At D6A, we know that the transition to post-16 is not easy, so we focus heavily on getting induction right. This includes both the pastoral and the academic aspects. In this post we share some of our approaches to managing the academic transition.
At first, it may seem that Sixth Form is a continuation of secondary school, and that year 12 is like year 11 – just a little harder. But the jump from Level 2 to Level 3 qualifications can be difficult, and our goal is to ensure that we don’t just help students survive the transition but thrive in their new environment.
Studentship
One of the key aspects that we focus on is developing ‘studentship’ – what does it mean to be an excellent student? Some of this will be familiar from secondary education, but there are significant changes to what this looks like in a Sixth Form College.
We talk about the ‘principles of effective studentship’, and have developed OTIS as a simple reminder of these principles:
Organisation: how students take, organise and use their notes; how they manage lesson resources. They are expected to have a ‘day folder’ and individual subject folders at home.
Time management: how students manage independent study – they are expected to complete at least one hour of independent study throughout the week per each hour of lesson time.
Independent Study: weekly independent study completed by all students, which includes retrieval of prior learned content, application of content, pre-reading of future content.
Strategy: using approaches that help them to be successful in particular subjects.
We know that not all of this comes easily. For example, we teach students how to take notes effectively, and this might look different in every subject. In the first six weeks, we really focus on the transition and ensure that our students are supported in developing their understanding of these principles.
Independent learning
Our students arrive having already developed their own study strategies and approaches to independent learning. Some of them have proved successful, but we can still see a dependence on teacher support, an overreliance on the same study strategies, false assurance from ineffective study strategies and some areas that still need modelling e.g. what to do when stuck; how to ask for help.
So, our goal is to ensure that students have a deep understanding of what effective independent learning looks like. We want them to be successful now, and we equip them with the right toolkit to thrive in higher education or employment. This involves explicit instruction, modelling and practice. In Year 1 (We refer to year 12 as year 1 to highlight the fresh start at a new institution), we scaffold independent learning. For example, here is an outline of what 1 hour of study might look like for a law student:
Task
10 mins
Quiz yourself using flashcards from your previous study session.
‘Brain dump’: write out everything you can remember from your last lesson.
10 mins
Look at the relevant page(s) in your content booklet, write down anything missing in a different coloured pen (and remove anything inaccurate or anything not in the booklet).
30 mins
Break up the content into chunks – this can be done by transferring the notes onto flash cards using key words, creating a flow-chart (if it’s processes) etc.
For A01 (Knowledge and Understanding) and A03 (Evaluation) marks, memorise the chunked content using the below strategies: Look/cover/write/check. Say it out loud or teach someone else. Record yourself (or someone else) reading the chunk of content and listen to it on repeat. You will never be assessed on just A02 (Application) so you should follow this process after every lesson.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each chunk until you have completed all the content for the lesson.
10 mins
Attempt a timed exam practice question. Either one you’ve done as a Do Now previously or create one by adding the word ‘explain’ to the content booklet headings (for Section A).
Mark your question using your content booklet. Create a flashcard for any missing information to review at the start of your next study session
Support before and during induction
The academic transition begins in year 11.
For our students to thrive, we need to ensure that we have the right student on the right course. Every student has two interviews – one pre and one post-results- before they join us. We see these as supportive discussions that help us to learn about the young people we are serving and ensure that they go on to a study pathway that is right for them. We also want to get to know the people behind the grades.
Equally, we make sure that we reach out to students before they apply through assemblies and open evenings which gives the opportunity for students and families to gain insight into the subjects, explore subject matter, assessment and progression opportunities. Students are invited to attend New Student Days before the summer to explore their chosen subjects and provide them with the summer preparation work for level three study which helps to ease the transition and ensure that students have some of the foundational knowledge on which to build.
We know that level 3 students need both academic rigour and strong academic support which is why the Progress Tutor role is crucial. Each student is assigned a Progress Tutor upon arrival, which differs from a form tutor. They are the main point of contact for the student and parents and work collaboratively with subject teachers to support wellbeing, track attendance and progress and prioritise time and strategy to ensure that every student achieves their full potential, is retained for the two-year duration and feels fully supported in the transition from school to college. Induction at D6A typically lasts six weeks and we consider a student to be fully inducted when they have participated in the year group trip in October which is a great opportunity to fully establish a real sense of belonging.
Download the Education Endowment Foundation transition tool.
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Download the Education Endowment Foundation transition tool.
