BRenda Leathem

Strategies to ease transition from P7 to Year 8

St John the Baptist College, Portadown

St John the Baptist’s College (SJBC) opened as a Key Stage 3 co-educational all-ability school on 1st September 2017. It is located in the heart of the Portadown community but welcomes students from an array of neighbouring towns and villages and has an intake of 100 pupils in each year group. They introduced Google classroom very soon after the school was established. The school works with up to 13 feeder primary schools but also attracts pupils from further afield.

Brenda Leathem is a member of the Senior Leadership Team with responsibility for Transition.


Key Learning

When considering ways to support transition:

  • Create a range of ways to communicate with pupils and parents

  • Provide opportunities for pupils to visit your school and engage with activities

  • Use the pupil voice when communication with P7 pupils

  • Capitalise on the use of social media to communicate with parents and pupils