The transition process from the primary to secondary Church schools : a case study within Theresa Nuzzo School

Abstract

For many boys and girls, the transition from a Church Primary school without continuity to a different Church Secondary School is an important event in their life. Little has been known about these children’s concerns and expectations about the new Church School prior to this transition. Although this is an inevitable part of their life, the process can be challenging as well as confronting to students, parents and teachers as well as SLTs. As schools plan to support these stakeholders, an understanding of the issues faced by each is very important. While transition may be fraught, a focus on the relational aspects of the process can help to ameliorate many of the challenges presented during this change. This dissertation examines the importance for Theresa Nuzzo Church School in Marsa, to focus on the concerns of all stakeholders, as acknowledged and accounted for in the planning of school transition programs. Well designed and implemented transition approaches can assist in the process of supporting the students, their families and the school staff. Teachers are crucial in supporting children moving in between two different church schools and making this transition a positive experience. From all the interviews and both questionnaires, valuable data has been collected regarding the difficulties that our Year 6 pupils, their parents and teachers as well as SLTs are facing upon transition to secondary schools. This also helped the researcher reflect about a better way of helping these stakeholders as well as how one should proceed as a school to enhance a smoother transition to different Church secondary schools run by different religious congregations.