Research Programme

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Transition from Primary to Secondary School for Children in Care and Enquiry into Good Practice for and by Virtual Schools.

 

Kerry Lawrence and Rachael Pryor May 2025

 

Introduction

The move from Primary to Secondary School is a significant milestone in any child’s life, offering new opportunities, new challenges and new relationships. However, for many children the period of transition can be daunting, particularly for our Children in Care. The impact of their traumatic life experiences requires that we consider the barriers that are faced to a successful transition. This article sets out to review the research within this area, to highlight and promote the good practice for transition and the key changes that need to happen to ensure that our children remain on track. By considering changes at an individual, local and national level, the influence of the Virtual School is identified as pivotal in securing the best outcomes for the Children in Care.

The Authors

Kerry Lawerence is an education professional with over 25 years of experience, she has dedicated her career to supporting and enhancing the learning journeys of students, ensuring that any vulnerabilities that may be seen as a barrier to accessing education are removed and the best outcomes are achieved for learners. With experience in leadership, Safeguarding and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, her postgraduate studies at Bath Spa University, through the National Association of Virtual School Heads (NAVSH) postgraduate course, have further deepened her understanding and expertise in this field. Kerry is currently, the Deputy Headteacher at Worcestershire Virtual School.

Dr Rachael Pryor has been in education since qualifying as a primary teacher in 1992. Her master’s studies focused on inclusion, coaching and school leadership.  Rachael has had various roles in education including Headship, Virtual School Headship and Local Authority Head of Service. Recently Rachael was awarded a Doctorate in Education for her research study of Perspectives of transition from primary to Secondary School by children in care and their Corporate Parents.

Evidence Gathering

Rachael’s research for her doctoral thesis examined how Children in Care (CiC) perceive the transition they have made from Primary to Secondary School and how they responded to transition. The purpose of the research was to amplify the authentic voice of the child and enable adults to contribute with observations and background that deepened understanding about the highs and lows of the experience for the child. The research also examined the wider influences impacting on transition to secondary School for Children In Care.

As a part of the NAVSH post graduate study the focus of Kerry’s literature review was on the transition experience for our children in care. The study explored literature from published books, government documentation and research articles which provide evidence-based perspectives on the issue of the difficulties faced during transition. At each stage, consideration was given to how the evidence relates to the characteristics of the children supported by the work of the Virtual School. It considered the impact of the transition process in 3 key areas as identified by Evangelou et al (2008) in their work that explored the strategies that support pupils’ transition from Primary to Secondary Schools and identified any hindrances to successful transition. Those 3 areas were social adjustment, institutional adjustment, and curriculum interest and continuity.

Article Purpose

From the research findings and the literature reviewed we are keen to develop curiosity about the wider context in which the transition takes place and identify links and intersections with the wider socio–political landscape and explore how this might influence the experience of children in care and, for the purposes of this work, what local authorities and Virtual Schools can do to listen to children’s voices and further develop good practice. We would like to start a conversation with Virtual Schools about what good practice in this area looks like, what hinders effective transition and how best Virtual Schools can share and develop best practice.

Background

 In supporting children in care, we recognise that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have a tremendous impact on child development and on thoughts, feelings and behaviour. When children experience trauma their brains adapt in a way that can impact on their ability to develop resilience, manage anxiety and develop secure attachment, (Jackson 2013). Bergin and Bergin (2009) identify that the likelihood of learning difficulties and poor attainment are linked to the experience of a high number of Adverse Childhood Experiences and difficulties with subsequent relationships and attachment. These characteristics are directly linked to school ‘success’, indicated by an appropriate level of progress and attainment for the individual.

Below are the Department for Education (2024) ‘Outcomes for children in need, including children looked after by local authorities in England’, There is an identifiable gap between the outcomes for all children and for children in care which widens throughout the Secondary School journey and evident in the Progress 8 scores. Progress 8 aims to capture the progress a pupil makes from the end of Key Stage 2 to the end of Key Stage 4. It compares pupils' achievement (their Attainment 8 score) with the national average Attainment 8 score of all pupils who had a similar starting point (or ‘prior attainment’), calculated using assessment results from the end of Primary School.

NB: Children Looked After or the ‘CLA’ acronym is used here to represent Children in Care and is reflective of the terminology used in Department for Education documentation.

