Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on secondary school teaching staff and primary to secondary transitions

In common with many countries, UK schools closed for most pupils for periods between March 2020 and March 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with significant implications for school education and the primary to secondary school transition. The transition to secondary school occurs at a crucial time of child development, with evidence suggesting transition may have a range of impacts on pupil wellbeing and academic performance. We wanted to understand how the pandemic had affected secondary teaching staff and their pupils during the move to secondary school. The study involved semi-structured interviews with transition leaders from 12 secondary schools with subsequent thematic analysis. The findings of the study include; potential benefits from the digitalisation of teaching practice; improving both pupil inclusion and staff efficiency, an enhanced interface with new parents resulting from virtual tours and open evenings, implications for the scope of existing teacher training with regard to virtual learning and concerns over pupil wellbeing, with increased levels of anxiety and a lack of emotional intelligence resulting from lockdowns. The study concludes that whilst the overall impact of the pandemic was probably detrimental to pupils’ education and transitions practice, some potentially significant educational opportunities have arisen.