To inform the P-S WELLS project we conducted extensive research with children, and significant others (e.g., parents/guardians and teachers) using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, to obtain their first-hand insights into their perceptions and experiences of primary-secondary school transitions and how this period can be improved. In addition, we obtained insights into the design and implementation needs of P-S WELLS through intervention research.
From the outset of the project, we worked in close consultation with those with lived and professional experience (e.g., children, educational practitioners, and policymakers) and those with academic expertise (e.g., researchers with empirical, theoretical, methodological, and policy expertise). through a young person advisory group and adult advisory group. Our advisory groups played a fundamental role in keeping the project informed of current practice, issues, and legislation, to ensure that research and community expectations are aligned throughout our project.
Young person advisory group:
P-S WELLS was co-produced with children to draw on their valuable lived-experience and needs. This ensured that P-S WELLS is (a) accessible (language and format), (b) sensitive and has a positive discourse, so it is motivating for children to complete and does not give a negative message about secondary school, and (c) contextually relevant to children’s experience, environments, and conceptualisations of emotional wellbeing in the context of primary-secondary school transitions. To do this, we formed an advisory group of eight Year 6 (P7) and Year 7 (S1) children, whom are about to or just moved to secondary school, which was supported by Liz Stevenson. We met the group quarterly over the three-year project, and in addition, two young people’s research consultation sessions were held for 12 Year 6 (P7 in Scotland) and Year 7 (S1 in Scotland) children. In the young people research consultation days children worked in small groups to discuss the findings, decide on the key points that should be disseminated and to whom. Dissemination materials were co-produced using creative techniques, including comic. See examples here.
Adult advisory group:
We formed an adult advisory group, consisting of experts within practice (e.g. educational and counselling psychologists, educational practitioners), research (e.g. expertise in transitions, emotional wellbeing and mental health, psychometrics, longitudinal data analysis) and policy (e.g. nationally, local authority partnership, policy influencers and NGOs).
Expertise from practice:
This group brought extensive front-line and strategic educational expertise, spanning primary, secondary, special and alternative provision. The expertise represented included school and trust leadership, school improvement, inclusion, SEMH, supporting vulnerable and marginalised children, and educational transitions. There was also substantial experience in the group of designing and implementing transition and wellbeing programmes, including work with parents and families. The group provided practical understanding of how interventions can be embedded within schools and adapted to different educational contexts, alongside experience of teacher development, curriculum development, emotional regulation, resilience and pupil wellbeing.
Research expertise:
This group provided academic, psychological and methodological expertise relating to children's educational transitions, mental health and wellbeing. Expertise includes educational and counselling psychology, adolescent mental health, emotional wellbeing, risk and protective factors, and the psychological processes associated with successful transitions. The group also provided considerable methodological expertise in longitudinal and cohort research, psychometrics, measure and instrument development, statistical analysis and intervention evaluation. This ensured that we knew how to develop robust measures, evaluate interventions and examine outcomes over time, while translating research evidence into educational practice.
Policy, local authority partnership:
This group united system-level expertise in education policy, inclusion, wellbeing, equalities and public services, alongside direct experience of local-authority and national education systems. Expertise included educational policy development and implementation, educational psychology, school improvement, primary-secondary transition, inclusion and special educational needs, mental health and wellbeing, and support for vulnerable children and families. There was also expertise in health equity, systems change, and partnership working, providing an understanding of how school-based initiatives can connect with wider local, regional and national policy and service structures.
Overall expertise represented:
Taken together, the three groups provided complementary expertise across practice, research and policy/system implementation:
Practice: understanding what works in schools and with children, families and teachers.
Research: designing, measuring and evaluating interventions and understanding outcomes over time.
Policy and systems: understanding how approaches can be implemented, sustained and scaled across schools, local authorities and wider services.
Members of the group have been heavily involved in developing our National Strategy, have provided important knowledge exchange and impact, and will join our Consortium.
Here are some testimonials from members of our advisory group:
“Being part of #P-S WELLS has connected me with other people interested in school transition, creating a community of practice. Stimulating my own thoughts around developing this further in my local authority” (Local Authority, Liverpool)
“Our partnership with #P-S WELLS has enabled us to understand more systematically the challenges our children face at transition. Our partnership has opened up multi-agency conversations about approaches to transition across Liverpool” (Local Authority; Wirral)
“#P-S WELLS has been embedded into the Local Authority Transition handbook, the Children and Young People Partnership Plan, Health action strategy and the data will be used to help early identification for those students that will benefit from additional transition support” (Local Authority Lead, Rochdale)
“Your impactful work on improving children’s emotional wellbeing over primary-secondary school transition has transformed our approach to supporting transition in Melbourne and even the Department of Education are now becoming a lot more aware of this need. We are very keen to engage in the validation and international translation of #P-S WELLS” (Mental Health Practitioner; Victoria State, Australia)