At Barr's Hill School, we understand that moving from primary to secondary school can feel overwhelming for many students. Students are leaving a familiar environment and joining a larger school when they become the youngest again, they will encounter new routines, different teachers, new buildings and many other changes that can make the transition feel challenging. We also recognise that this change can feel just as daunting for parents and carers as it does for students.
For this reason, we place great importance on supporting a smooth and positive transition from primary to secondary school and we pride ourselves on the opportunities within the transition period that we offer.
Below is an outline of the steps we take and the reasons behind them. It provides a clear overview of what you and your child can expect during the final months of primary school as part of our transition programme. For further information, please also refer to our Transition Pack.
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EVENT |
WHAT WE DO |
WHY WE DO IT |
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National Offer Day |
We receive a full list of the students who have been offered a place with us. We will then contact all of our new parents via email to welcome you to Barr's Hill School and provide a contact line to our transition lead. The email goes to the registered email address used to apply for the school place. |
It’s important that you receive early communication from us to welcome you to the school so you feel confident that your child will be supported through this process. Receiving the email from us also gives you the chance to tell us of any change of address since you applied for the school place. |
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End of March - Early April |
We will send you a welcome pack in the post to the address you used to apply for your child's place. This contains a letter from our headteacher, our Bridge hub director and Bridge transition lead. It will also includes our transition pack which contains all of the necessary information you will need / want to know prior to your child starting school with us for example, timings of our school day, behaviour policy, phone policy and the uniform policy. |
We want our families to feel welcomed straight away and also have the chance to begin to establish routines. We recognise providing this information early on is a really important part of this process for you and your child. It’s also important you know who to speak to, should you have any urgent questions. |
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Mid-May |
We will send you a second letter which outlines any additional transition events we are hosting, this includes our Movin' On Up week in the summer holidays, our SEND introduction event, our solo transition event, Meet the Tutor evening and the national transition day. These are all ways we ensure your child and you feel supported through the process. |
We want to support you and your child through the transition process and providing you with dates of our events gives you the opportunity to plan what will happen and when it will happen. |
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Primary School Visits – Late May, early June |
Members of our Bridge hub team or Inclusion team endeavour to visit all of our primary schools to meet with key staff. We discuss each student in turn and collate notes to aid us with the transition process, then we also meet and chat with the students to answer any questions they may have. |
This is so we can gain a deeper understanding of the students who are coming to us – including, academic progress, interests, friendships, safeguarding information and any other relevant information that may help the transition process be smooth and successful. |
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Late June |
SEND transition event. Parents and carers of students with SEND, along with their child, are invited to meet the Inclusion Team and Bridge Hub Team. They will have a short talk about our services and tour the Bridge in a quiet environment. |
This gives families the chance to meet members of the Inclusion Team and the Bridge Hub Team. It allows for questions to be asked and communication to be clear and consistent for everyone. Parents and children will also start to set up their student profile that helps staff at Barr's Hill adapt their classroom environment to meet their needs. |
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Late June |
Solo transition event. If your child is coming on their own or a pair from their primary school, we will invite them to a special day to meet others in the same position. |
Students moving on their own or in a pair from their primary school may feel increased anxiety and taking the step alone, but we want to help them feel confident in the move. By hosting our solo transition day it is a chance to make friends ahead of transition day. |
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Early July -Transition Evening |
Our Meet the Tutor transition evening is for parents, carers and the students. It allows for parents, carers and students to come in to the school and hear from key staff. Parents have the chance to ask questions as well as tour the school with their child.
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It’s important that you have the chance to come in to school with your child and meet their tutor as for most of our students this will be their key person at secondary school. We find this means that the student will be less daunted when they are required to come in to school by themselves the following day. It allows you see the school for yourself, so that you have a clear sense of where they need to go and what they need to do so you can support them fully at the start of their secondary school journey. |
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Early July -Transition Day |
This is a crucial part of the transition process. It’s often the first time students would have visited the school by themselves and is a taster day. We encourage students to wear their current primary school uniform. We also try to group students with other students from their current school so they feel confident that they know other people in their class. |
Students experience a 'day at Barr's Hill'. The day consists of taster lessons and time in their new tutor group with their tutor. Familiarising themselves with their peers and staff will help them feel more confident in these next steps. Attending transition day is crucial to your child feeling confident about starting secondary school. Whilst it is unlikely to alleviate every sense of trepidation, it provides students with memories and positive experiences which helps start their secondary school life on the right foot. |
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Mid August |
Movin' On Up summer school provides a week of free activities where students can attend and take part in however many days they choose. On offer there is a creative day, sports day, overnight camping trip and celebration day. |
The summer school is a great way to break up the holidays and meet others. Across the 5 days we often seen approximately 60% of our students come and take part, meeting staff who will teach your children, taking part in activities that will help to build their resilience. |
