How to acquire and use information about pupils to improve the transition from primary to secondary school?

The transition from primary to secondary school can affect children’s school and work careers. Mentors at secondary school guide the children through the transition process. For this, they need support from the children, their parents, and the primary schoolteachers. We interviewed 17 mentors from secondary schools in the Netherlands to investigate whether they acquire the information they need and how they value that information. The results show that mentors play an autonomous role, are insufficiently aware of the experiences of primary schoolteachers and dissatisfied with the overall educational report by the primary school. Direct contact with primary education teachers is greatly appreciated but often does not happen.