Caludon Castle has several main partner primary schools including Richard Lee, Wyken Croft, Clifford Bridge and Ravensdale. We work hard to make sure that the transition for all Year 6 students to Caludon Castle is as smooth as possible. Our transition support can be sub divided into:
1. Social transition
At Caludon we recognise that the transition to a secondary school can be very exciting but also nerve wracking for students and their parents. As a result we have developed strategies to support this. The Year 7 team including the Assistant Headteacher, Year Manager and Learning Mentor visit all students from our partner primary schools and meet with Year 6’s and their teachers. Year 7 students accompany us to allow the Year 6’s an opportunity to find answers to their questions. The meetings with the Year 6 teachers are valuable opportunities to share data to enable us to make the best and most appropriate decisions for placing the Year 6’s into tutor groups.
In addition to this we support all students through a transition day and parents’ evening. However for students with additional needs we offer extra support sessions including a coffee morning for parents of students from smaller schools or students who are coming to Caludon Castle from a school on their own.
2. Curriculum transition
This is an area that we are working steadily to develop. We currently have Advanced Skills Teachers who have curriculum transition responsibilities in Modern Foreign Languages, English, Maths, Science, IT and Physical Education. We have set up a working party to focus on this work and to share good practice. Our teachers have been involved in joint planning of the transition units with our partner primary schools, delivering of taster sessions and in 2007 we won a bid to participate in a Local Authority project on transition – with a focus on foundation subjects.
At Caludon we are proud of the time and effort that we put into developing positive working relations with our partner primary schools and the support that we provide in preparing and welcoming Year 6 students as they become Year 7 in our school.
