Aims and objectives…
National Consortium for Excellence in Primary-Secondary School Transitions
Our National Consortium for Excellence in Primary–Secondary School Transitions was established to formalise, strengthen and consolidate a network built from 2022-2026 of research and partnership, bringing together research evidence, practitioner expertise and lived experience to create a unified, national approach. It provides the sustained national infrastructure needed to implement our co-produced policy recommendations, drive system-wide change, and formalise cross-sector partnerships through a shared governance framework uniting researchers, practitioners, policymakers, health professionals and third-sector partners. It operates through four core functions, working together to close the gap between evidence and everyday practice.
Our four core functions:
Share expertise — Our consortium operates as a national hub connecting transitions research and practice across all four UK nations, to drive unified change in how primary-secondary school transitions are managed and supported.
Disseminate best practice — Central to our work is a repository of evidence-informed and school-tested primary-secondary school transitions resources, drawn from both academic research and educational practice and experience. By turning research and classroom-tested approaches into practical resources every school can use, we aim to reduce the duplication currently seen across England's roughly 25,000 schools, each designing and implementing its own approach.
Advice forum —A space for collaboration and knowledge exchange, where practitioners can share knowledge, expertise and experience, ask questions and solve problems together. If you need more detail on how an intervention was implemented and how it could be adapted or replicated in your setting, you can raise a question in the forum to support knowledge exchange and dissemination across the network.
Influence policy — A credible, collective voice engaging with regulatory authorities to inform national guidance and statutory strategy. Drawing on our evidence-based National Primary-Secondary School Transitions Strategy, we work to improve how transitions are managed and supported across England through evidence-informed practice and policy.