Primary teachers & parents: what’s so essential about Year 6? (lockdown easing)

Leaks in the press are suggesting that Year 6 will be the first kids to return to school, as they have essential learning to do, to support secondary school transition.
As a parent of one of these children, I thought the second half of year 6 was about SATs, an off site residential, a visit from a teacher from big school and generally slacking off for the last few weeks. All seems pretty non-essential to me when, when SATS are cancelled (not that I thought they were worth anything) and the residential won’t happen. I know the government has to start somewhere but the logic for year 6 over Y1-5 doesn’t seem that obvious to me. Bikeability and SexEd was planned in, but what else?

Goldilocks kids… too young to leave at home when parents go back to commuting… old enough to understand the new social distancing measures in place at school (a theory that probably won’t survive the first week back).

Years R-5 are walking biohazards at the best of times. Year 6 might stand a slight chance in being less of a petri dish maybe?

Surely its about the transition in to big school? They think they’re big kids now but will soon be the babies again!

They will still need to be assessed to see what groups they need to start in even it’s not called SATS, although this could be done at high school…..

Goldilocks kids… too young to leave at home when parents go back to commuting… old enough to understand the new social distancing measures in place at school (a theory that probably won’t survive the first week back).

my thoughts too.

Years R-5 are walking biohazards at the best of times. Year 6 might stand a slight chance in being less of a petri dish maybe?

They are indeed, but when it comes to Covid it seems they’re remarkably resistant to contracting and carrying the Virus. The WHO specifically mentioned the under 10s as very low risk.

I’m a year 6 teacher and funnily enough was helping plan some of Year 7 curriculum for a school expansion this year.

Basically, don’t worry. Then big difference between primary and secondary is style. No class teacher, different rooms constantly, smallest in the school. A bigger issue is not the learning but the social and behavioural skills of individuals and the group.

Year 7 teachers seem to have a constant belief that primary teachers have missed loads of the curriculum out anyway! Forgetting, of course, that they are 11 and have just had 6-8 weeks off…

Basically, don’t worry about it. They will have “missed” some stuff, but their brains will also be 6 months older to allow them to catch up easier. Most of Year 7 is actually improving at KS2 things with only a relatively small amount added. Much as going from Y5 to Y6 in primary which you’ll be more aware of. It’s important to keep expectations the same medium and long term term.

You’re completely right. Year 6 over 1-5 doesn’t make sense except that policy makers see Y6 as an exam year due to SATs – the most pointless of things.

They will still need to be assessed to see what groups they need to start in even it’s not called SATS, although this could be done at high school…..

No they dont, primary teachers can just tell us.

I dont get why yr6 need to go back rather than 5 or whatever. Its not like the transition visits to secondary schools will be able to happen anyway.

Surely its about the transition in to big school?

This. I have two girls in year 6 and the thought of them being taken out of a safe primary school environment and suddenly flung into ‘big school’ without any preparation was pretty scary. I couldn’t give a stuff about them falling behind with learning or anything like that – it’s all about doing something to try to prepare them for the huge leap into secondary school.

The WHO specifically mentioned the under 10s as very low risk.

Risk of what? Contracting carrying, spreading or death? Could you show the source?

Year 6? SATs?

You foreigners are weird.

They will still need to be assessed to see what groups they need to start in even it’s not called SATS, although this could be done at high school…..

No they dont, primary teachers can just tell us.

I agree. I maybe should have said this should be done at high shcool, rather than could be done….

Aren’t SATS a swizz anyway? Primary Schools want them to be as high as possible for their league tables, Secondary Schools want them low so they can show how much they’ve ‘improved’ the children in the time they are with them.

And perhaps the government are being lobbied by Limo hire companies! :-)

The WHO specifically mentioned the under 10s as very low risk.

This seems to be a bit contentious and misreported from what I have seen. Very low rates of needing assistance from medical intervention and death but actually contracting it too? Evidence for that looks very thin given the vast majority of people tested globally are those with symptoms.

Totally anecdotal but my sister is right in the middle of this from a science perspective and what she does for a living. She got it herself and was bed bound feeling properly poorly but not enough to trouble a hospital (described it as the worst flu she had ever had). More out of curiosity (and access to the kit) she tested herself and she did indeed have it. Her young daughter complained of having it too and my sister thought she was just being childishly empathetic as in every other way she was a living breathing embodiment of health and energy. Sure enough she did actually have it. Just a mini mobile symptom free carrier.

Year 7 teachers seem to have a constant belief that primary teachers have missed loads of the curriculum out anyway

assuming year 7 is first year of secondary then for science it’s a fact lol

Very low rates of needing assistance from medical intervention and death but actually contracting it too

Nothing to stop kids from being infected but it’s to do with the immune reaction that kids show. low level of inflammation so they don’t get the same problems that older people do hence the low level symptoms.

