Whitechapel’s first-year pupils get ‘transition’ day at Swanlea Secondary after leaving primary school

Pupils going into challenging secondary education for the first time had a special day at east London’s Swanlea School to make sure they had “a smooth transition” into secondary education.

The school in Whitechapel, one of London’s most-deprived areas, held the induction session in the summer holidays for children who had left primary school, so they could meet their new secondary form tutors and their ‘Year Team’ of teachers and staff looking after their wellbeing. Then they were shown around the school grounds to get familiarise themselves.

“Making the transition from primary to secondary can be daunting,” Swanlea’s Year 7 learning co-ordinator Megan Flannery acknowledges. “We take these measures to ease their minds and gradually work them into the rhythm of a secondary school.”

The youngsters are shown their classrooms, get their lesson timetables and a ‘starter pack’ with information, expectations in behaviour, a ‘Swanlea’-branded headphone and USB combo and other goodies.

They also start basic lessons in English, maths and science, ready for the new term.

Only the new Year 7s were in school on the first day to make sure they had a smooth transition and acclimatised gradually to their new surroundings.