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KS2 - KS3 Transition�

What we can usefully do ☺

Date updated: 02/03/20

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Rachel Hawkes

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Does starting at primary help?

“The younger the better!” …. “They just absorb it!”

BUT… evidence of long-term benefits of early start is mixed/negative

(Huang, 2016; Lambelet & Berthele, 2015; Muñoz & Singleton, 2011; Pfenninger & Singleton, 2017, 2019).

Those who start at secondary very often catch up with those who started earlier.

Learning happens faster when you are older.

VERY large scale studies. E.g.,

in Germany: Jaekel et al. (2017) OASIS Summary

in Spain & beyond: Muñoz (2008) OASIS Summary

in England: Burstall (1975) report (mis)interpreted as showing ‘no benefit’

But what about the extent to which other issues cause the lack of observed benefits?

“There is no real dispute about the scientific facts, which are that primary school instruction in L2 fails to equip learners with a level of L2 proficiency which by the end of secondary schooling is superior to that of those whose instruction begins later …”

(Singleton & Pfenninger, 2019, p. 30).

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What influences the usefulness of early FLs?

Things we have no control over...

Pupils’ individual differences (Courtney et al., 2017).

Pupils’ socio-economic status (Jaekkel et al, 2017, OASIS Summary)

Exposure outside class (Puimège & Peters, 2019, OASIS Summary; Peters et al. 2019, OASIS Summary)

Things we have little to no control over…

Quality of teaching: Primary teachers’ training and language proficiency

Amount of teaching: 60 mins better than less time

(Graham, et al. 2017, OASIS Summary)

“In Belgium, even after eight years of [French] instruction, many learners were not familiar with the 2,000 most frequent words in French, which meant that they could do little with the language in terms of reading, listening, speaking, or writing.” Learners of English knew much more, after less time in the classroom

(Peters et al. 2019)

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Things we have no control over...

Pupils’ individual differences (Courtney et al., 2017).

Pupils’ socio-economic status (Jaekkel et al, 2017, OASIS Summary)

Exposure outside class (Puimège & Peters, 2019, OASIS Summary; Peters et al. 2019, OASIS Summary)

Peters et al: The point being that even in a country where they introduce languages early, and where some of the country use that language to operate in, an slightly earlier start in French (10) versus 13 in English did not make French any better. English always better because of the out of school exposure.

We also have little to no control over…

Quality of teaching: Primary teachers’ training and language proficiency

Amount of teaching: 60 mins better than less time

So, what kinds of amounts and quality of teaching is going on generally?

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Things we don’t have much control over (cont’d…): �Amount & quality of provision in England?

Almost 100% primary schools teach a language in curriculum time across KS2 (as % of schools responding to survey)
French (75%), Spanish (29%), German (5%), Chinese (3%), Latin (2%), other languages (1%)
81% allocate a set time each week, but very few knew the number of teaching hours per year
In schools without a set time, teaching often ad hoc & minimal
46% language specialists, 62% class teachers

Source: Language Trends Survey 2019

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But we do have some control over … �quality of transition

A recent, very large study in Germany (Baumert et al., 2020) showed…

Compared to many other factors, a ‘lack of adaptivity in secondaries’ was the most likely cause of little / no long-term benefit of early start

Poor transition may even have negative effects for some pupils

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So, how well is the gap bridged between primary & secondary?

Continuity of instruction a hot topic:

reports (e.g., Ofsted, 2011)
studies/reviews (e.g., Bolster, Balandier-Brown, & Rea-Dickens, 2004; Courtney, 2014; Galton & McLellan, 2018; Muñoz, Tragant, & Camuñas, 2015; Richardson, 2014)

Main challenges identified:

secondary teachers systematically underestimating knowledge of new students;
mutual lack of acceptance of differences in teaching methods;
infrastructure (timetabling, grouping, exchange of performance data);
learning content not being aligned between primary and secondary schools.

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Addressing the problem from grass-roots …

Long-term benefits for primary MFL might be felt if …

there were clear goal posts for the end of primary, e.g.,

an agreed list of 300 or 400 words?
an agreed programme of basic phonics?

transition arrangements built on that knowledge?
primary FL involved some explicit language analysis to help learning other languages at secondary?