Data also shows that although permanent exclusions for Children in Care (12 months at 31 March) is similar to that of all pupils, suspensions remain significantly higher with more than 9% of the 12 months at 31 March cohort being subject to a suspension compared to the all pupil cohort in 2022/23.

In contrast, attendance for our children who have been in care for at least 12 months mirrors that closely of the attendance statistics for all pupils.

NB: Children Looked After or the ‘CLA’ acronym is used here to represent Children in Care and is reflective of the terminology used in Department for Education documentation.

The Role of the Virtual School Head

The role of Virtual School is to ensure that Children in Care are provided with the opportunities to help them reach their maximum educational potential. Furthermore, where any decisions are made regarding the child’s care, there is a duty for the Virtual School to highlight the implications those decisions may have on the child or young person’s educational achievements. Transitions should be a focus within the Personal Education Plan (PEP), identifying any key areas of support that may be particularly pertinent to the individual. In addition, the Department for Education (2018a) identifies that the role of the Designated Teacher (DT) includes effectively supporting transition for Children in Care to ‘avoid them losing ground’.

Voice of the Child

Rachael’s study focused on the thoughts, feelings and observations of Children in Care reflecting on the process of transition from primary to Secondary School.  To assist in illustrating the experiences of the children, their ‘corporate parents’, including Virtual School staff also shared their perspectives. The methods were chosen to maximise engagement and enable the voice of the child in care to be heard. This included using a range or techniques such as structured conversations with all participants a child led tour of their new school and drawing “mind maps” (Buzan, 2003) to record the discussions. 

Capturing and acting on the voice of the child is intrinsically embedded in the statutory role of the Virtual School Head (DfE 2018b) and something that Virtual School Heads strive to promote.  The voice of the child is also embedded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1992) where the right to be consulted on important aspects of their lives is enshrined. However, listening to the voice of the child is a key component for improvement. Just as MacBeath, et al. 2003, noted, the agenda for change requires the input of children to identify ways to improve achievement and commitment to education with our young people.  Ashton (2008) points out, ‘children can be a very valuable resource in improving transition’ (p.176).   Therefore, one of Rachael’s key research questions for her thesis was ‘How can the perceptions and responses be captured by the researcher to hear and share the authentic voice of the child?’ This question was intended to interrogate the methods used to capture the children’s thoughts, feelings and actions in relation to transition whilst also reflecting on the way in which the voice of the child is captured in the processes and planning for transition.

The study focused on capturing the authentic voice of the child, via dialogue, to look deeper than Brewin and Statham’s 2011 study and perceptions of Children in Care about their circumstances and gain greater understanding of their experienced complexity around transition. Rachael’s study set out to amplify that voice by focusing on the evidence provided by six Children in Care of children and the experiences they had of transition to give a rich narrative to the previous research.

Ethical considerations were key when researching with Children in Care and what (Miller, Kelly and Spawls, 2013) refer to as “getting past the gate keepers” to hear children’s voices, protect identity and to ensure the process enables the children to feel valued.

Swartz (2011, p.65) warns of the dangers of ‘colonizing discourse’, meaning that it is important that the researcher allows the voice of the vulnerable to be heard polyphonically and really listen. She advocates careful use of language and the representation of information shared to ensure it is emancipatory and that power relationship inequalities in the dynamic are not exploited. However, Rachael’s experience as a Virtual School Head meant she was well placed to navigate potential pitfalls. For example,

The power imbalance that is unavoidable when adult researchers interact with children in school…can be mitigated if they are able to get to know the researcher (Quennerstedt, 2016 p.664).

Conversations and the children’s drawings and mind maps were analysed using Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2013, 2021).

Findings

The research showed that it is not simply one factor or set of factors that influences transition. Instead, consideration needs to be given to how these factors interact with each other within the context of the individual child, and the role they play in influencing a positive transition. The diagram below is based on Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) model of ecological systems which was used by Brewin and Statham (2011) to categorise the influences on the transition process.  Identifying the negative factors should enable appropriate changes, support and interventions to be put in place to mitigate negative experiences which may result in ‘learning loss’.

