Pyramid Survey
Primary and secondary schools share their data and planning
The notion of the pyramid project is to survey children in a secondary school and the associated feeder primary schools. This provides an immediate 'mirror view' of the pupils' current health-related behaviour patterns, attitudes and beliefs across an age range which spans the transfer between primary and secondary school.
There are both short-term and long-term outcomes built into a pyramid survey. The participating schools get a new perspective on their curriculum content, as well as a range of new coursework material. Health and education authorities can assess current and future needs and review their funding and provision.
Immediate benefits of a pyramid survey include:
Primary school teachers often do not fully appreciate the power of influence that they have over the impressionable minds of youngsters in their care. Children can spend more time in contact with their class teacher over the course of their week than they do with their parents. Indeed teachers can often demand more respect and attention than parents can achieve.
If the survey is repeated in a systematic way, it enables the tracking of children from primary schools, into and through their secondary school careers. Undoubtedly this is a very powerful tool with which to monitor changes in patterns of behaviour. The pyramid approach offers the potential to enhance the whole spectrum of PSME work done with children. Coordinated programmes could be designed by feeder school staff and their colleagues in the secondary schools, which would tackle issues that are highlighted by the reports for their area.
The notion of the pyramid project is to survey children in a secondary school and the associated feeder primary schools. This provides an immediate 'mirror view' of the pupils' current health-related behaviour patterns, attitudes and beliefs across an age range which spans the transfer between primary and secondary school.
There are both short-term and long-term outcomes built into a pyramid survey. The participating schools get a new perspective on their curriculum content, as well as a range of new coursework material. Health and education authorities can assess current and future needs and review their funding and provision.
Immediate benefits of a pyramid survey include:
- the data provided by the pyramid survey are of great interest to all parties involved;
- the secondary school receives a preview of its future intake's health-related behaviour;
- the primary schools receive insights into the possible future behaviour patterns of their youngsters;
- staff from all linked schools are able to plan a coordinated approach in their health education programmes.
Primary school teachers often do not fully appreciate the power of influence that they have over the impressionable minds of youngsters in their care. Children can spend more time in contact with their class teacher over the course of their week than they do with their parents. Indeed teachers can often demand more respect and attention than parents can achieve.
If the survey is repeated in a systematic way, it enables the tracking of children from primary schools, into and through their secondary school careers. Undoubtedly this is a very powerful tool with which to monitor changes in patterns of behaviour. The pyramid approach offers the potential to enhance the whole spectrum of PSME work done with children. Coordinated programmes could be designed by feeder school staff and their colleagues in the secondary schools, which would tackle issues that are highlighted by the reports for their area.
Repeat surveys are planned and executed quite often: the commonest model is to survey Years 8 and 10 in secondary schools, and to repeat the survey after a two-year interval, when the original Year 8 boys and girls are in Year 10. Involving Years 5 and 6 in the feeder primary schools can set up a serial study of tracking across the primary-secondary interface.