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Considering alignment of content at transition: �An example

Can we reduce the drop in motivation during year 7?

(Courtney 2017, OASIS summary; Graham et al., 2016 OASIS summary)

Option 1: Build on knowledge systematically?

Increased focus on reading & writing in year 7 causes de-motivation (??)

phonics is key to reading and writing,
if phonics were part of primary, an increased focus on reading & writing might be fine.

Or option 2: … Make it different?!

As things stand, Year 7 NCELP materials may help transition, as they reduce repetition of topic vocabulary from primary?!

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A drop in motivation during the course of year 7 has been observed

One reason for this might be the increased focus on literacy (reading and writing) when pupils arrive in year 7 compared to primary

But reading and writing might be a problem if pupils don’t have good SSCs! Good SSCs help reading and writing and, as we know from Erlam & Macaro’s study, being able to sound out is motivating – so teaching a phonics programme at primary might be one approach to take.

Another approach might be to say, let’s keep the primary and secondary content different, in planned ways – we can’t control what goes on at primary, and so… so long as year 7 isn’t too similar, then motivation might not suffer and any learning that has gone on in primary might be extended (not repeated)….

The Pedagogy Review and RIPL recommend one approach which is to try to build on knowledge at primary

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RIPL White Paper Primary Languages Policy in England

Recommendation 4: Transition arrangements

In the short term, at the very least, primary schools should provide receiving secondary schools with a clear statement of what pupils in the class have been taught and what pupils should know and be able to do at the point of transfer from KS2 to KS3.

Link to RIPL White Paper

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The recent publication by a group of primary languages stakeholders makes several recommendations about primary languages policy. This is what it says about transition, as a baseline minimum point of departure:

Recommendation 4: Transition arrangements

In the short term, at the very least, primary schools should provide receiving secondary schools with a clear statement of what pupils in the class have been taught and what pupils should know and be able to do at the point of transfer from KS2 to KS3.

http://www.ripl.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/RIPL-White-Paper-Primary-Languages-Policy-in-England.pdf

There are further recommendations made, too:

Where primary and secondary schools can collaborate, head teachers should encourage smooth transition by supporting teachers to develop continuity of approach from Year 6 to Year 7, by sharing common expectations of outcomes and/or developing a cross-phase scheme of work;

In the mid-term, each child should receive a clear statement of learning outcomes against agreed benchmarks at the end of key stage 2;

In the mid to longer-term, the DfE, the Teaching Schools Council and Regional Commissioners, and Ofsted should incentivise schools to work in local and regional consortia, involving primary and secondary schools, networks and multi-academy trusts in order to develop and agree clear and structured programmes of language learning which provide continuity and progression across key stages 2 and 3. This aligns with recommendations put forward in the Modern Foreign Languages Pedagogy Review (2016)xii.

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Survey findings (transition)

45% (54% in 2014) primary schools, 53% (77% in 2014) secondary schools have contact with at least one receiving or feeder school
21% schools exchange information on point of transfer
69% secondary schools receive no data on prior attainment
After four years’ statutory KS2 language learning, 74% secondary school judge standards as the same as previous cohorts (13% better,13% worse)
Very mixed picture of national provision

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Survey findings (transition)

We have repeatedly tried to engage the languages department at the local secondary school to take an interest in our language learners and the skills they have achieved, but with no success, This is a source of huge frustration as these language learners are confident and competent in French but are then expected to go right back to the beginning again.

p.11, Language Trends Survey, 2019.

The experience students have at Key Stage 2 is too mixed and we need to start from scratch when they start Year 7.

p.8, Language Trends Survey, 2019.

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Rachel Hawkes

These two quotes from the Language Trends Survey aptly describe the current problem. Some primary teaching is strong, provision across a whole secondary intake is very uneven and secondary schools can’t see how to cater for the range of knowledge, so they start from the beginning. A most extreme example is where a school deliberately chooses a completely different language from that taught in its feeder primaries!�

Go back four years to 2015, and the messages were uncannily similar:

‘We have taught French for years – teaching has improved. We hope this will ensure that pupils move on in high school; previous experience has shown that they “mark time” for the first year.’

