It is important that children and young people experiencing a key transition, such as primary to high school, have an opportunity to engage in activities that enable them to process the endings involved with transitions, such as their relationship with their school, teachers, and classmates. It is also important that children are equipped, and supported with the tools they need to succeed in managing challenging transitions.
Catalyst offers our schools a 10-week Smart Moves transition programme aimed at Year 6, 7 and 8. This programme is based on the Resiliency Framework (adapted from Hart & Blincow with Thomas 2007), which highlights five core areas needed to increase resilience:
- Basics
- Belonging
- Learning
- Coping
- Core self
The programme was developed by Eikon, a charity based in Surrey, after schools shared that their pupils were experiencing high levels of anxiety around transition. They developed a resource based on the research around resiliency, with a particular focus on helping students to prepare for the transition from primary to secondary school. Smart Moves is a flexible programme designed to meet the needs of your school.
Their Smart Moves Year 6 & Year 7 Student Books and Teacher Guides are available to preview on the link here
The program is inspired by The Resilient Classroom Resource Pack written by Sam Taylor, Angie Hart and Hove Park School. The teacher guides include a summary of research into resilience and introduce the Resilience Framework, which is the framework Catalyst Psychology organises website resources with.
The sessions can also be delivered by teaching staff, and Eikon has training resources online. For more information on ordering the Smart Moves resources, visit the Eikon website.
Additional information and support for transitions can be found on our transitions page under ‘finding where you belong’.