Nursery and Primary : Transition Nursery – Primary – Secondary

The transition from one school cycle to the next (nursery/primary school/secondary school) is a great challenge for the pupils. On the one hand, there is great joy about the next step and the expectations associated with it, but on the other, there is also a certain uncertainty. 

It is the responsibility of both the school and the parents to ensure that this transition is as smooth and successful as possible.

Transition Nursery – Primary Cycle

It is important to prepare nursery school students gently for their entry into P1. 

Many activities and exchanges are therefore organized between teachers in the nursery and primary cycles in order to familiarize young pupils with their new class in primary school.  

A visit to the primary school is organized throughout the year to discover the different premises and the playground. 

Various workshops (sports, artistic and manual work, cooking, album discoveries, educational games, etc.) at different times of the year are also offered to kindergarten students so that they have a more concrete idea of how primary school works and so that they can build a positive and welcoming image of this new school. 

The meeting with primary school teachers is also important so that the children can forge links and start school in September under the best possible conditions. 

Transition P5 - S1

The following is an overview of the main activities aimed at facilitating the transition of students from primary to secondary school. 

 

1) Harmonisation of class groups in the language sections  

The P5 cycle coordinator will transmit before the end of February the list of pupils per class (creation of groups A, B, C of the language sections with a high population) – The criteria for forming these groups class A, B (possibly C) being the following 

  • Balancing the distribution of girls and boys 
  • Group children with a good compatibility between them 
  • Try to homogenise the level of the pupils in a group. 

 

2) Harmonisation of language groups L2/L3  

The cycle S1 coordinator undertakes to create the L2/L3 language groups according to the established criteria  (number of children per group – ratio girl/boy – balance of the number of pupils from each section per group – minimum of 2 pupils from the same language section per group – balance of the number of SWALS per group – balance of the number of ISA per group – balance of the number of new pupils per group… The revision of the L2/L3 groups by the P5 teachers should be finalised, ideally, by the end of June (introduction of the new pupils in the groups).  

 

3) Participation of S1s in a secondary class  

From April until June 2020, P5 students, by language section, will visit secondary school classes and attend some lessons for at least two periods + 1 period for the guided tour – This meeting will be organised by the national secondary representative in agreement with the teachers available to participate in this action and the S1 education advisor for the guided tour.  

 

4) Visit of two S1 students to a P5 class  

One boy and one girl from each S1 language section class visit the corresponding P5 language section class in the presence of the S1 educational advisor – Power point presentation on the differences between P5 and S1 and question and answer exchange with the P5 pupils on the adventure of entering S1 and how this first year of secondary school experience and adaptation has been for them This meeting lasts on average 35 minutes. The organisation of this visit will be done according to the timetable of the P5 and S1 students.  

 

5) Visit of P5 teachers in S1 secondary.  

The P5 teacher will be invited to attend S1 classes (Maths, L1, SCI, CHS…) to see what is done in secondary school and the teaching approach used. This visit could take place during the P5 teachers’ free time. 

 

6) Visit of future S1 head teachers to P5 classes.  

The teachers for whom an S1 class will be allocated in 2020-2021 will be invited to visit the P5 classes they will have in S1 as early as May to meet the pupils in general and more specifically to discuss with the P5 teacher the ISA pupils. A schedule of visits by secondary teachers will be drawn up by the S1 cycle coordinator in discussion with the P5 coordinator. 

 

7) P5 parents’ evening in the village hall  

 

8) Visit to the infirmary  

P5 pupils will visit the secondary school infirmary – meeting with the nurse. 

 

10) P5/S1 sports day  

A sports day (in the morning) will be organised with the help of the P5/S1 teachers to allow interaction between the P5s and the S1s – this half day will be complemented by a break lunch between the P5s and the S1s. 

 

13) S5 class councils  

S5 class councils will be monitored by the S1 cycle coordinator and the secondary class support coordinator in June.  

 

14) UNICEF Millennium walk  

 

15) Pedagogical Café 

As last year, an evening could be organised between secondary and primary teachers for a transfer of pedagogical skills and discussions on different pedagogical themes (teaching methods, cross-curricular activities etc.).