(primary teacher)

‘The reliability of good teaching at Key Stage 2 is poor – students come here with huge variations in knowledge. Even those who have studied French for three years cannot spell the initial words of je m’appelle, j’ai .... ans. We assume zero knowledge and differentiate in class.’ (secondary teacher)

Go back even further, to 2008, and this was being said:

‘The kids who have had German in their primary schools are streets ahead of the others. This can be a problem.’ �(secondary teacher)

We’re seeing things happening in the primary that are going to affect our teaching, our future in the secondary. Yes, it’s an exciting period, but it’s going to be an upheaval, and we are going to have to re-write our [secondary] schemes again.’ �(outreach teacher)

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2007.08.005

Hunt, M. J., Barnes, A., Powell, B., Martin, C., (2008) Moving on : the challenges for foreign language learning on transition from primary to secondary school. Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol.24 (No.4). pp. 915-926. ISSN 0742-051X

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Group discussion

Which (if any) of these take place with your feeders and/or those of your hub schools?
Which of these have/would have the greatest impact, in your view?
Which of these are/would be the easiest to set up and maintain?
Are there any other things you already do with your feeder schools?

p.13, Language Trends Survey, 2018.

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Survey findings (transition)�

78%

p.13, Language Trends Survey, 2018.

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Quick wins [1]

Teach the NCELP SOW in Y7

Essential language (PVG) revisited (or introduced)
No repetition of familiar topics
Gap between pupils ‘with’ and ‘without’ prior language is far less apparent to them
Even without inter-school liaison, chance of de-motivation through boredom or excessive challenge much reduced

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Quick wins [2]

Capture data from different sources

Basic knowledge about provision from primary feeders (language taught, average minutes per week, list of topics)
Y6 induction evening from parents (language taught at KS2, home language)
Y6 pupil induction day or Y7 first lesson (short survey)
Agreed piece of written work produced without reference resources (e.g., letter of introduction to new language teacher), which is then stuck inside front cover of Y7 exercise book

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Quick wins [3]

Baseline testing

Language Magician?
Language Aptitude Test?
School-created test in one language?

E.g., pupils write (or select) the English for some high frequency words they hear and/or read

Primary Bee?

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The Language Magician

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Example of Language Analytic Ability test (Kasprowicz & Marsden, 2019)�Created for year 5 & 6:

Somali is a language from Africa.

Look how you say “I” did something and “he” did something in the past.

Can you spot any patterns?

English meaning	Somali verb (“I”)	Somali verb (“he”)	English meaning
I went	tagay	tagtay	He went
I brought	keenay	keentay	He brought
I rose	kacay	kactay	He rose
I taught	baray	bartay	He taught

Fill in the missing words in the table below. Use the examples above to help you.

English meaning	Somali verb (“I”)	Somali verb (“He”)	English meaning
I saw	aragay		He saw
I built		dhistay	He built
I entered		galtay	He entered
I ran away	cararay		He ran away

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Example of Language Analytic Ability test (Kasprowicz & Marsden, 2019, question adapted from Tellier, 2013)�Created for year 5 & 6:

These words are from a language called Esperanto.

Look how you say one animal and more than one animal.

one elephant 🡪 elefanto

more than one elephant 🡪 elefantoj

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Fill in the missing words. Use the examples above to help.

Example of Language Analytic Ability test (Kasprowicz & Marsden, 2019, question adapted from Tellier, 2013)�Created for year 5 & 6

One…		More than one…
	hundo	___________
	___________	leonoj
	___________	delfenoj
	porko	___________

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ogrtsi means owl

Look at these examples.

Can you spot any patterns?

Example of Language Analytic Ability test (Kasprowicz & Marsden, 2019, question adapted from Tellier, 2013)�Created for year 5 & 6:

ogrtsi krit

ogrtsin krite

When pupils scored well on this test, they scored well on tests of French verb endings.

Reliable test
Language neutral

Could this test be used (with other data) to inform a year 7 teacher about students’ awareness of grammar?