Nothing to stop kids from being infected but it’s to do with the immune reaction that kids show. low level of inflammation so they don’t get the same problems that older people do hence the low level symptoms.

So exactly like I said then ;-) (but not what P-jay inferred above which prompted my post))

Surely its about the transition in to big school?

But if the secondary schools are still closed, how are transition days going to happen? From what I can tell (having a year six son) this is the *least* important year to go back. Their curriculum is done.

But if the secondary schools are still closed

They are not going to be closed forever – there will still be a first day for them at some point.

how are transition days going to happen?

They are going to do whatever they can. The school our girls are going to has just filmed a virtual tour of the school which they are sharing, and all the kids are going to get one-on-one video calls with their form tutors.

From what I can tell (having a year six son) this is the *least* important year to go back.

As I said earlier, I have year six children (two girls) and I think that *emotionally* it is by far the most important year.

They are not going to be closed forever – there will still be a first day for them at some point.

Agreed, but likely just Yr 10 back initially, and then not every day – spread out over course of the week.

Year 6-7 transition is really important and will require significant planning. Most kids, however, are more resilient than we think.

They will still need to be assessed to see what groups they need to start in

They can easily either speak to their primary school or put them in mixed groups to assess for the first few weeks with differentiated work.

assuming year 7 is first year of secondary then for science it’s a fact lol

Yes, year 7 is the first year of secondary school (!). Always funny when a secondary teacher comes to look at a year 6 class and always remarks “they can do that when they come to year 7”. Yep, 11 years olds, summer holidays, new teacher, bemoan their previous learning!

the thought of them being taken out of a safe primary school environment and suddenly flung into ‘big school’ without any preparation was pretty scary

I’m not sure what you expect primary schools to do here! They are being flung into a new school regardless of coronavirus or not….! We don’t do much specific y7 prep – sometimes they go and visit their new school/tutor but then that’s by definition not done by the primary school! We don’t run prep sessions for secondary and their school new school has new year 7s every year and so are prepared for their needs. Finishing year 6 will make no difference to transition – except maybe a bit of reassurance given rather than worrying them, I guess. Year 6 kids going to year 7 after a break happens every year. Don’t worry!

I’m not sure what you expect primary schools to do here! They are being flung into a new school regardless of coronavirus or not….!

I don’t *expect* anyone to do anything, but there are clear plans made to help children with the transition which seem sensible, well thought out and helpful to the children. This year all the year 6s are going to miss out on transition days, meeting their form teachers and year heads both in their existing school and in the new school setting, socialising with other children that will become their new schoolmates (our school had been planning two sports days and a summer bbq). They will miss out on the emotional support their current year 6 teachers would have given them and miss out on the ability to discuss their feelings within their current yeargroup in social settings. They will miss out on being able to say goodbye to their old school and miss out on doing the school leavers play they had already been planning.

Yes, year 7 is the first year of secondary school (!)

So S1 then, the year after P7?

@perchypanther sorry I should have made it clear in the OP I was referring to England, rather than the rest of the UK who set their own rules.
Here’s a translation:

Children in Scotland complete seven years of primary school, starting in P1 (the equivalent of Reception classes in England), going up to P7 (the equivalent of Year 7 in England). After this, they do six years of secondary school from S1 to S6 (equivalent to Y8 to Y13 in England).

@hugo

Finishing year 6 will make no difference to transition

My thoughts exactly, good to hear it from a Y6 teacher

They are going to do whatever they can. The school our girls are going to has just filmed a virtual tour of the school which they are sharing, and all the kids are going to get one-on-one video calls with their form tutors.

Exactly. No need to be back in school premises for this.

Having watched our two and their respective cohorts go through the transition to secondary, a lot depends on the parents.

If they are the kind who go through a box of tissues as the year 6 residential bus drives off to the Isle of Wight in June, and texts their kids every day they are away, then the kids probably need some support and extra time to see the secondary school in action. Just so they can go home and slap their parents into realising they probably won’t be eaten alive on the first day.

Year 6-7 transition is really important and will require significant planning. Most kids, however, are more resilient than we think.

I can imagine a more staggered intake in september, maybe starting a few days earlier with 7’s to get them settled before the rabble arrive.

I can imagine a more staggered intake in september, maybe starting a few days earlier with 7’s to get them settled before the rabble arrive.

Yeah we do this anyway, but it could easily be extended for an extra couple of days.

If it helps a similar thing was being touted in Scotland for P7 (equiv to Y6), who will transition to new schools in Aug. I also have one in that camp and was surprised. I’m not sure it makes any accademic difference if they go back in June or August, and we dont have any SAT crap so it can’t be as simple as “being an exam year”.

