Never in my life had I thought that I would have worked at an institution the building of which would house two schools of different sectors, a primary and a secondary school. This was initially  considered by me as a blessing because of my involvement in a doctorate programme that focuses its attention on school transfer. However, the mere fact that the two schools are housed in the same building does not make transition automatically easier, apart from the fact that I can practically see and meet the head teacher of the main feeder primary school each and every day. And in deed, most of the days, the primary school head teacher and I have some kind of interaction with each other either in person, or by telephone or just  meeting casually and saying hello in the corridors.

At any rate, these interactions are mainly concerned with practical organisational problems between the managers of the two schools and are based on the happy coincidence of opinion and approach of the two men. At other levels, no other interaction is taking place between the staffs of the two schools in the direction of transition, save for the response of the class teacher of the primary top year pupils whenever we invite them to participate in events like national celebrations and games. On the secondary side, all the initiative regarding school transfer events has been restricted to me, since nobody offered to take up  the role of the liaison with the primary schools. At any rate, chronologically the following activities have been organised or planned so far:

1.        A talk was organised for the parents of the first year students in late September 2001 at which the speakers were the educational psychologist of the gymnasium and the writer.

2.      Twelve first year students of the gymnasium have undertaken to keep a diary regarding their transfer from primary to secondary school for as long as they feel they have something to say about the subject.

3.      The parents of the above children took part in a focus interview on the theme of  transition.

4.      The first year students have been asked to write an essay on their secondary school.

5.      The top year pupils of the Phaneromeni primary school joined in the celebrations of the national day of 28^th October.

6.      The 4^th, 5^th and 6^th form pupils of the above school watched our games.

7.      The students of the feeder schools were invited to visit the gymnasium and attend lessons.

8.      Our first year students were invited by the Phaneromeni Primary School to attend lessons in their classes.

9.      The two schools have co – organised an Easter function with traditional games.

10.    An exchange of teaching staffs between the main feeder primary school and the gymnasium  has been programmed for May 2002.

11.      Finally a talk and a tour of the gymnasium for the parents of the top year primary school pupils of all the feeder primary schools. The speakers at this open evening will be the Phaneromeni Primary School head teacher and the writer.

I think that what I have done best as a head teacher is the organisational and administrative work. This is understandable, since this is the aspect of transition that interests me more. The most difficult items of transition are the lack of time or  interest  on the part of the assistant head teachers and the teachers to get involved in a whole school approach to a  school transfer  induction programme.