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The Primary Bee

Response to pilot in 2 schools

highly motivating
embeds knowledge much more securely
involves parents / prompts language learning beyond the classroom
improves speed of productive recall
improves pronunciation and physical production
improves behaviour

ss2431@cam.ac.uk

Email Sarah Schechter:

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The Primary Bee

It’s relevant at this point to mention the Primary Bee.��Two schools in Peterborough have piloted the competition this term, Orton Meadows for French and Gladstone for Spanish.

Jane Driver ran a school final for French just before half term and it was awesome. Fiona (KS2 French teacher) said that it had really helped the students’ vocabulary learning and it made her realise that they had been relying on her word walls and not really embedding the knowledge. She felt PB had really improved their spontaneity as they had really embedded it. She also felt that it had involved the parents and they had supported by practising at home.

The Spanish final is on Friday 15 November. Both piloting teachers spoke at the Peterborough ALL meeting about how motivating it had been for the students and how that had improved behaviour, too.

22 items correctly translated was the winning score in the first school final.

Possible transition tool?

Extracts from the Teacher Pack:

The aim of the Primary Bee is for students in Years 5 & 6 who have started learning a foreign language ab initio in primary school to practise and improve their vocabulary, pronunciation and memory skills in the target language (French, Spanish and German).

Words and phrases have been selected according to the work of NCELP (National Centre for Excellence in Language Pedagogy) which highlights the importance of word frequency in informing vocabulary learning, particularly during the early stages of language development. The list includes many high-frequency words (e.g., some numbers, some colours, some verbs, days of the week, question words and a number of common verbs to help early learners to acquire a robust knowledge of verb vocabulary. These most common verbs are included in the infinitive and 3^rd person singular forms; these two verb forms have been shown to provide a very useful linguistic core that can subsequently be further developed. For information we publish the word lists, indicating the word frequency.

�Students will be given 40 words or phrases to learn at the first stage (school) of the competition and a further 40 words or phrases will be added at Stage 2 (regional), followed by an additional 40 words or phrases in Stage 3 (national). Vocabulary will be relevant to the curriculum and aim to support classroom talk.

Students will be given the word or phrase in English and they will have to translate it correctly into the Target Language ensuring accurate pronunciation and intonation.

When participating, students will be given one minute to correctly translate as many words/phrases as possible.

Pronunciation must be accurate clearly enunciated. If the word/phrase is not clearly and accurately pronounced, a point cannot be awarded.

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Ormiston Meadows Academy

Primary Bee winners �(school stage) 2019

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Quick wins [4]

In Y7

Strategic seating plans (based on transition data)
Open-ended tasks to elicit prior knowledge

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In September Y7 seat according to transition data
Lower proficiency/ prior experience students to outer edges �(for easier support by the teacher)
Pair work first done with Higher / Lower proficiency pairs (i.e., Left/Right)
Pair work task then repeated with more equal pairs (i.e. Front/Back)

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Ma famille

Je suis une fille

J’ai une famille

Je suis un garçon

J’ai deux poissons

Je suis une maman

J’ai cinq instruments

Je suis un papa

J’ai deux chocolats

Je suis une mamie

J’ai huit amies

Je suis un papy

J’ai trois copies

J’ai un copain

Il est Alain!

Read aloud to ascertain phonics knowledge
Translate to ascertain knowledge of ‘je suis’ and ‘j’ai’
Categorise the nouns (e.g., into masculine and feminine to check awareness of gender)
Elicit additional nouns (e.g., people, animals, food, objects)
Extend to descriptions (e.g. il/elle est + adjective) to check vocabulary and knowledge of adjectival agreement

Adapted from Multicolore transition resources

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Quick wins [5]

In primary schools

Y6 induction lessons
Language Leaders (e.g., Y9 students teach lessons in primary)
Primary Bee?
Send the primary school a list of 100 high frequency words you’d like pupils to know on arrival in year 7 at secondary.

