From Year 6 to Year 7
At The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College we recognise the importance of a smooth, positive transfer from primary school to secondary school. We understand that this may be a stressful time for students and parents alike and therefore we work very closely with students, parents and our feeder primary schools to ensure that the process is as stress free as possible.
Deciding where to send your child to secondary school is a huge decision and one which must be taken relatively early on. In order to help you make the decision whether The Avon Valley School is right for you, we invite all parents of, and students in, Year 6 to visit us for our Open Evening held at the beginning of each academic year. During our Open Evening you will have the chance to meet the leadership team, teaching staff and support staff and discuss aspects of school life which interest you. You can visit our excellent facilities and see examples of students’ work. Current students will be on hand to act as tour guides and will be demonstrating many lessons and activities. If you are not able to attend Open Evening we can arrange visits at another time convenient to you.
In the Autumn Term of Year 6 you will receive the official transfer documents from the Local Authority inviting you to select your preferred secondary school. The Local Authority then informs secondary schools of their prospective students in the Spring Term. The Avon Valley School’s Transition and Primary Liaison Leader will then keep in close contact with our feeder primary schools and during the Summer Term will visit all primary schools to meet with our new intake of students. We will talk to your child’s teachers about the progress made so far and any particular strategies used and needs to be addressed.
At present we are working hard to forge even stronger links with our feeder schools. As part of this process members of our teaching staff are visiting local primary schools to deliver lessons.
During the Summer Term our new intake spend at least one day with us for “Induction Day” during which they will get to know key staff and students in their new school and familiarise themselves with our buildings and rules. There is also the opportunity to trial a few lessons. On the same evening we invite all prospective students back into school with their parents to ensure parents have opportunity to meet key staff and have the chance to ask questions.
In September, the first day of term is dedicated to our new Year 7 students – with the support of a few older students who act as “Mentors”. The Mentors continue to work with Year 7 tutor groups throughout the year to support students and to offer advice during recreational times when school life may appear more daunting. On this day students will carry out some baseline assessments and also familiarise themselves with the buildings, spend time with their tutor and attend their first “official” lessons which we are confident will be the start of a positive school career at The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College.
A little later on in the Autumn Term Year 7 parents and carers are invited to attend a Tutor Evening to meet their child’s tutor to discuss how they have settled into the school. The new Year 7 students also take part in a number of team building activities designed to increase confidence and to allow them to make new friends.
If you would like to arrange a visit or discuss anything at all please contact our Year 7 Transition Leader. We look forward to meeting and working together with you in the future.
Transition Leader
Mrs A Bearpark
Transition & Primary Liaison Leader
abearpark@avonvalleyschool.uk