Moving on Up:

a look at Secondary Transition

Using drama and theatre techniques to examine the
issues and concerns about starting secondary school

Practicalities

During the Summer Term, as Year 6 pupils are preparing to say their final goodbyes to the security of Primary School and make ready for their next big step, MakeBelieve Arts runs a variety of in-school drama workshops, Play in a Day sessions and after school clubs that help ease the transition to Secondary School.

In-class sessions examine the fears and hopes of Year 6 pupils as well as exploding some of the rumours that exist about Secondary transfer. Alternatively, MakeBelieve Arts create specific after-school clubs or 'Play in a Day' sessions which are open to pupils from both Year 6 and Year 7 with the aim of producing a piece of theatre to examining the issues from the view point of those who are about to transfer and those who have already experienced transition.

Previous Projects

The Transition from primary to secondary school is not only a huge step for the young people involved, but also a giant step for MakeBelieve Arts project coordinators. Every summer for we have work with a growing number of schools, incorporating our pool of twenty five workshop leaders in developing projects for over six hundred Year 6 and 7 pupils.

MakeBelieve Arts growing relationship with Deptford Green Secondary School and some of its feeder primaries means that every summer Year 7 pupils join together with the new intake from Year 6 to produce a piece of theatre that is performed for an audience of parents, other feeder schools and friends.

Pupils from all the feeder schools involved work well together and soon forget their differences, creating an imaginative piece of theatre. Shows created in the past few years have been based on a range of stimuli, including Dr Seuss' book 'Oh The Places You'll Go!' This is a fascinating story which takes the reader through the adventures and misadventures of life; exploring the 'bang ups and hang ups' and the 'lurches and slumps' to comically reminds us of the hazards of growing up.

Moving On Up...

The Moving On Up project in Deptford Green has been so successful that it has now been developed into a full year's programme of events thanks to funding from Deutsche Bank.
Every Friday members of the MakeBelieve Arts team work with fifty-five Yr 7 pupils, using drama techniques, creative approaches and ideas based on multiple intelligences to support groups via a year long transition programme.

Alongside this work, funding from Jack Petchey has enabled MakeBelieve Arts to create a Transition Touring Theatre Company out of pupils drawn from Yr 7 and Yr 8. The pupils meet once a week throughout the year, building towards a performance that tours to primary school in the summer term. The performance is aimed at Yr 5 pupils thinking about the secondary school they wish to apply to.