Thirty high frequency nouns
Fifteen high frequency and engaging verbs

Choose one short (je?) and infinitive (mange, manger)

Key personal pronouns
Ten (regular) high frequency adjectives
A few adverbs
A few question words
A few interaction words (oui, non, merci, bonjour)

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Quick wins [6]

Use the new Ofsted framework to start a conversation

Progress means knowing more, remembering more
The curriculum should be ambitious
Pupils study the full curriculum; it is not narrowed. In primary schools, a broad range of subjects (exemplified by the national curriculum) is taught in key stage 2 throughout each and all of Years 3 to 6.
CEFR A1 = 500-word vocabulary
Over the course of study, teaching is designed to help pupils to remember long-term the content they have been taught
The language that Y6 learners remember at the end should match the curriculum intent (i.e., what is planned to be taught)

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KS2 Language Co-Ordinator’s Handbook

Link to the Handbook

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Listening�1) Listen and show understanding by joining in and responding�2) Link the sound, spelling and meaning of words�

Speaking�1) Ask and answer questions�2) Express opinions�3) Ask for clarification and help�4) Speak in sentences�5) Describe people, places, things�

Reading�1) Read and show understanding of phrases and simple texts�2) Read aloud with accurate pronunciation �3) Use a dictionary

Writing�1) Write phrases from memory�2) Adapt phrases to create new sentences.�3) Describe people, places, things

Grammar�1) Gender of nouns

2) Singular and plural forms�3) Adjectives (place and agreement)�4) Conjugation of key verbs�

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Link to What's in a word? Presentation at the 30th Northern Primary Languages Show

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Summary of Lead HMI for Languages Michael Wardle’s recent keynote on the new Ofsted Framework’s implications for KS2 languages

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Group discussion

What are your thoughts on these six ideas?
Any additional ‘quick win’ ideas to add?

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SMART targets for transition

Consider:

one thing you could do within your school as a department
one thing you could do jointly with primaries

Note: Slides from this session to be included in TRG 3 in May 2020: �KS2 Grammar & KS2 transition arrangements, plus preparation for Hub Day 2.

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References

Baumert, J., Fleckenstein, J., Leucht, J., Köller, O., Moeller, J. (accepted). Starting Foreign Language learning early at school: Long-term prfocieny of earlty, mideel and late beginners. Language Learning. 70, 4
Burstall, C. (1975). Primary French in the balance. Educational Research, 17(3), 193–198. doi:10.1080/0013188750170304
Courtney, L. (2017). Transition in modern foreign languages: a longitudinal study of motivation for language learning and second language proficiency. Oxford Review of Education43(4), 462-481. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2017.1329721
Courtney, L., Graham, S., Tonkyn, A., & Marinis, T. (2017). Individual differences in early language learning: A study of English learners of French. Applied Linguistics, 38(6), 824–847. doi:10.1093/applin/amv071
Cummins, J. (1979). Linguistic interdependence and the educational development of bilingual children. Review of Educational Research, 49(2), 222–251. doi:10.3102/00346543049002222
De Bot, K. (2014). The effectiveness of early foreign language learning in the Netherlands. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 4(3), 409–418. doi:10.14746/ssllt.2014.4.3.2
Galton, M., & McLellan, R. (2018). A transition Odyssey: Pupils’ experiences of transfer to secondary school across five decades. Research Papers in Education, 33(2), 255–277. doi:10.1080/02671522.2017.1302496
Graham, S., Courtney, L., Marinis, T., & Tonkyn, A. (2017). Early language learning: The impact of teaching and teacher factors. Language Learning, 67(4), 922–958. doi:10.1111/lang.12251
Graham, S., Courtney, L, Tonkyn, A., & Marinis, T. (2016). Motivational trajectories for early language learning across the primary-secondary school transition. British Educational Research Journal, 42 (4), 682-702. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3230
Huang, B. H. (2016). A synthesis of empirical research on the linguistic outcomes of early foreign language instruction. International Journal of Multilingualism, 13(3), 257–273. doi:10.1515/9783110197372.0.1
Jaekel, N., Schurig, M., Florian, M., & Ritter, M. (2017). From early starters to late finishers? A longitudinal study of early foreign language learning in school. Language Learning, 67(3), 631–664. doi:10.1111/lang.12242
Kasprowicz, R. E., Marsden, E. J., & Sephton, N. (2019). Investigating distribution of practice effects for the learning of foreign language verb morphology in the young learner classroom. The Modern Language Journal, 103(3), 580-606. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12586

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