Secondary school transfer transition session

Focus: Making the right choices at secondary school

LO: I can identify the choices I will be faced with at secondary school and identify their impact on me

SC: I will have been successful if I can;

Identify choices that add value to my future

Know that positive choices improve the reliability, credibility and trust others have in me

Consider the consequences my action have and know how to turn them around.

Part 1

Display this on the IWB:

Handing in my homework / Turning up to class late

Q. Imagine yourself at secondary school, discuss what will happen in each of these situations. (discussion groups)

Feedback from the children and collect responses. Encourage children to identify impact on themselves and others and the celebrations or consequences that each may reap.

Q. Which one will build up the trust and credibility your tutor will have in you? How? Why? (Share with them the importance of being reliable and repeatedly making the right choice opens doors of responsibility to you etc)

Q. Which one will ensure the adults in your secondary school may lose trust in you? (Identify that despite the fact this may have happened by accident – arriving late to class, there is a way to handle this situation to ensure that the trust and credibility you hold does not decrease too much)

Part 2

Invite children to label the headlines for each column

e.g.

Positive choices Negative choices/scenarios

In table groups give children 7 mins to come up with as many things that can happen at secondary school that can go in to both columns. Actively encourage children to share all sorts and not just the obvious ones as any ones they have that are the same as another groups wont count later. Each group needs to come up with a minimum of 8 things per column, as there will need to be 60+ altogether for the whole class to make two each as a minimum.

Children can record each thing on a post it note as a table (maybe nominate a scribe to support recording)

Children to consider all eventualities e.g. their journey to school, lunchtime. They should reflect on what they know works for them at here at primary school and therefore what will continue to be a positive choice for them at secondary school e.g. contributing learning by putting your hand up.

At the end of the 7 minutes children should be invited up in turn to contribute one for each side – other groups should take their post it off their table if it has already been offered on to the board by another table (to ensure the choices contributed are all different)

Where necessary questions about the negative/positive impact should be explored and put in to a suitable context or celebrated for their positive thinking.

Part 3

Introduce the Secondary School Choices Top Trump Challenge.

Show children to example top trump card for Texting in class.

Discuss the catergories that each decision is assessed through;

Reaction from the teacher

Merit from teachers

Impact on your future

Sensible grade

Share the grades within each section on the sheet with each table and explain that each activity will need to have four scores attached to it.

(The italics on each category help the child to know how they would win)

Give children two (minimum) blank Top Trump cards.

Explain that each child will need to choose a positive and a negative choice each – children should choose one from each section off the board to ensure that there are no duplicates. (as a minimum) and they will need to give their choice card a title (like the example), then draw a suitable picture in the box to illustrate the choice and then grade each of the four catergories accurately to show their understanding and levels of maturity about the realistic consequences for the choices.

During the time when children are assessing against the 4 catergories for each of their choices there is a huge opportunity for discussion, peer mentoring and class discussions. Adults should listen and evaluate how well a child reflects and considers on how they can improve a poor choice e.g. they know to speak to their head of year, they know to make an appointment to speak to their tutor or learning mentor etc. As well as an opportunity to guide and consider who needs additional support and what topics, worries or areas will need to be followed up in additional secondary school transfer lessons.

Choice grades for the Top Trump Cards

Reaction of the teacher:

When playing the game if you choose this category then the more positive the reaction that player wins the card.

Head of Year celebration

Celebration call home to your family

Merit points

Praise in front of your classmates

Smile

Frown

Shouted at by a teacher

Sent out of class

Put on report

Lunchtime detention

After school detention

Sent out for a consequence to head of year

Parents called in for a meeting

Excluded

Merit from teachers:

The higher the merit points that player wins the card.

5 merit points

4 merit points

3 merit points

2 merit points

1 merit point

0 merit points

Impact on your future:

The better the impact on your future the more trust you earn from the adults. The better the impact that player wins the card.

Makes adults consider me for prefect or head pupil

Makes adults consider me for a key responsibility

Adults know they can trust me

Adults are unsure if I am reliable or trustworthy

Adults are not likely to ask for my help/involvement

I am known as a trouble-maker

I am considered a poor role model

Adults have little trust in me

Adults think I am a bad influence on others

Sensible grade:

The higher the sensible grade that player wins the card

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Very Not at all