In BPS, we think in terms of kindergarten, lower primary, upper primary, and secondary age groups, which means learning processes that span several years. The needs of children in these different stages of life vary, and the organization of school learning presents different challenges and expectations in lower versus upper grades.

We've introduced a unified age group transition process at BPS, so in every micro-school, children receive age group transition feedback, get acquainted with their chosen upper age group micro-school, and make plans in case they are not yet ready for the transition, following the same criteria, timing, and steps.

In the new age group, a new story begins in a new learning community. Therefore, the transition from fourth to fifth grade or eighth to ninth grade in BPS is not an unnoticed, automatic step. The age group transition is an opportunity for reflection, evaluation, and also a decision point about what comes next.

If your child is currently in the fourth or eighth grade, then you have surely heard about this process from your mentor, and in the coming weeks, you should receive your child's age group transition feedback, filled out by the teaching team of their micro-school.

This year we have also introduced that children start preparing for the age group transition a year earlier, so if your child is currently in the third or seventh grade, you will be discussing this with your mentor in March.

As an example, we have highlighted the upper-middle school transition evaluation table: