As teachers and pupils across the country take a well-earned break over the summer holidays, we’re continuing with our tailor-made Transition Project to smooth the move to secondary school for a group of primary school leavers.

Through our partnership with The Headley Trust, our tutors have been supporting 134 children from seven primary schools across East Salford in Greater Manchester over the Spring and Summer Terms, building their abilities in Maths alongside their self-confidence.  Along with a special Easter Holiday Club, each pupil has had approximately 21 hours of Maths tuition to support them through their SATs.

Now, as the same pupils prepare to take the next step on their academic journey, their tuition sessions will continue, led by the same tutors they are already familiar with. The aim is to offer support and encouragement from the start of secondary school, to embed learning and develop skills to support the pupils’ studies in other subjects.

The Project has supported Year 6 pupils at Summerville Primary, Lark Hill Community Primary School, St John’s CE Primary, Marlborough Road Academy, St Paul’s CE Primary, Light Oaks Primary and The Friars Primary School. Now, as they transition into Year 7, we have been working closely with their new secondary schools, Oasis Academy MediaCityUK, Buile Hill Academy, The Albion Academy and Ellesmere Park High School to smooth that first step in September.

This week, as part of the project, we’re holding one of several Transition Days at the secondary schools, this time at Oasis Academy MediaCity.  At these special team-building days, pupils from the feeder primary schools have chance to meet their new classmates and familiarise themselves with the environment. Working with the tutors they already know well, the pupils participate in sports and fun activities, along with a refresher Maths session. The pupils’ parents are invited to attend the last hour to hear more about the project and how it will continue to support their children, as well as meeting the tutors.

And, through a pen-pal scheme, pupils will be swapping letters and sharing a little bit about themselves with another pupil who will be starting at the same school, to help them break the ice and form connections from the start of term.

Nick Bent and Abigail Shapiro, Co-Founders of Tutor Trust, are delighted to see the Transition Programme supporting so many young people. They said:

We knew, from our work in secondary schools, that we needed to create a programme to build the academic abilities of young people as they made the all-important move into Year 7. We know that helping them to become more confident in Maths can have a significant impact."

They added:

The Transition Project is about us being ambitious for our tutees, as well as ourselves.  It’s unique in bridging the gap between Primary and Secondary education for these young people. Giving them that extra support, especially after the impact of the pandemic, is needed now more than ever.”