Welcome to Woodham Academy. I’m delighted that your son/daughter will be joining us in September. Although hard to imagine, in five years time your child will be a young adult, ready to embark upon further education or training. We look forward to sharing this journey with you, working alongside you to ensure the best possible future for your child.
Andrew Bell
Headteacher
Moving Up
Your child’s transfer from primary to secondary school is both an exciting and daunting time. There are many new things to become familiar with and we believe that in order to ensure a smooth transition, your child needs support from us and from you. There may be concerns, queries or anxious feelings which are perfectly natural and, by working together as a partnership, we will succeed in preparing your child for the next stage in their education very quickly. At Woodham Academy, we run a number of events to help children to become familiar with the school before their transfer into Year 7.
These include our staff visiting students in their primary schools and also students visiting Woodham Academy to spend a day with us. This will allow students to familiarise themselves with teachers, the school building and to also experience a variety of lessons. If students have Special Education Needs you may wish to contact the school to arrange further support.
We are currently liaising with relevant staff in your child's primary school, gathering information to ensure individual needs are met. This year, we have increased the number of staff who will be working with our Year 7 students. Your child will have several opportunities to meet this team, prior to them starting in September. Our priority is to ensure that all students are happy in school and that they are aware of all the support that is available to them. We hope that our transition activities between now and the end of Year 6 will relieve any anxieties or concerns your child may have, and leave them excited and enthusiastic about their next stage in their education.
Year 7 Form Tutors
Your child will be allocated to a form tutor who will meet your child every day and help them settle into new routines. These form tutors are a specialist Year 7 team who welcome our new students year after year. Your child will stay with this form tutor for all of Year 7. Students will be taught in these mixed ability form classes for at least the first 4-5 weeks, to help them settle into new routines and for us to assess their academic ability.
Lateral Flow Testing for Year 7 Students
Recent Government guidelines states that students will be required to have two lateral flow tests, (approximately 3 days apart) taken on the school site at the start of September. This will be for all year groups. As your child is new to the school we need to have your consent prior to them starting with us. Students will receive their first test on Friday 3rd September. Once the two tests within school have been taken then students will be issued with a pack of tests so that these can be done at home. If students are under the age of 12 years then a member of our team will need to administer the test. Students who have not experienced a lateral flow test before may worry about the process. Therefore, the following video which shows Mr Bell having his test, can be shown to students so that they become familiar with the process. For the majority of students at Woodham Academy this has become the norm over the past year.
If you consent for your child to be tested, then please click on the following link and complete the form.
Further information will be provided in Mr Bell’s end of term video update to parents, which can be viewed on our home page of our website, as well as our covid information page.
Important Documents
Woodham Academy Student Transition Booklet
The following forms need to be returned to Woodham Academy by Friday 25th June 2021. These are:
Pupil Admission Form
Biometric Letter & Form
These can be printed off, completed and then returned to us by e-mail Y6transition@woodham.org.uk or posted back to us. Alternatively, they can be brought to the school and posted in a deposit box which is situated on the wall outside of the main front doors. If you would like paper copies sent to you in the post can you please request this by email Y6transition@woodham.org.uk providing your name and address.
Our privacy notice can be found at the bottom of our website homepage.
Uniform Information and Orders
Woodham Academy School Uniform
- Grey suit jacket with embroidered school logo (separate fit for male and female) to be worn at all times
- Tie - each year group will have a distinctive tie with the school logo
Year 7 – black/green
Year 8 – black/yellow
Year 9 – black/pink
Year 10 – black/blue
Year 11 – black/orange
- White shirt (long or short sleeved)
- Grey jumper with school logo (optional)
- Black traditional school trouser or skirt. The skirt must be purchased from the suppliers. No other skirts will be allowed.
- Black leather or similar shoes (not trainer-style shoes, boots or plimsolls)
We are sure all students will look extremely smart in their uniform and take pride in their appearance as a student of Woodham Academy. The suit jacket, tie, skirt (if selected) and PE kit must be purchased from SWI Ltd (our uniform suppliers). The white shirt and black school trousers can be purchased independently from stockists of your choice.
Please note that from September 2021 the school tie and school skirt is different to previous years.
Woodham PE Kit
- Unisex training top short sleeve – black/white
- Boys training shorts – black/silver
- Girls training shorts – black/silver
- Unisex sports socks – black (optional)
- Unisex quarter zip training top long sleeve – black/white (optional)
- Unisex training pants – black/silver (optional)
- Girls leggings – black/silver (optional)
It is recommended that orders are placed on or before Monday 2nd August 2021.
For information on how to size your child, prices and how to order click on the following link.
Staff Introductions for September 2021
Headteacher
Deputy Headteacher
Deputy Headteacher
Assistant Headteacher & Music teacher
Assistant Headteacher & PE teacher
Head of Learning for Year 7 & Science teacher
Welfare Worker
Behaviour Worker
Catering Manager
Transition Quiz
If students would like to enter our Woodham Quiz then please click on the link below to submit your answers. Students could be in with a chance to win a £5 gift voucher!
