Transition to Secondary School: Teacher Notes

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Transition to Secondary School Teacher Notes
PHSE Resource Unit 6
Lesson activity   Explain that big changes in our
lives usually involve both positive anticipation
and some anxiety. Emphasise that the children
have coped with several big changes in their
lives already starting school/changing classes.
They have already developed confidence in coping
with these changes. Can they remember their first
day at this school? Ask for suggestions of
things that caused anxiety then. Emphasise how
they developed the confidence to cope. One way to
gain confidence about a big change is to find out
as much as possible in advance and to prepare for
it. For this reason we are going to plan ways to
find out about routes to our new
schools.  Explain that we are going to make a
checklist of things we need to know and an action
plan of how to find them out and practice and
prepare for them. The first task is to identify
their new school on a map. Working in pairs, talk
to each other about what you already know about
your new journey. Tell each other any worries
you have. Use checklist to identify the things
we need to find out. Share your checklist with
each other.  As a whole class, share suggestions
from the checklists, emphasising safety features
and allow children to amend their checklist as
appropriate.  
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Homework Letter to Parents

• Dear Parents/Carers,
•  
• Year 6 are working on a transition project about
  Road Safety and Sustainable Travel. As part of
  this project, they need to think about how they
  are going to travel to their new secondary school
  in September. We have discussed the things that
  the children will need to think about in class
  and they have made a checklist of the things they
  need to find out.
•  
• The children have been given the task of
  creating their travel plan as homework so that
  they can discuss with you what they may have
  found interesting in class. Please could you
  find time to discuss your childrens ideas and
  help them develop their travel plan? They may
  wish to visit problem areas with you or carry out
  a trial run.
•  
• Your child has been given an extended amount of
  time to complete it in, they will need to hand in
  their travel plan on
•  
• It is our aim that they will use their travel
  plan on their visit day to their secondary
  school. They will be given opportunities to
  discuss any problems they may have faced on their
  trip there.

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Individual Travel Plan template
Travelling to my new school School name
.. Correct time to arrive at school
. Time school finishes ..   I think
I will be able to use the following methods of
travel (please circle - all the time / some
mornings or afternoons / never) Walking all the
time / some mornings or afternoons /
never Cycling all the time / some mornings or
afternoons / never Public bus / school bus all
the time / some mornings or afternoons /
never Minibus / taxi all the time / some
mornings or afternoons / never Train all the
time / some mornings or afternoons / never Car
passenger all the time / some mornings or
afternoons / never Other (.) all the time /
some mornings or afternoons / never   For the
first term, my main choice of transport will be
. Reasons for my choice
..  I have worked out a
route I can use to walk to and from school
yes /no Estimate of how long it will take me
travel to school minutes Concerns I have
. Acti
ons I will take to make my journey safer,
healthier, or less polluting
..


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Cycle Guide Maps
Surrey cycle guides are available free from
Surrey County council. As well as cycle routes,
they show Surrey schools and street names, so can
be really useful for pupils planning their
route. Order them in advance of your lessons for
more information go to http//www.surreycc.gov.uk
/sccwebsite/sccwspages.nsf/LookupWebPagesByTITLE_R
TF/Cycleguides?opendocument Heres a sample
extract from one of the 8 guides