Transfer patterns of pupils at 11+ in selected areas of Lincolnshire

This study has been undertaken largely as a result of personal and professional interest. As a Liaison Co-ordinator in a selective Secondary School who has spent many years assisting pupils to make a smooth transition from Primary to Secondary School, the choice of such a topic seemed natural. The study compares the induction programmes and transition of pupils at 11+ at a Grant Maintained Grammar School, a Comprehensive School and a Secondary Modern School in Lincolnshire by questionnaires, informal and structured interviews. The study goes further than previous research in this area by examining the perceptions of parents, pupils and staff in a triangulation study aimed at establishing similarities and differences of feeling about the transition process. This work begins by seeking a rationalisation of 11+ as a point of transfer and tracing previous research on Primary–Secondary liaison from early research which concentrated on the effect of ability and social grouping on transfer to later works which considered the feelings of individual groups of pupils, parents and teachers. The original research conducted in this study is outlined in detail and highlights the problems which arose and the amount of time required to look at the transitional groups. This is followed by an examination of the schools involved in the research and an explanation of the induction programmes that the schools presently operate. The rest of the study examines the results of the questionnaire and structured interview and the implications for further study. Recommendations for alternative approaches towards more successful transition together with suggestions for better practices drawn from the perceptions and experiences are presented for consideration.