The Journey into Year 7 Continues!

Many thanks to all those parents and learners who were able to join us at our online Transition event on 20th April. It was lovely to see so many friendly faces, both old and new.

During that event, I mentioned how important it is that we view the idea of Transition as a process of change. Not something that just happens once, but something that is ongoing and that will require different support strategies and personalised approaches for each individual child. Our aim is to provide as positive a start to Secondary as possible as we know that it has such long-lasting benefits. It is both from our own experiences and academic research, that we recognise that young people who experience positive transitions are more likely to feel comfortable, relaxed and valued; excited and motivated to learn; have good relationships with others and will develop a greater sense of belonging within the school community. This positive start can make a big difference to young people’s school engagement, their learning and their wellbeing.

I also I shared a visualisation of how our support framework is being implemented over the final term of Year 6. As with any journey, planning and preparation are key.

We are excited to be commencing our 'Getting to Know You' chats on Monday afternoon. Myself and Mr Massey (Years 7 to 9 Phase Leader) will be having informal 'Afternoon Tea' drop in sessions with small groups of Year 6 learners which will provide an opportunity to develop relationships, ask questions and find out a little bit more about Year 7.

During these informal sessions, we would like learners to share with us their thoughts and feelings about moving up into secondary school.

As a family, you may find it useful to use some of the conversation starters below for discussing these feelings and emotions at home, ahead of our meetings on Monday.

• What are you most looking forward to in Year 7?

• What will be your biggest personal challenge to overcome as you move into Year 7?

• What is the most important thing that you would like your teachers in Year 7 to know about you?

As the idea of Year 7 becomes an ever increasing reality for our children it is important that we keep our communication open and honest. One fun way of approaching this is to compare school life 'Back in Your Day' with your child's experience now. So with that in mind, I would like to start a set of Transition Family Challenges as we move towards the end of term.

Family Challenge 1: Ask your parents/carers or other family members about what they wore at school. Have they got any photographs they can show you? Have they got any funny stories they can tell you about their uniform in Secondary school? Log on to this flipgrid with your school email account and share your findings.

We look forward to hearing and seeing your shared experiences.

Sarah Baldock

Year 7 Leader