Year 6 Transition to Secondary School Grant Robertson: Senior Teacher, Student Welfare and Safeguarding Lead
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t was wonderful to communicate with the parents, guardians and students of Grad’28 in a live event on Thursday. We had a remarkable 429 people join us online for a session where our priority was to reassure the students (and some mums and dads!) that this was an exciting new chapter and nothing to be anxious about. In advance of this event we sent Year 6 families detailed information booklets to help with transition and clarify expectations for Year 7 students. This is all essential stuff, but inevitably can be a little dry in places with lots about rules and regulations, so to add a more personal touch we had Year 7s write letters to the Year 6 students outlining their experiences and telling them what to expect. The Year 6s then excitedly liaised with the older students with Q and A. The overall message from the Year 7s was “it’s no big deal, just do your best and teachers and other students will help: stop worrying as everyone will help you find your way. Secondary is fun!” Year 7 students and Heads of Subject also made videos for the Year 6 families to communicate the key information and most valuable advice to help them prepare for the exciting transition in August.
students. The resources on offer to support this learning from a subject specific perspective are second to none and students should be poised to learn in world class Science laboratories, Design + Technology workshops, Art and Drama Studios, to name just a few. TIM JARRETT: HEAD OF YEAR 7 FROM AUGUST 2021 From a pastoral perspective, it was fantastic to connect with next year’s Year 7 parents and students. The live event was intended to put the new members of Secondary School at ease and to support the current Year 6’s as we approach the end of the 2020/21 academic year. I had the opportunity to address all the most common questions that Grad’28 had before the summer holiday. No query was too big or small! Some of the questions addressed included “when do Year 7 students get their lockers?” Their allocated locker will be next door to their home room tutor base and their tutors will give them their locker code on the first day in August. Other questions were on the timings of break (9.15am-9.35am) and lunch (12.15pm-1.10pm) and when are Year 7 allowed to get their food in the Secondary Canteen - Year 7s are allowed in before everyone else as they settle in and then there is a rota.
During the live event itself, Grant Robertson (Senior Teacher, Student Welfare and Safeguarding Lead), Andy Roff (Senior Teacher, Curriculum and Assessment) and Tim We loved fielding all the queries and we could sense the Jarrett (Head of Year 7 from August 2021) presented to excitement over the airwaves as one chapter in Grad’28’s the families and received live questions. learning journey closes and a new chapter opens in August. Have an amazing summer Year 6; we can’t wait to ANDY ROFF: SENIOR TEACHER, CURRICULUM see you as Year 7 (in person) in August. AND ASSESSMENT The message most important to convey in terms of curriculum is that it should be something for students and parents to be excited about. Every year the Secondary teaching team grasps the opportunity to induct a new group of Year 7 learners into their particular subject, to impart in those students their own love of learning and spark a curiosity which grows into passionate interest in a carefully designed learning environment. It is a process that we are adept at, sympathetic to the needs of our transitioning 10
Bangkok Patana School News
28/05/2021