Supporting children who do well at primary school to stay on the path to success as they move to secondary.
How would you feel if you started secondary school as a high achiever, filled with excitement about new learning opportunities – only to be taught the same things you learnt at primary?
Bored? Frustrated? Unmotivated?
Not only do many of these children leave school without good qualifications, but those who do achieve the grades often turn down the opportunity to go to a good university because they haven’t been able to build their own sense of confidence and aspirations. In fact, a recent report found that only 2% of high-achieving disadvantaged children from 29 schools in England went on to study at a Russell Group university4.
Schools across the North of England are doing the best they can to support the most-able children to succeed and all parents want the very best for their children. But unless we all commit to helping them to thrive, as they move from primary to secondary school, they will continue to be left behind.
What works?
- Building achievement in maths, English and/or science in the first few years of secondary school.
- Establishing better ongoing communication between primary and secondary school teachers to make sure there is a consistent approach to teaching as children move between schools.
- Making sure that schools engage parents and carers as equal partners in their child’s learning during the move from primary to secondary school.
- Improving information and practice sharing between primary and secondary schools.
- Helping schools develop more supportive, holistic practices for children during the move from primary to secondary school to improve learning and reduce exclusions5.
Flying High project outcomes
SHINE currently funds Flying High projects across the North of England which aim to improve outcomes in a number of areas. The full range of outcomes is detailed in the chart below. Click the image for a more detailed breakdown.
Flying High project activities
In order to achieve these outcomes, our current Flying High programmes incorporate several elements, which vary from project to project. These are summarised below. Click the image for a more detailed breakdown.
