AT The Bus supporting children with the transition to secondary school

Earlier this year, we were awarded a grant from Thames Valley Police to deliver a pilot programme supporting children at risk of persistent absence with their transition from primary to secondary school. Rates of school absence doubled between 2019 and 2023 (DfE, 2024), with 20 per cent of pupils now missing more than 10 per cent of school. Headteachers have long recognised the move from primary to secondary school as a critical stage in a child's educational journey. Recent research by ImpactEd* reinforces this, showing that engagement with school drops significantly in Year 7 and "never fully recovers".

"The move from primary to secondary is the biggest educational transition children face. For some, this can be a difficult process and has a huge impact on their future lives."

Chris Price, Headteacher, The Cherwell Secondary School, Oxford

This term, we began working with two groups of Year 6 pupils from Cutteslowe and Wolvercote primary schools, feeder schools for The Cherwell Secondary School in Oxford. The children were identified by their schools as benefiting from additional support during the transition to secondary school.

Unlike our usual programmes, this pilot runs across two school terms, spanning the final term of primary school and the first term at secondary school. All sessions take place in the Bus studio, based at The Cherwell School, giving the children the opportunity to become familiar with their new surroundings before they start.

Guided by our expert facilitators, the children are developing confidence, building relationships, and creating a sense of belonging within their new school community through art. So far, they have been making welcome bunting for the school foyer, alongside creating a legacy artwork to leave behind at their primary school.

These projects provide both a tangible connection to their new environment and a meaningful opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the school they are leaving, helping them approach this important transition with confidence.

*ImpactEd, Mind the Engagement Gap (May 2025).