Transition to Secondary School: Teacher Notes

1. Transition to Secondary School: Teacher Notes PHSE Resource Unit 6 Lesson activity Explain that big changes in our lives usually involve both positive anticipation and some anxiety. Emphasise that the children have coped with several big changes in their lives already – starting school/changing classes. They have already developed confidence in coping with these changes. Can they remember their first day at this school? Ask for suggestions of things that caused anxiety then. Emphasise how they developed the confidence to cope. One way to gain confidence about a big change is to find out as much as possible in advance and to prepare for it. For this reason we are going to plan ways to find out about routes to our new schools.  Explain that we are going to make a checklist of things we need to know and an action plan of how to find them out and practice and prepare for them. The first task is to identify their new school on a map. Working in pairs, talk to each other about what you already know about your new journey. Tell each other any worries you have. Use checklist to identify the things we need to find out. Share your checklist with each other.  As a whole class, share suggestions from the checklists, emphasising safety features and allow children to amend their checklist as appropriate.

2. Homework Letter to Parents Dear Parents/Carers, Year 6 are working on a transition project about Road Safety and Sustainable Travel. As part of this project, they need to think about how they are going to travel to their new secondary school in September. We have discussed the things that the children will need to think about in class and they have made a checklist of the things they need to find out. The children have been given the task of creating their travel plan as homework so that they can discuss with you what they may have found interesting in class. Please could you find time to discuss your children’s ideas and help them develop their travel plan? They may wish to visit problem areas with you or carry out a trial run. Your child has been given an extended amount of time to complete it in, they will need to hand in their travel plan on ……………………………………… It is our aim that they will use their travel plan on their visit day to their secondary school. They will be given opportunities to discuss any problems they may have faced on their trip there.

3. Individual Travel Plan template Travelling to my new school School name ………………………………….. Correct time to arrive at school ……. Time school finishes ………….. I think I will be able to use the following methods of travel (please circle - all the time / some mornings or afternoons / never): Walking all the time / some mornings or afternoons / never Cycling all the time / some mornings or afternoons / never Public bus / school bus all the time / some mornings or afternoons / never Minibus / taxi all the time / some mornings or afternoons / never Train all the time / some mornings or afternoons / never Car passenger all the time / some mornings or afternoons / never Other (…………….) all the time / some mornings or afternoons / never For the first term, my main choice of transport will be ……………………. Reasons for my choice ………………………………………………………..  I have worked out a route I can use to walk to and from school yes /no Estimate of how long it will take me travel to school …………… minutes Concerns I have ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Actions I will take to make my journey safer, healthier, or less polluting ……………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. Cycle Guide Maps Surrey cycle guides are available free from Surrey County council. As well as cycle routes, they show Surrey schools and street names, so can be really useful for pupils planning their route. Order them in advance of your lessons; for more information go to: http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/sccwebsite/sccwspages.nsf/LookupWebPagesByTITLE_RTF/Cycle+guides?opendocument Here’s a sample extract from one of the 8 guides: