Easing school transitions
The Brigshaw Learning Partnership (BLP) is a multi-academy trust in West Yorkshire, comprising six primary schools and one secondary school.
It serves a close-knit former mining community which has suffered from a long-term decline in industry and economic opportunity. While the proportion of children eligible for free school meals at the schools is roughly in line with the national average, there are nevertheless many families who do not qualify but are still facing significant hardship.
When Aidan Sadgrove became CEO in 2021, trust and engagement were strong in the primary schools – but significantly weaker at the secondary level, especially among parents.
The challenge
"Many of the families and pupils at BLP’s primary schools were anxious about the transition to secondary school due to a reputation of poor behaviour and bullying. This anxiety led to lower attendance and wellbeing. Parents were less involved in the school community and children feared the move. This particularly impacted children who were already facing other barriers to engagement with school, such as financial hardship. As such, attendance at the secondary school was low and attendance amongst students eligible for pupil premium was lower than students who were not eligible. There was also a lack of communication between the primary and secondary schools, leading to lost time and insufficient support for pupils with additional learning needs.
Leadership response
"Brigshaw Learning Partnership has developed a robust, strategic approach to supporting pupils during the critical transition from primary to secondary school. Recognising that this period can disproportionately affect students facing financial hardship, the trust has embedded transition work into its broader strategy for equity and inclusion.
"Every year there is a Festival of Transition at the trust’s secondary school, a two-week event designed to make parents and children feel more confident about their move. The festival is part of a wider framework that eases transitions and targets support for vulnerable learners. This includes early identification of pupils who may struggle, joint work between primary and secondary colleagues, and tailored support to ensure a smooth academic and pastoral shift.
"The trust uses its pupil premium allocation strategically and flexibly to contribute to staffing and activities that support pupils facing hardship as part of this work. This includes elements such as targeted communication with families, providing additional support to children who need it, and ensuring that there are enough staff members at the festival and cross-school visits."
– Aidan Sadgrove, CEO, Brigshaw Learning Partnership
Impact
Since the work on transitions began, the trust has seen an increase in parental and student engagement with the secondary school, improved attendance and behaviour, and both parents and students reporting a reduction in anxiety around the process.
Conclusion
This model demonstrates how schools can use pupil premium not only for discrete interventions, but to contribute meaningfully to whole-system approaches that particularly benefit children facing hardship in terms of attendance, attainment and wellbeing.
Want to know more?
Explore our latest report: Breaking the cycle – nine key recommendations to tackle child poverty and support schools.