Moving to high school is an exciting but often nerve-racking part of a child’s educational journey. There is a wealth of educational research highlighting the positive influence that an effective transition process can have on a child’s academic progress and future well-being. At Broadland High Ormiston Academy we want all of our students to feel safe, happy, enthusiastic and engaged with their learning. As an academy, we go to great lengths to ensure that this is the case.
Broadland High Ormiston Academy has seven main primary schools. Expanding numbers and a longstanding reputation for excellence mean that the academy is also a popular choice for many students from beyond our catchment area. The academy has a large number of additional primary schools with students who transfer to us and we are often over-subscribed. Our transition programme has been adapted over the years to ensure that we fully meet the needs of all students. We are proud of our reputation and strive to ensure that it continues to grow and flourish.
Throughout the year we work closely with our primary schools, delivering team building and aspiration sessions to prospective students, both in their own school and here at Broadland. These experiences, alongside strong communication and the sharing of key information, ensure that an early positive relationship is built between every student and their family and the group of schools concerned.
Visits to year 6 students will take place in the summer term. This usually involves a visit from the Head of Year, often accompanied by some student leaders who, as well as enjoying a visit to their old primary school, take great pride in talking to the year 6s about life at high school, and presenting them with some top tips for settling in and being successful at high school. This presents us with a great opportunity to meet the year 6 students in an environment that they are comfortable in, as well as an opportunity to communicate with their Year 6 teacher.
The academy has a high proportion of students who transfer from schools that are not designated feeder schools. In order to support these students effectively with their transition to high school we have a day for students transferring to us in small groups, or on their own. It provides an excellent opportunity to make friends, meet key staff / student leaders and have a tour of the academy. Every child takes part in some team-building games and has the opportunity to use the swimming pool. This takes place a week before the academy’s two Induction Days, which are attended by all the students who will be joining us in September.
All year 6 students are invited to spend two full days at the academy and experience a typical day with us. Students will meet staff, students leaders, and get to work with their new peers. Students will also have an opportunity to meet their new Form Tutor. After the second day, parents have the opportunity to meet our uniform suppliers, Birds of Dereham, who will be selling and taking orders for the new cohort.
This is an important information evening for parents. The aim of the evening is to provide key information for parents / carers ahead of their child starting with us in September and build positive relationships to further aid the transition process and meet key members of staff. Current year 7 students will talk about their first year at the academy and share their experiences.
Each year we invite a small number of students to attend our summer school programme; these are usually students joining us from small schools as well as students with additional needs. The Head of Year will make contact regarding the programme, should your child qualify. This programme has been a huge success in previous years and is a great way for the students to take part in some fun activities, make new friends and familiarise themselves with the school building.
During the first few weeks in September, all Year 7 students will participate in our annual team-building day, placing a focus on making friends and solving problems together. The day is normally a huge success and a fun activity that involves everyone. Our first student leaders will be selected at this event, with these roles being awarded to those students demonstrating outstanding leadership skills.
Our tutor evening, led by form tutors, takes place during the first half-term. Your child’s form tutor will remain with students for five years and the relationship they build with the student and their family is extremely important. It forms an integral part of our school’s settling in process. The evening also provides an excellent opportunity for parents to meet form tutors, see how their child has settled in, and talk with other parents, as well as starting to better understand our expectations around home study.
Transition to high school presents its challenges to all children and their families, but particularly if a child has special educational needs. As a school, our SENDCo, and her team, work closely with all the primary schools from which children join us to ensure that an individual child’s needs are communicated and appropriate provision planned in a timely manner.
If your child is coming to us from outside of our catchment, please rest assured that we have a wealth of experience of transitioning children from a wide range and number of different primary schools.
We very much encourage parents to get in touch with our SENDCo early in Year 6 to discuss their child’s needs. If your child has an EHCP, transition to high school is discussed earlier, in their Year 5 review. Our SENDCo makes every effort to attend these reviews by the primary school, and will then go on to attend the Year 6 review in the same way.
Once contact has been made we can work with you and your child’s primary school to plan the transition your child needs. This may involve extra visits, by us, to your child’s primary school, as well as additional opportunities for them to visit the academy. We also hold an extra transition visit, during one of our September INSET days, for our vulnerable new Year 7s. We run this additional opportunity as we recognise that, for many, worries and anxieties can increase over the six-week summer break.