One School, Many Phases, A Seamless Journey
By Martin Nugent • 2024-10-27
Plan transitions as a learning sequence and pupils will arrive ready.
Case Study • One School, Many Phases, A Seamless Journey
The gap between Year 6 and Year 7 can feel like a cliff. We turned it into a slope with a cross phase approach that protected learning and wellbeing.
A joint team mapped curriculum handovers, agreed non negotiable routines and ran shared projects. Year 6 and Year 7 teachers observed one another and built progression maps for knowledge and vocabulary.
Assessment at the end of Year 6 was designed to inform the start of Year 7. Parents met form tutors ahead of summer. Induction became a series rather than a single day. Mentoring sessions occurred in week one and week three.
Pupil voice shaped adjustments. Homework was simplified for the first fortnight while reading routines were established.
Behaviour incidents fell in the first half term. Reading scores held steady instead of dipping. Parents expressed higher confidence and staff found planning easier with clearer information.
Why it works: structured transition that prioritises curriculum continuity, routines and relationships is associated with better wellbeing and attainment in English settings.
Context
This work began with a clear problem of practice and a simple test: could we see visible change in classrooms within two weeks? We focused on routines that staff could implement reliably and we removed anything that did not serve teaching time.
What we changed
- Clear non‑negotiables: we set a small number of behaviours and rehearsed them with staff until they became ordinary.
- Coaching not courses: short cycles tied to live units, with leaders visiting briefly and often.
- Evidence we would actually use: pupil work, short pulses and calm pacing in lessons.
Human moments
There were small turning points that mattered. A parent at the gate who needed clarity more than language. A new colleague who practised the opening five minutes of a lesson twice with a mentor and walked in confident the next day. These moments turned strategy into culture.
Impact
- More consistent routines reduced lost learning time.
- Curriculum conversations became specific and useful.
- Pupil work showed clearer modelling and better independent practice.
Why this works
Approaches that combine clarity, coaching and aligned assessment are associated with stronger outcomes in UK and international settings. They help teachers do fewer things well and sustain improvement over time.
Lessons for leaders and investors
- Invest in transition design using shared language, aligned routines and purposeful bridging curriculum between phases.
- Align safeguarding and pastoral systems so families experience one coherent school, not separate institutions.
- Build cross-phase subject communities to protect progression and prevent repetition or gaps in key knowledge.
- Plan facilities and timetables to ensure age-appropriate spaces, supervision and movement that supports learning.
- Monitor continuity through transition data: attendance, behaviour and progress patterns around key transfer points.
Sources and further reading
Selected links to expand on the themes in this article.