Research suggests transition from primary to Secondary School impacts educational outcomes negatively and has mixed effects on wellbeing (Jindal-Snape et al., 2019). Challenges include decline in motivation, engagement, behaviour, and belonging, with studies highlighting the importance of relationships and communication among teachers, parents, and peers (Deieso & Frazer, 2018; Tobbell & O'Donnell, 2013).

Administrative systems for transitions are often well-established, but greater focus is needed on social and emotional influences (Jindal-Snape & Miller, 2008).  This research indicates that schools often emphasize organizational aspects, while parents and children prioritize personal and social issues (Davis et al., 2015). In order to create effective supportive mechanisms it is vital that all parties are able to take an holistic view of the influences, so that these factors are well-planned for.

Shifts in curriculum and teaching styles between Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 can hinder vulnerable pupils, with those lacking strong literacy skills particularly at risk of learning loss (Bark and Brooks, 2016). In addition to adapting to new social groups, new learning environments and new structures of the school day, the child must take on a new set of social interactions with a wide range of teachers each with their own teaching style. As a result, Bark and Brooks found that ‘Pupils with below‐average to low average literacy skills (roughly the 20th to 50th percentiles) …., are likely to be particularly vulnerable to a drop in attainment and self‐confidence. Effective institutional adjustments, including transition programs, better communication of pupils' needs, and flexible behaviour policies, are critical for success (Trotman et al., 2015; Bombèr, 2011). Innovative curriculum practices, such as linking Year 6 and Year 7 with extended studies, can support academic and social continuity. Collaboration between Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 educators is essential for easing transitions and fostering inclusion (Rose, 2009).

Transition Challenges:

  • Social and Emotional Adjustments: Evangelou et al. (2008) highlight the need for support during school transitions, particularly for Children in Care, to develop social and personal skills.
  • Anxiety and Trauma: It can be argued that anxiety is not only an inevitable part of the experience but that it is essential to the development of longer-term coping strategies (Lucey & Reay, 2000), but Children in Care may lack the resilience to manage anxiety due to past trauma, potentially leading to dysregulation (Evans et al., 2018).
  • Impact on Learning: Heightened anxiety can hinder cognitive focus, impairing academic performance and classroom engagement.
  • Bullying: Children in Care are twice as likely to face bullying (Brewin & Statham, 2011), and interventions like 'Friendly Schools' can reduce bullying and improve emotional well-being (Cross et al., 2018).
  • Teacher Influence: Language used by teachers around transitions can heighten anxiety for children in care (Jindal-Snape & Cantali, 2019) Bagnall et al. (2020). Throughout the period of transition, all professionals should be realistic, yet positive about future experiences for example the use of language around increased expectations at Secondary School may be used by primary staff but the impact of this could be to increase anxiety and should be done sensitively.
  • Friendships and Peer Support: Research by Ng-Knight et al. (2018) states that friendships have a direct impact on school attainment and positive behaviours Transition disrupts social networks, impacting academic focus and well-being. Strong peer relationships buffer anxiety (Evans et al., 2018), while peer acceptance predicts academic success (Keay et al., 2015).
  • Removal of Structural Barriers such as limiting admissions policies. Harrison, Sebba and Hall (2025) argue that increased marketisation and autonomy over admissions means there is more likely to be resistance from some schools to admit Children in Care. Harrison, Sebba and Hall argue that exploration for the reasons for this should be explored widely and involve greater accountability for decisions on admissions.

Statutory guidance from the DfE (2021) compels schools to admit Children in Care and ‘Previously Looked After’ Children as first priority, however this does not extend to faith schools. Research by Pryor (2024) indicates that this can be a barrier for Children in Care who are not of the faith. Despite schools having support structures in place and staff wishing to admit Children in Care not of the faith this can prove a barrier with Social Workers and VSH’s having to appeal. This can lead to uncertainty and delays in transition arrangements being made and acted upon. It could also invoke a sense of rejection for the child who may not be able to transition with their friends or to their nearest good or better faith school.

