Case Study: Pikes Lane Primary School

The Challenge

Pikes Lane Primary School in Bolton supports around 519 pupils in a highly deprived area. Each year, around 60 children transition from Year 6 to Year 7, moving on to as many as 15 different secondary schools. Rachel Burke, Pastoral Lead, takes responsibility for the process.

The school needed a more efficient, compliant, and consistent system to manage pupil transition, especially for SEND, disadvantaged, and vulnerable learners.

Rachel explains:

“We had 60 children going to 15 different schools. That’s a lot of meetings. And it wasn’t just me. The SENCO and Year 6 teachers were all pulled into those meetings, taking time away from pupils.!

Managing transitions used to involve multiple face-to-face meetings between staff and receiving schools, alongside lengthy paperwork and follow-up calls. The process often consumed much of the summer term.

Key issues were:

• Time-intensive coordination pulling staff away from teaching.
• Inconsistent handovers, sometimes missing key data.
• Concerns about data security when sharing sensitive safeguarding information.

The Solution: Reclaiming Time and Improving Consistency

Pikes Lane adopted SixIntoSeven, a secure digital platform to streamline pupil transition between schools. Staff were onboarded quickly, using their Google accounts to log in, with support from the Pupil Pathways team.

The platform allowed the school to upload structured data – including academic, safeguarding, attendance, and SEND information – and share this securely with receiving schools.

What previously took several weeks now takes just a few afternoons for the core team. Meetings are no longer needed for every child, as secondary schools receive the information directly.

Rachel recalls:

“I used two KIT afternoons while on maternity leave to do my part. That shows how much time it’s saved.”

The team set clear boundaries, agreeing to meet only for the most vulnerable pupils. This avoided duplication and allowed staff to focus on where they could make the greatest difference.

The Impact

Using SixIntoSeven has delivered clear benefits:

• Significant time savings: transition coordination now takes a fraction of the time.
• Improved data accuracy: standardised templates ensure consistent information.
• Secure and GDPR-compliant: safeguarding details are shared securely.
• Better continuity for pupils: secondary schools receive early access to pupil details, especially for SEND, disadvantaged, and vulnerable children.
• Streamlined communication: built-in status tracking prevents duplication or missed steps.

Rachel summarises:

“SixIntoSeven gives us peace of mind. We know the information has gone, it’s been shared securely, and we can focus our time where it matters most.”

Looking Ahead

Now in their third year of using the platform, Pikes Lane continues to see strong benefits in time saved, reduced workload, and smoother transitions.

A notable shift has been the ability to focus more on pupils’ individual needs rather than just collecting data. By cutting down administration, staff have more time to reflect on what works for each child and ensure support continues into secondary school.