Transition
Primary
Starting school is an important milestone for a child. The transition often marks a time of great excitement for families and children. We also recognise that transition occurs between year groups and key stages.
We want all of our children to feel happy, safe and secure. The quicker they settle into their new environment, the more confident they become in developing independence and the more they enjoy their learning. The transition to secondary school is also important to us and we strive to prepare our children and equip them with the skills, knowledge and confidence to continue their learning journey. Our aim is to ensure that all of our pupils have as seamless a transition as possible to ensure that they continue to enjoy and achieve in their new school environment.
Pupil Induction
We hold open days for new Nursery and Reception parents with the relevant Foundation Stage Lead, and all Nursery and/or Reception pupils who are allocated a place at the Academy attend introductory sessions. These sessions give pupils an opportunity to spend time with their class, make new friends and, most importantly, meet some of the staff with whom they will be spending the next 7-8 years, including their class teacher.
Pupils from Year 1-Year 5 engage in “class swaps,” where they have an opportunity to experience their new classrooms and become accustomed to working with their new teachers before they officially move up a year. We maintain close links with our local secondary schools/academies and all pupils will receive planned transition activities throughout Upper Key Stage 2. These include bespoke visits to their chosen secondary schools and “mock bus rides” where they have the opportunity to become familiar with their new school bus route and pick up/drop off points.
Parent Induction
There is also a Parent Induction Evening for all new parents in the summer term to give them key information about the Academy. The Parent Induction Meetings are an opportunity for parents to come into school, meet their child’s new class teacher and find out more information about the curriculum. The Induction also gives parents the opportunity to learn more about the Academy’s ethos, routines and expectations and meet the Principal and Senior Leadership Team.
Secondary
We invest a huge amount of time in ensuring that each child has a smooth transition to secondary school. Once they have been allocated a place with us, we work on the principle of finding out as much about a pupil as possible before they start with us so that when they do start we know them well.
We have a well-established programme designed to support the transition from primary school into secondary school. We work closely with our ‘feeder’ primary schools to ensure that their Year 6 pupils are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities presented by secondary education, so that they can make a confident beginning at the Academy.
We provide a number of taster sessions throughout the year and a range of other introductory activities designed to support pupils making the move into Year 7. We also have ‘buddying’ schemes available designed to team new pupils with supportive older pupils who understand how it feels to be entering a new environment.
Pupil Induction
All Year 6 pupils who are allocated a place at the Academy attend an ‘Induction Day’ in the summer term. This day gives the pupils an opportunity to spend a day with their new tutor group, meet new friends and, most importantly, start to meet some of the staff with whom they will be spending the next 5 years.
Parent Induction
There is also a Parent Induction evening for all Year 6 parents in the summer term to give them key information about the Academy. The Induction gives parents the opportunity to learn more about the Academy’s ethos, routines and expectations and meet the Principal and Senior Leadership Team.
Peer Mentors
We also implement a peer based mentoring scheme to ease the transition from primary to secondary school. The Peer Mentoring Programme aims to provide support for our new Year 7 pupils – individually and as a group, to help them settle in, make progress and to achieve their full potential within our Academy.
The programme allows younger pupils who wish to talk about their expectations of high school to speak to Academy pupils who have recently gone through the experience rather than to teachers / adults. Our peer mentors are approachable, compassionate and patient, with good listening and communication skills. Our youngest pupils enjoy drawing on the experience of the older pupils and our Peer Mentors provide Year 7 pupils with an initial, accessible point of contact from which to seek information and support during their early experiences at the Academy.
Transition Through the Year Groups
All key stakeholders work together to support transition through the Key Stages. The Academy’s Pastoral Team comprises of Pastoral Mentors, Link Group Tutors and a dedicated Family Liaison Officer.