The transition from Primary to Secondary is a significant event in a child’s life when a lot of changes occur. There are changes to their environment.  The safety and security of the primary school being exchanged for the new, larger and impersonal surroundings of the secondary school.  There are changes in their position in the school.  Moving from being one of the oldest and most responsible to the youngest and most likely to get their head flushed down the toilet.  There are changes to how they are taught.  The multi-specialism of the primary school teacher being replaced by subject teachers and the bell to signal when to start and stop.  There are changes to the child themselves.  Moving from the ordered and steady growth of childhood to the ‘oh my God what’s that on my face’ growth of puberty.

In terms of music the change is also there.  Music is part of the curriculum up until Key Stage 3 so children in school will experience it (whether they like it or not) up until the age of 14.  What they may also experience is a lack of communication between their primary and secondary school regarding their experience and attainment in music.  The National Association of Music Educator’s (NAME) excellent publication Rites of Passage talks about many secondary school music teachers feeling they have got to ‘start again’ with children as they enter Yr7 simply because they don’t know what they have been doing at primary school.  This is clarified by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) 2005 Monitoring Curriculum and Assessment (MCA) research which showed that across the country the transfer of data to secondary schools about what children have experienced and achieved in music at primary school is poor.

That lack of communication between schools is exacerbated by a similar lack of interaction between the music that goes on in school and the music that goes on outside of school.  Since 1999 Youth Music has been investing in out of school hours music programmes, working with over 1 million children and benefiting far more.  Add to that the plethora of community and private music opportunities, and not forgetting the bedroom singers, DJ’s and guitarists and you’ve got a tricky audience.  Facing a new class of children with hugely varying experiences and interest in music, it is no wonder secondary school teachers feel they need to ‘start again’.

At this crucial stage music is everywhere for children.  Its ubiquity in the media, TV, ring tones, its links to fashion, computer games and its central role in youth culture make it an important part of growing up.  Because of this children are forming opinions on what music they like and what they don’t.  Becoming editors, testing out who they are, modelling themselves on their idols, forming bonds and groups with others based on these preferences. 

So can we afford to be starting again?

The above outlines some of the issues, but what can you do solve to them?  Firstly it is about partnership.  Whatever issue you are picking off in the area of transition the challenges are not isolated to one group of individuals, one establishment or school.  All are shared challenges for schools (primary and secondary), Music Services, Local Education Authorities, all those working in non-formal music education and most importantly the child themselves.  So if you plan to work within this area you need to make friends.  A lot of them.  To make friends you need to learn their language.  If you know your Key Stages from you ILP and your Ofsted from your SATs then you’ll find it a lot easier*.  It is also about being clear on what change your partnership is trying to achieve.  With so many challenges in this area in order to keep your new found partners/friends happy, you need to work out what they want most of all from the programme you are planning.  Finally, it is about long-term change.  There are no quick fixes in Transition.  The implications in training, sharing and exchanging of practice, consultation and communication with children all take time, but they are worth it.

*Don’t be frightened, Wikipedia’s excellent analysis of the UK’s different education systems is always at hand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_Kingdom

For more information:

www.musicleader.net
Rites of Passage published by National Association of Music Educators NAME 
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
www.standards.dfes.gov.uk