Whilst we are eagerly waiting for some positive news about a new SEND strategy and school funding formulae, more pupils are refusing school, hiding in school corridors, and causing chaos in classrooms. Even more sadly, young people continue to be stabbed and killed within the communities we serve. 

Like me, many of you have already taken matters into your own hands rather than wait for politicians or civil servants to come to our rescue. One of the ways in which Evolve is addressing some of these acute and systemic educational challenges is with our Year 7 transition programme.

This critical period for children and young people is when vulnerabilities are exposed and support systems are often too slow to catch them before they fall. Transition days, parent meetings and SATs results are sometimes the only activities possible and information sources available for secondary schools. 

I have not spoken to a secondary head yet who has not wanted to make use of our transition mentoring programme in primary schools, followed by a summer holiday course and targeted mentoring in their receiving school by the same educational consultant in the Autumn Term. Equally, not one primary school head has declined our offer to support their graduating Year 6 cohort with this effective intervention during the summer term after SATs.

This year we are providing secondary schools with rich datasets about pupil wellbeing and how this is impacting on their self efficacy, mindset and school performance. This valuable information allows secondary schools to put interventions in place for pupils who need them, and before their behaviors become more difficult to manage or change. 

So why aren’t more schools collaborating on meaningful and impactful transition programmes like this? 

• Accountability?
• Available staffing resources? 
• Funding?
• Management bandwidth?
• Status quo?
• Inertia?
• All of the above?

I am not confident that the chronic challenge of Year 7 transition will feature in the DfEs latest list of priorities. However, I am confident that many passionate, rebellious and innovative school leaders will find creative ways to put these safety nets up early, and stretch them wide enough to catch every young person who falls.