YEAR 5 TASTER DAY & YEAR 6 transition

The transition from primary to secondary school is a very exciting time for year 6 pupils. It marks the end of an era at primary school and the beginning of new adventures at secondary school. No doubt there will be nerves mixed in with the excitement - this is completely natural for pupils and parents alike!

Mr Rooney, Assistant Headteacher at St Joseph's, is in charge of transition co-ordination. He works very closely with primary schools in acquiring information on every child to understand their individual needs. The information is gathered through transition forms and in depth meetings with each school’s Year 6 teacher. Mr Rooney also visits each child in their primary school to address any concerns they may have about the transition to St Joseph’s.

We hope this page is a one-stop shop for all things transition. We aim to include booklets that will help you prepare, letters and correspondence that is sent out, video introductions from teachers and pupils, and a virtual tour of the school. We hope you enjoy them and that they help you feel part of our school community.

If you have any queries or questions, please do email transition@sjcs.org.uk and we will get back to you!

We are all looking forward to getting to know you and working with you over the coming years.

Year 6 Open Days

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Register for open events


register FOR YEAR 5 TASTER DAY

The Year 5 Taster Day is for pupils only. Parents are welcome to attend our Open Events in September and October. If you'd like your child to attend our Taster Day on Monday 24th June 2024, please register your interest using the form below.

The name of the pupil who will be attending the Taster Day.
Please enter the name of the primary school the pupil currently attends.
Please enter an email address in case we need to get in touch.
Please enter a phone number in case we need to get in touch with you during the Taster Day.
Please enter any additional information we should know – e.g. SEN information, allergies, accessibility requirements.

register for OPEN EVENING

You are welcome to turn up on the day for our Open Mornings, but if you'd like to attend our Open Evening on Thursday 26th September 2024, please register your attendance below.

Please enter an email address in case we need to get in touch.

VIRTUAL SCHOOL TOUR

Our current Head Students – Gianpiero, Gabriela, Shannan and Jack – take you on a virtual tour of some of our communal areas here at St Joseph's.

DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES

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Please see the following resources for helpful tips and advice about starting school, managing homework, equipment and uniform, and more:

ℹ️ School Information Booklet

🏫 Top Tips for Parents: Going to Secondary School

✏️ Homework Survival Guide

SCHOOL MAP

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On the first day of school, pupils will be issued with a map to help them find their way around – but there will always be someone on hand to help them find their way, so they won't get lost!

ℹ️ Download the map here

SCHOOL UNIFORM

At St Joseph's, we have a strong focus on maintaining uniform standards for all year groups.

For information about our uniform standards and where to purchase the correct St Joseph's uniform ready for September, click here.

We have also partnered with Bateman's Sports to offer a selection of sports apparel displaying our school logo, and all items can be customised with your child's initials. Click here to learn more.*

*Note: Please wait to find out what house your child is in before buying house-specific uniform.

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE & SEND A POSTCARD TO YOUR FORM TUTOR!

We'd love you to get involved in our special summer tasks before you join us in September. Take part in our summer reading challenge, and send your new form tutor a postcard so they can get to know you!

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WELCOME FROM MR ROONEY

Mr Rooney, our Head of Transition here at St Joseph's, takes you through what to expect over the coming weeks.

WELCOME FROM MRS MARSHALL

As our Director of Learning for Year 7, Mrs Marshall's job is to make sure you feel settled, happy, and safe in your new school.

MEET THE DEPARTMENTS & STAFF


MATHS

pe

ART

MUSIC

food technology

re

modern foreign languages

ict

ENGLISH

History

GEOGRAPHY

SCIENCE

DRAMa

SEN TEAM

MEET SOME OF OUR CURRENT PUPILS


a typical day at st joseph's

finding your way around

homework

making new friends

WHAT we LOVE ABOUT SJCS

The Transition Timeline


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Induction Day

All Year 6 students attend an Induction day in July. The day is an excellent opportunity for the Year 6 students to experience a day at St Joseph’s before they start for real in September. The day is split into two parts: an academic session and a pastoral session. During the academic session, students do a Cognitive Ability Test so that we can ensure they are placed in the correct learning groups from the moment they start in September. In the pastoral session, the students meet their new form tutors, directors of learning, class mates and peers from their year group.

At St Joseph’s we seek to ensure each of our students achieves their academic potential and also develops into a young adult that we are all proud of. This induction day is the beginning of the journey towards this goal.

Parents Induction Evening

Additionally, all parents are invited to St Joseph’s for a Year 6 parents induction evening. This helps to prepare and inform parents about about their child’s transition. During this evening session, parents of current students talk about their experiences of the school and in addition current year 7 students talk about their experience of transition. Students and parents tell us that they find these events very informative and helpful.

In September

Once the pupils start in September, every member of the school community, staff and students alike, works hard to help the new Year 7 students settle in as quickly as possible. In the first term there is a party held by each House to welcome their new Year 7 Form. The older students in a House group organise games and activities to help new students integrate into their pastoral group.

We are always delighted with how quickly the Year 7 students settle into “big school”. The worries of “will I get lost?” and “will I make new friends?” become questions of the past, and soon, pupils get involved in House events and clubs that make them feel a real part of our school community. They very quickly adopt our Key Stage 3 mantra: “do your best and mind your manners."

meet the YEAR 7 FORM TUTORS

7M - Mr. Thompson

7T - Mr. Inglis

7V - Mrs. Martin

7F - Mr. Caruso

PASTORAL & SENCO

transition faq