So here are two possibilities:

1. Some education experts / psychologists have input on the idea and suggested that it is important for them to feel they have completed primary school, transitioned in some sort of organised manner and potentially said “goodbye” to the school and possibly friends. Thats all a bit fluffy, but I could see some merit in that argument knowing my daughter and her classmates. Add to that the culture shock in going from home schooling to whole new school and it could be about their ability to settle and learn being smoother with a brief spell of normality rather than in at the deep end.

2. Actually the ones who go back now* are the ones who are going back in August too, and the rest will still not be going back… Would be a huge challenge to start secondary school remotely for the first time.

Either that, or someone has done some number crucnhing and:

Bikeability and SexEd was planned in

These two seemingly add on topics are actually going to have a long lasting impact on people’s health, well being etc…

* Assuming any do, and its not actually after summer that the discussion is about!

My wife is assistant head at a secondary school and is heavily involved in year 6 transition.
A lot of their current planning is about how to manage this transition depending on what the government decides to allow. The step from primary to secondary school is given a lot of attention as it can be really important for some kids. Many kids will happily just waltz into a new environment but some will not. Being able to liaise with the children on a one to one basis and also speak to their teachers and parents, helps identify who’s going to need extra help and how best to give it. It’s one of the ways in which schools have improved since our generation.

Can’t see that this has anything to do with transition. Big red herring.
The year six children are the peer group leaders of primary.
It will be a lot,lot easier for years 5 down to R to follow these children back than for any of them to go first.
And they are the ones that Boris needs to go back to get people back to work.
It’s for the economy, not the children.

Being able to liaise with the children on a one to one basis and also speak to their teachers and parents, helps identify who’s going to need extra help and how best to give it. It’s one of the ways in which schools have improved since our generation

Absolutely right. This is what makes transitioning, especially for focus children, successful. The strange wrinkle is that it doesn’t really involve Year 6, it’s led by the secondary school. It more important that they can go to meet their new teacher(s) in Y7 as well as the staff of the two schools communicating effectively. In fact, the Y6 doing a great handover to Y7 is more important than the child themselves going in.

Going back for the end of Year 6 isn’t where this happens…!

Exactly this.

If it was actually about year 6 transition then it would involve an early, part time, start to secondary school to get to know some teachers, some cohort, and surroundings.
Splitting the year group in half and doing some half days while it’s quiet. it could be a bit like some school schools do with the nursery to reception transition.

If it was actually about year 6 transition then it would involve an early, part time, start to secondary school to get to know some teachers, some cohort, and surroundings.
Splitting the year group in half and doing some half days while it’s quiet. it could be a bit like some school schools do with the nursery to reception transition.

That’s what happens round here – several sessions at the secondary schools through the summer term from after school activities to three consecutive days, then they go back in September a day or two ahead of the rest. I assumed that was pretty standard these days

All secondary schools will have an extensive transition programme; ours includes taster days in the summer term, parent evenings, a week’s summer school for the most vulnerable and a staggered start in Sept with just Year 7 in on day 1. Plus visits by SENCO and HOY to primaries to meet class teachers, family interviews with their new tutor etc.

Obviously lots of this will have to change, but I’m sure schools, parents and children will all adapt.

Yes, year 7 is the first year of secondary school (!). Always funny when a secondary teacher comes to look at a year 6 class and always remarks “they can do that when they come to year 7”. Yep, 11 years olds, summer holidays, new teacher, bemoan their previous learning!

I can only comment from what I have seen on Scotland and it seems to be a common theme.

I don’t think you get what I’m saying.
I understand what the standard procedure has been pre covid, I’m suggesting something different would be more appropriate IF it was actually about the children.

Year 6 have finished their curriculum and sats aren’t happening. They don’t need more from primary school.

I’m saying that if them making it easier for them starting secondary is the priority, finish their school year now and move them up part time after half term. They could go in as split classes of ten on a rolling three week rota and make contacts , start meeting teachers and other people and finding their way round in a less crowded safer environment. September’s problems of finding places and new routines could be a lot less stressful without hundreds of others walking on autopilot.
There’s the opportunity to make it easier for them in the next term, and some teachers.

A planning process that goes:

What’s best for the children?
Which children do we prioritise?
How can we do this?

…does not produce a solution like the one the one being “leaked”.

More like:

What’s best for the economy? Primary back first, greatest dependency

How do we do this? Year six lead them back to their old school as peer group leaders and test systems.

How do we spin this?
Dom’s got this…

Year 6 are old enough that there’s at least some chance of them doing social distancing. But not so old as to be impractical to replace if they all die.