils in
  learning. Year 7 pupils elect as their main study
  Sports Science, Performing Arts, Design and
  Technology etc. core subjects integrated, in
  part, into these curriculum activities but more
  direct teaching in maths, science and English
  takes place in Y8 9.
• This contrasts with cases where KS3 is covered in
  Years 7 8 and GCSE begins in Year 9.

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More Blue Skies Thinking

• More integrated, topic-focused teaching in Year
  7. This involves
• A small team of teachers with the emphasis on
  learning to learn rather than learning to
  perform.
• Reduced amounts of direct teaching and increased
  use in the amounts of cooperative/ collaborative
  group work.
• Principles of Assessment for Learning used to
  provide feedback and to set targets

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Some References

• Galton, M, . Gray, J. Rudduck, J. (1999) The
  Impact of Transition and Transfer on Pupil
  Progress and Attainment, Research Report RR131,
  Nottingham DfEE Publications.
• Galton, M. (2000) Ed School Transitions and
  Transfers, Special Edition, International Journal
  of Educational Research, 33, (4).
• Hargreaves, L. Galton , M. (2002) Transfer from
  the Primary Classroom 20 Years On, London
  Routledge
• Galton, M.. MacBeath, J. (2002) A Life in
  Teaching Impact of change on primary teachers
  working lives, London NUT.
• Galton, M, . Gray, J. Rudduck, J. (2002)
  Transfer and Transitions in the Middle Years of
  Schooling (7-14) Continuities and
  Discontinuities in Learning, Research Report
  RR443, Nottingham DfEE Publications.
• Macbeath, J. and Galton, M. (2004) A Life in
  Secondary Teaching Finding Time for Learning,
  London, NUT.