School transition is 'abrupt'
Simon Vevers
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Disquiet among teachers and early years practitioners over the transition between the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 has been noted in two reports for the Government. The Foundation Stage Profile was also criticised by Ofsted, whose chief inspector David Bell called it 'bureaucratic and time-consuming', and said it 'does not fit the bill'.
The Foundation Stage Profile was also criticised by Ofsted, whose chief inspector David Bell called it 'bureaucratic and time-consuming', and said it 'does not fit the bill'.
The Ofsted report, Transition from the reception year to Year One, found that 'insufficient consideration' had been given to the relationship between the areas of learning in the Foundation Stage and the subject-based approach of the national curriculum. It recognised that many Year One teachers handled the transition 'sensitively' but said timetabling constraints and the need to ensure that pupils were ready for SATs tests at the end of Key Stage 1 led to 'abrupt transitions to more formal approaches'.
The inspectors based their report on visits to 28 schools in nine local education authorities in England and discussions with headteachers, teachers and teaching assistants as well as parents and pupils.
A second report by the Department for Education and Skills, also with the same name, involved 531 teaching professionals, including heads of primary schools, reception class teachers, Key Stage 1 teachers, heads of nurseries and practitioners in a range of early years settings - but not parents or children. While most of those surveyed regarded the transition between the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 to be smooth and effective, the report acknowledged there were 'some serious concerns about the efficacy of the transition process'.
Most practitioners felt that additional funding for training from the DfES and the Sure Start Unit allied to more guidance on links between the areas of learning and Key Stage 1 subject areas would ease the transition.
Gail Bedford, headteacher at the Mountpleasant Primary School in Dudley, West Midlands, from where she has spearheaded national efforts to ensure play-based learning continues in Year One, said, 'I am delighted the Government is acknowledging that there is a tension between the educational experiences children are having as they move from the Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1.'
John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers, described the Ofsted report as 'a damning indictment of the Foundation Stage Profile', which he said was 'just another version of tick-box testing which has received a massive thumbs-down from teachers and inspectors alike'.
Jan Ashbridge, senior Foundation Stage advisory teacher in Cumbria, said the Ofsted report identified 'time and time again that there is not enough understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum from Key Stage 1 teachers'.
* See feature, pages 14-15
