The transition from primary to secondary school is an important life transition that can affect children’s attainment and wellbeing in the longer term.

Primary schools offer more predictability, usually with the same teacher and classroom throughout the year. A well-planned transition between primary and secondary phases will help remove any barriers to learning and enable them to reach their full academic potential as well as feeling less isolated.

Approaching transition and throughout induction, children and parents are often anxious. Moving Up offers a way to ensure information is shared in a positive and accessible way. This is a key window of opportunity to reach out to parents, engage with them and begin to establish a strong two-way relationship which can last right through secondary school. In addition, if needs or problems are identified early on help can be offered and some problems can be nipped in the bud.

Parents have told us that they sometimes feel disempowered and find it hard to connect with secondary schools because of their size, not knowing key staff, children not wanting them around and communication not being very accessible. Moving Up presents a solution to tackling this.

Parental engagement is still a powerful factor in young people succeeding at secondary school but many parents aren’t sure about how they can support their child and can feel anxious about the move to secondary school and about parenting as children become adolescent. No longer meeting parents regularly at the school gate can result in feelings of isolation and a lack support.

Moving Up helps schools to work with parents as partners to develop mutual trust, empathy, respect and acceptance.

Mouse Club resources are continually reviewed and renewed. This is very much influenced by our continued work with schools. If you would like to work with us to further develop this and other parental engagement resources, receive free trial materials to support this pack and contribute to parental engagement through our partnership networks, please consider becoming a PEN member.