Transfer from primary school to secondary school

Transfer from primary school to secondary school
of children (43/50) SENCOs felt it was necessary to differentiate the curriculum to meet
the young people’s educational needs. Typically this was in terms of using different
teaching strategies (95%) and the provision of extra support time (96%). There was a
general consensus that the children’s educational needs were being met - except in the
case of speech and language where 17% reported that children were not having their
needs met.

The responses of Year 6 and Year 7 teachers were compared to examine the
congruence between their views. Teachers in Year 6 were more likely to predict that
children would have academic difficulties (X² = 6.23, df=1 p<.05), social difficulties
(X² = 9.0,df = 1 p <.01), self esteem problems (X² = 7.36, df=1 p <.01) difficulties adapting
to a new school (X² =10.29,df=1 p <.01) and difficulties in changing classrooms (X² =14.0,
df=1 p <.001) than was reported by the teachers in Year 7.

Neither whether support was provided nor type of support (in class or
withdrawal) varied across the two years. In contrast in Year 7 children were significantly
more likely to have support for the whole day (54% v. 37%). There were no differences
in the children who had the whole curriculum differentiated across the two years (X²=
0.137, df =1 ns). Nor did differentiation strategies differ between Year 6 and Year 7 in
terms of easier work (X²=0.005,df=1 ns), use of specialist materials (X² = 0.112, df=1
ns), use of computer time (X²=0.172, df=1 ns) or use of special programmes (X²=.974,df
= 1 ns). However SENCOs in secondary schools were statistically significantly more
likely to say that they used different teaching strategies (X²=8.92, df=1 p <.01) and no
Year 6 SENCO reported setting different objectives as a teaching strategy.

Discussion

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