Evangelou, M. and Taggart, B. and Sylva, K. and Melhuish, Edward C. and Sammons, P. and Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2008) Effective pre-school, primary and secondary education 3-14 project (EPPSE 3-14): what makes a successful transition from primary to secondary school? Project Report. Project Report. DCSF, Nottingham, UK.
Abstract
This report presents the findings of a sub-study on transitions undertaken as part of the Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education 3-14 (EPPSE 3-14 project) a major longitudinal study investigating the influence of pre-school, primary and secondary school on children’s cognitive and social/behavioural development in England. The transitions sub-study of more than 500 children and families sheds light on current transition practices and highlights what helps and hinders a successful transition. It takes into account the influence of child and family background characteristics such as socio-economic status (SES) and gender. It suggests how the transition experience could be improved to enhance the smooth continuity between primary and secondary school. By adopting a mixed methods approach, the study investigated the issues related to transition for four distinctive groups: Local Authorities, children, parents and schools. Officers in six Local Authorities were asked about the way transition was dealt with in their Authority. Children in their first term at secondary school completed a questionnaire on their thoughts and experiences of transition, and the study also sought their parents’ opinions in order to illustrate the whole family’s experience. Finally, there were twelve case studies selected from the respondents of the questionnaire because of their positive experiences of transition. These involved interviews with the children and their primary and secondary teachers. This provided further details of the systems in place that support the transition processes between school phases. The sample was drawn from children and families in the wider EPPSE project. 1190 children from the EPPSE sample made a transition at the end of the 2005-06 academic year. Responses were received from 550 children (a 46% response rate) and 569 parents (a 48% response rate) from across England drawn from 6 Local Authorities (Shire County, Inner London borough, Midlands/Metropolitan region, East Anglia area, and two authorities in the North East). Children were recruited to the case studies using stratified selection to get a balanced mix by region, gender, socio-economic status (SES) and ethnicity. A wide range of data, already available from the main EPPSE study was used to complement the analyses. The aims of the project were: • To explore transition practices and identify successes and challenges in the six Local Authorities who were part of the original EPPSE study (www.ioe.ac.uk/projects/eppe ). • To explore the processes that support pupils’ transition from primary to secondary schools and to identify any hindrances to successful transition. • To explore the experiences and perceptions of both pupils and their parents of the transition process. • To identify any background characteristics of pupils and families that are associated with more positive transitions. • To describe the specific practices that lead to positive and negative transitions (as reported by pupils and parents).
Metadata
| Item Type: | Monograph (Project Report) |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | DCSF-RR019 ISBN: 9781847750853 |
| School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Psychological Sciences |
| Research Centres and Institutes: | Children, Families and Social Issues, Institute for the Study of (Closed) |
| Depositing User: | Sarah Hall |
| Date Deposited: | 20 Oct 2015 16:05 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Aug 2023 17:19 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/13131 |
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