Every September, thousands of Year 7 pupils take one of the biggest steps of their young lives – the leap from primary to secondary school.
For many, it’s exciting. A fresh start. A world of new friendships, teachers, and opportunities.
But for others, it’s the moment where things begin to unravel.
Not because schools don’t care – but because the transition into secondary school isn’t just about new timetables and bigger buildings.
It’s emotional.
It’s social.
It’s psychological.
And when it’s not handled with care, the cracks don’t take long to show.
“We’d love to… but we just can’t afford it.”
That’s the most common thing we hear when we speak to schools about XLR8, our two-week summer transition programme for vulnerable pupils.
And we get it – budgets are tight. Every decision is a trade-off.
But let’s flip the question:
What is the cost of doing nothing?
Now, let’s talk about managed moves.
A managed move is a formal process – often the last resort – when a pupil’s behaviour or disengagement has reached crisis point.
It’s a system meant to offer a fresh start.
But for most, it signals something else:
- Early red flags missed or unsupported
- A child who never fully settled
- Pastoral teams stretched past their limits
- Families feeling unheard or disillusioned
And crucially, a sign that the early warning signs weren’t caught – or couldn’t be addressed in time.
The real cost? Around £20,000 per child per year.
But that figure doesn’t begin to cover the ripple effects:
- Morale dips across staff teams
- Classmates bear the brunt of disruption
- Trust with parents erodes
- Countless hours lost to internal meetings, paperwork, and behaviour management
- Reputation damage that can affect pupil recruitment.
This is where XLR8 comes in.
XLR8 is a two-week, targeted summer transition programme designed for the students most at risk of disengagement – those who might arrive already anxious, isolated, or unsure of where they fit.
Led by trained Health Mentors and transition specialists, XLR8 gives these pupils:
- A sense of belonging before day one
- Peer relationships that stick
- Familiarity with routines and school values
- Tools to build emotional readiness and resilience
- Supervised induction into secondary school format
It’s not just a feel-good intervention. It’s structured. Measurable. Intentional.
We use the Evolve Development Tracker (EDT) to capture every student’s growth across wellbeing, engagement, and personal development.
It shows you which pupils were most at risk.
It tracks how those risks were mitigated.
And it gives you the data to prove your investment made a real difference.
This is your Pastoral Insurance Premium – and it comes with evidence.
Now, what happens when you invest early?
When schools run XLR8, they report:
- A significant drop in attendance and punctuality issues
- Fewer internal exclusions and suspensions
- Less time spent chasing lateness and attendance
- Pupils coming to school emotionally ready
- Huge academic progress in Year 7
- Massively reduced back-to-back parent meetings
- SLT interventions significantly reduced
- Teachers with more time to teach, not firefight
These aren’t soft outcomes. They’re the difference between reaction and prevention.
If XLR8 prevents just one managed move… it’s already paid for itself.
That’s why we created Project 360
We know schools want to do more – but can’t always foot the bill.
So we’re making it possible through Project 360 – a national initiative to support 360 vulnerable pupils by:
- Partnering schools with values-led businesses willing to co-fund
- Matching your contribution with external funding
- Providing the EDT free for your entire Year 7 cohort
- Tracking impact long after summer ends
Because no child should fall through the cracks before they’ve even begun.
Ready to Explore What This Could Look Like?
We’re not here to pitch.
We’re here to support – and build partnerships that change lives.
Get in touch for a short conversation:
dan.bell@evolvesi.com
Or start small: download our free Voice of New Pupils Survey Pack here to hear what your students are already trying to tell you.
