Bridging projects that provide exposure to secondary school teachers and environments during Year 6, with continuity into Year 7, appeared effective in easing transitions¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Systemic solutions such as bridging projects appeared effective by providing exposure to new teachers and the environment in Year 6 and continuity into Year 7, minimising simultaneous changes. → Bagnall 2026

Evidence¶

Bagnall 2026¶

Bagnall, C. L., Edge, D., Banwell, E., Seymour, R., Garnett, N., Mason, C., Panayiotou, M., Jindal-Snape, D., Packer, R., Hodgkin, K., Skerritt, C., Donaldson, C., Birchwood, J., McAreavey, A., Cunningham, E., Symonds, J. E., & Holliman, A. (2026). A Mixed-methods Study of How to Improve Primary-secondary Transitions in England: Combining Academic Research with Policy and Practice Consultation. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-026-10174-z

q2 · i? · review · r2

Finding from the systematic review's Familiarity theme, reported as the review's synthesis of included studies (citing Neal et al., 2016; Rice et al., 2021). The review reports bridging projects "appeared effective"; no effect sizes are printed.

"systemic solutions such as bridging projects appeared effective by providing exposure to new teachers and the environment in Year 6 (final year of primary school in England) and providing continuity into Year 7 (first year of secondary school in England) to minimise multiple changes being navigated at the same time"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Students often slip off track during transition years (6th and 9th grade) even when they previously performed well — related
• Successful transition from intermediate to secondary school depends on both academic preparation and social-emotional learning skills suited to a more independent environment — related
• A UK-focused systematic review identifies six key priority areas for primary-secondary school transitions: familiarity, relationships, intrapersonal skills, pastoral support, collaboration, and families — a broader claim this one bears on