MAKING the transition from primary to secondary school can be a daunting experience, particularly so if you happen to be leaving a small rural primary to join a large comprehensive approaching 1,500 in number, as is the case with Okehampton College. At Okehampton College teachers organised a ?year six science day? as part of the transition process and this has proved to be a great success for all those taking part. During the day each group performs a range of ?hands on? science activities changing each hour. In recent years the highlight has been a presentation by Roy Lowry of Plymouth University delivered through the Royal Science Institution. Entitled ?Pyromania?, his presentation entertains a captivated audience of staff and students with various impressive scientific experiments. Keith Webber, organiser of the day and teacher at Okehampton College, said: ?The day gets the children interested in science, as well a giving them a taste of life at the college. ?Another very successful cross phase project has involved bringing in our partner primaries to use our design and technology workshops to manufacture bird boxes for their school grounds. The next step is to incorporate web cams in these boxes to actually observe the birds nesting inside them. ?Other initiatives have brought years six and seven together to design, make and launch rockets and to attend residential courses together at Plymouth University. Our resident nutritionist is about to commence a healthy eating programme with our primary partners. ? Mr Webber said the ?parent and pupil taster lessons? and the successful induction programme moves children to the next level. ?Specialist status has really made a huge impact on the primary to secondary transition and the development of close working relationships between primary and secondary colleagues,? said Mr Webber. During the last three weeks in excess of 70 parents have been experiencing ?have a go? science lessons on a Monday evening. Anyone who would like to participate should contact Keith at the college by emailing [email protected]">[email protected]