A focus on reducing bullying, promoting friendships, and carefully managing transitions is critical for the success of our Children in Care, alongside realistic yet positive language from professionals. Supporting Children in Care through these measures can ease transitions and enhance outcomes. Through Trauma Informed practice, careful consideration of school policies and processes including admissions and relational policies the transition process can be enhanced to mitigate the negative impact of some of the challenges our young people face. Effective involvement and influence of Virtual Schools, including the use of pupil premium to plan for transitions, is vital for change to be progressed. The Personal Education Plan process is an intrinsic link between schools, carers and external agencies in building partnerships, allowing the voice of the child to be heard and to ensuring that any negative impact of transition on educational outcomes is mitigated. To effectively support Children in Care, a pupil-centred approach is essential, acknowledging each child's unique experiences and needs. Beyond academic data, addressing their social and emotional well-being is key. Schools should ensure trusted, emotionally available adults are in place and transitions are well-planned to reduce anxiety. Strategies may include maintaining peer networks, forming new connections before transitioning, and familiarizing pupils with new environments. These steps can help children navigate change, minimise learning loss, and improve outcomes by Key Stage 4, supported by an effective Personal Education Plan process. It is also important to include the voice of the child in the Personal Education Plan. As one child’s social worker suggested, the voice of the child for the Personal Education Plan should be gathered over time rather than on the basis of one conversation because “you can’t put them on the spot!”. (Pryor, 2024)

Relevance and Recommendations to Virtual Schools

Virtual School Heads know it is important to maintain a pupil-centred approach. Each child brings a unique set of experiences, characteristics, needs and contexts, that influence the support that they will need in order to make a successful transition. Schools are data rich environments, and academic performance is easily communicated with Secondary Schools. However, attention to social and emotional needs is also critical.  Institutional policies must ensure that the child has trusted and emotionally available adults supporting them, and that transition is well-planned and opportunities to provide reassurance and minimise anxiety are taken. This may include supporting the young person to maintain their current peer network, begin to form new networks before leaving Primary School. Developing familiarity with new school buildings, and travel arrangements is also important.  From examining the voice of the child in Pryor 2024, support that helps children navigate the new physical environment of secondary school may be of increased importance for Children in Care.  Getting lost was articulated as a key concern by several of the Children in Care and could potentially be a metaphor for ‘finding their place’ emotionally as well as physically. Pryor (2024) also identified that arrangements for lunch and food availability was important for Children in Care but often overlooked by the adults and the Personal Education Plan process. Therefore, at a micro level, the below recommendations for practice are made to support Children in Care with transition. 

Attention to these areas can help support those Children in Care who find change difficult to manage, which in turn should translate into minimising learning loss and better outcomes at the end of Key Stage 4. Much of this can be challenged and supported through an effective Personal Education Plan process.

These recommendations for practitioners are drawn in part existing good practice and suggestions for the future, based on research findings and recommendations from Children in Care. In each case the role of the Virtual School may be to promote, oversee and facilitate these areas of good practice. 

