ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the features of school transition, setting it in the social historical context of human and educational development. The term 'status passage' is first applied to school transition by researchers Linda Measor and Peter Woods in their book. Parents also play a part in creating the status passage, when they change home routines and rules in order to support children's autonomy at transition. When children perceive school transition as a status passage, they interpret many of its features as maturity status markers. In an ideal world, the status passage of school transition should encourage positive attitudes and behaviour. Some maturity status markers have this effect, when children become more socially responsible, learn to manage their own equipment, adapt to complex timetables and new teaching arrangements, commute more independently and help out at home. Many children aspire to achieve this teenage standard once they change schools, which can involve sloughing off childish behaviours from primary school.
