What is the Transitions programme all about?

Making the transition from one level of the schooling system to another is not always easy. Some pupils get lost in the transition process and many don't start the new school year organised and equipped to take on their new educational challenges. Schools, parents, community organisations and a range of other groups can all play a valuable role in helping ensure that transitions are smooth and appropriate.

The PETER Collective is proud to be part of a pioneering programme to facilitate successful transitions for our community.

Why we’re doing it:

• Transitions between schools are important to help children in a time of huge change, growth and development

• Easing the challenges of changes in their learning environment, peer groups, teachers, teaching styles, routines and expectations can help avoid school dropout, suspension and exclusions
   

• Avoid becoming NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) in the longer term that incur high costs to individuals, their families and the State (the estimated per capita cost is $28, 981 over three years).
   

• Transitions provide an important opportunity for parents and whanau to understand and become involved in their children’s educational journey

For Ministry of Education data on school attendance see: https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/181812/2016-Attendance-in-New-Zealand-Schools.pdf

What we’re doing:

• Convening a Transitions Working Group to develop an action plan which includes schools and a range of community-based organisations to implement and test a range of the cross-sector interventions.
   

• Key events:

  • Planning session: August

  • Transition Night for parents and care-givers to meet with school representatives and community resource people - September

  • Hand-over of data between Wesley Intermediate and participating Y9 schools: early December

PETER is involved in an on-going evaluation process to collect data on how well Wesley Intermediate pupils transition to their secondary schools. The process will also include gathering feedback as to why strategies worked or didn't.

Who’s involved:

A wide range of Puketapapa schools and groups linked to transition including PETER Collective, Aspire, CHAMPS Network, Critical Design, Wesley Intermediate, Mt Roskill Grammar School, ACES as well as Mt Albert COL schools.

Our goals:

• To improve the number of Puketapapa pupils successfully making the transitions within the different sectors of the education system

• To increase the involvement of key groups and parents in ensuring successful transitions

• To implement and test a range of cross-sector interventions to improve transitions

• To advocate to the Ministry of Education and other support organisations to influence change and allocate further resourcing

• to monitor the impact of the programme and identify the key strategies to ensure successful transitions