A SENSE OF COMPETENCE
“Transitioning from Prep 6 to FY1 is carefully planned between the Head of Foundation Years and the Assistant Head of Prep, together with the teachers involved in each section. The transition takes place over six weeks and provides pupils with several opportunities to experience life as well as the teaching and learning in the Senior Section,” explains Mrs Shelli Heathcote, MCHK’s Assistant Head of Prep. “The PYP is an integrated curriculum framework where different subject groups are taught in a transdisciplinary manner through Units of Inquiry. In the Senior Section on the other hand, pupils study eight different academic subjects. It is important to prepare pupils for this change, so they know what to expect.”
Apart from more formal information sessions about the new curriculum, Prep 6 pupils are given many opportunities to interact with current FY1 pupils. For example, they share break time so they can meet, socialise and ask questions to learn first-hand what life in Senior School looks like.
Another highlight of the transition programme is subject rotation: Prep 6 pupils attend FY1 classes to get a taste of the subjects they will study in the MYP, like Science, Individuals & Societies, Design and Drama. There are also combined learning opportunities through Learning Studios where FY1 pupils share highlights, opportunities and challenges of the academic year with Prep 6. In turn, Prep 6 pupils share and celebrate their end-ofyear personal inquiries with the Senior School (and the whole Malvern community) through the annual PYP Exhibition.
“We usually launch the Prep 6 transition programme in the latter half of Term 3 to allow for a range of events and activities as the school year draws to an end,” Mrs Katrina Englart, MCHK’s IB MYP Coordinator explains. “Having said that, transition continues into Term 1 of the next academic year once the pupils have started in FY1. This year for example, we prepared a scavenger hunt for our new FY1s on their first day. They had a lot of fun moving around the campus looking for clues. This allowed them to make new friends, while getting familiar with the Senior School layout.
The first week of transition also includes sessions on wellbeing, digital literacy and collaboration, designed to ease FY1 pupils slowly into the full timetable and to set them up for success in the years ahead.
“It is equally important to educate parents about the MYP curriculum as their children transition to this new academic phase,” Mrs Englart adds. “To this end, we provide information sessions at the end of Term 3 for our Prep 6 parents with new pupil and parent induction activities and workshops in August just before the new term begins. In addition, we invite parents to coffee mornings at the start of Term 1, so they can meet their children’s new teachers and ask any questions they might have about the Senior School.”