  1. Organise bespoke additional visits to the new secondary school for Children in Care at different times of the school day. Create opportunities to visit and see the school in ‘full swing’, which were not possible during lockdown.  
  2. Ensure arrangements are made for Children in Care to meet the staff they are most likely to come into contact with at their new school prior to changing schools. As outlined by Bombér (2007), Brewin and Statham (2011), Ungar (2013), and Simkiss (2019), relationships are important to children, and particularly for Children in Care where more time and investment may be needed to build trusting relationships. A key support is to identify key adult/s in school to support the child, with whom they can form a secure attachment.
  3. Provide bespoke additional support before, during and after transition. Where possible, a key person at Secondary School should be involved as soon as possible. This should be someone who understands the Children in Care and orchestrated carefully so it does not become a reminder: “Oh, I’m in care!” (Pryor, 2024, p153).   This could be the Designated Teacher (DT) for children in care or overseen by the Designated Teacher.
  4. Ensure good communication between corporate parents and partners. Children in Care find it supportive when adults talk to each other and share information that will help them make positive transitions. This should include attainment results, personal data and information relating to notable events within the child’s experiences. This may be done via the Personal Education Plan as a starting point but should not be limited to this termly meeting. The role of the Virtual School is to ensure good understanding and communication between all parties during transition and ensure all decisions are made in the best interest of the child.
  5. In line with the UNCRC (1992) Article 12, Include the child’s voice at all stages and contexts. For example, ensure that Personal Education Plans are arranged for a time that is conducive to the child attending, so they do not have to make a choice between, for example, being present or attending a favourite lesson. Consider how this can be done regularly and over time, encouraging the conducting of meaningful dialogue with Children in Care to discuss their views and concerns, thus ensuring that the voice of the child is a priority rather than an administrative process.
  6. Draw up detailed, bespoke transition plans that consider and act upon the factors that are important to individual Children in Care. For example, where and how they will receive their food. Give Children in Care support, space and time to explore their transition in terms of how they want to approach care identity at their new school. The Virtual School should review the plan and ensure it is carried out.  Pupil Premium Plus can be used to boost Children in Care further, taking into account the skills the child already has and preventing a deficit approach. Support at both pastoral and academic level should be carefully matched to the needs of the child
  7. Ensure Trauma Informed and relational approaches are adopted consistently in both Primary and Secondary Schools that enable Children in Care to feel comfortable. This could be assisted by training for all staff in Trauma Informed practice to ensure understanding of the impact of pre-care experiences on Children in Care’s behaviour and learning needs (see Trivedi and Harrison 2022).
  8. Raise awareness of the care system with all children to develop wider understanding about why Children in Care are not looked after by their birth parents. This should emphasise that the circumstances are always beyond the influence of the children and that there should be no blame or stigma to being in care.
  9. Learn from unintended consequences of organisation during COVID-19 and from the Voice of the Child in Care. Some practices adopted during the pandemic suited Children in Care. For example, smaller groups, the option of attending meetings online, Year 7 staying in one place while the teachers came to them and being escorted to classes from central points were spoken of favourably by some Children in Care. In a number of conversations with young people (Pryor, 2024), it was reported that the wider curriculum available at Key Stage 3 offered new opportunities and was seen as a positive by the Children in Care who embraced this. For example, better facilities for Science, PE and sporting opportunities, library access, food and nutrition and Design and Technology. Whilst this is to be celebrated, the mismatch between the primary and secondary curriculum requires consideration, as the different approaches can create unintended complexities at the point of transition.
  10. Highlight the concerns of Harrison, Sebba and Hall, 2025 and Pryor 2024 surrounding school admissions policies. Whilst recognising the gains made by changes to admissions legislation (DfE 2021) to ensure Children in Care should be admitted to the school of choice for them and their Corporate Parents, barriers are still in existence. For example, the legislation does not extend to faith schools. This is an area of concern and requires dialogue and potential changes in admissions legislation to rectify structural barriers for children in Care in accessing an appropriate school place at points of transition.

Conclusion

It is clear from the research that there are a significant number of interacting factors that influence a successful transition experience. The impact of these factors is likely to be more significant for Children in Care, due to their experience of Adverse Childhood Experiences and trauma. What is evident from research and literature is that effective transition planning is effective for all pupils but will be particularly impactful for Children in Care and the eventual outcomes at the end of Key Stage 4.

Given the disruption of the transition process that was experienced as a result of the COVID restrictions in the Summer 2020, it will be interesting to identify if schools felt that there was a more significant learning loss as a result of a lack of opportunities to support transition, although this evidence will be difficult to separate from the impact of remote learning that has been experienced in such a variety of forms for Children in Care.

By minimising the learning loss for Children in Care, we may also be able to reduce the widening gap in attainment that has been documented across Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, between Children in Care and their peers. It is difficult to identify the impact of transition on final attainment outcomes for our care experienced pupils. However, combined with the knowledge of what we know about trauma experienced development and the difficulties all children face within transition, it is certain that the factors that cause the ‘learning loss’ within this period of their school career will be more significant for Children in Care than for any other pupils. It is the role of the Virtual School to highlight these factors and support the response by carers and professionals to ensure that these factors as minimised wherever possible, so that this group of young people can go on to reach their full potential.

Virtual Schools and Virtual School Heads are in a prime position to influence practice and local policy. Collectively, through organisations such as NAVSH, we have the potential to shape national guidance and legislation to further remove structural barriers that may be evident currently.

What’s next?

In association with NAVSH we are seeking to secure a small resource to gather and share examples of good practice in supporting transition from Primary to Secondary for Children in Care from Virtual Schools and Local Authorities in England and further afield.  If you have some good practice to share or any other comments or questions about this article, please get in touch.

info@navsh.org.uk

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