Greasby Junior School pupils given an introduction to big school by older pupils

Jul 30 2008 by Sue McCann, Birkenhead News

STARTING “big school” is a scary prospect for most youngsters, but at Greasby Junior School it’s as easy as ABC thanks to an annual event that brings primary and secondary pupils together before the new term begins in September.

Better still – the older children were themselves pupils at Greasby until a year ago so they know exactly what the Year Six pupils are going through.

Seventeen Year Seven pupils from Hilbre High School, West Kirby Grammar, Pensby High School for Boys, Upton Hall School, Pensby High School for Girls and Calday Grange Grammar School attended this year’s Transition Conference at Greasby school to address the younger children’s concerns about starting secondary school in a couple of months’ time.

The event is arranged the day before the Year Six pupils head off to their prospective high schools for a visit, so it’s an opportunity to dispel some of the age old myths and promote the positives about their new school.

Wirral Healthy Schools is part of a national initiative between the Department of Education and the NHS and supported locally by Wirral Primary Care Trust.

Said Phil Rhodes, from Wirral Healthy Schools: “Moving to a secondary school can be a stressful time for parents and pupils. Children worry about the sheer size of their new school, the amount of homework they’re expected to do and whatever else might lie ahead.

“Greasby Junior School is doing all it can to reduce anxiety and work with their pupils so they look forward to going to their next school. What better way to receive honest accounts of what does go on in secondary school than to hear from their former friends who have just gone through the experience?”

Greasby’s head teacher Adrian Martin added: “I believe the event’s success can be attributed to its simplicity. Year Six pupils who are understandably apprehensive about a major change in their lives - moving on to secondary school - are given the opportunity to spend time with and talk to pupils who have just completed their first year of secondary school life.”

Mr Martin made the conference a permanent feature of the school calendar four years ago after discussions with the then Year Six pupils.

He said: “It was clear that they were very apprehensive about moving to secondary school and were particularly worried about things they had heard through ‘friends of friends’ which had little or no substance but worried them nonetheless.”