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 a one-day visit with their primary class in Year 5 and again in the summer term of Year 6. We also have a Friendship Day on a Saturday morning in March, just after offers of places have been sent. This gives children the chance to take part in a series of fun activities to get to know their future classmates and allows parents to get to know the school and each other. We also hold a Parents’ Information Evening in July.

Your child will have a form tutor who will greet your child every morning and who will help them to settle into new routines. You will meet your child’s tutor at the Year 6 Open Evening.

Important Documents

The following forms need to be returned to Woodham Academy by Friday 10th July 2020.  These are:

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.

Year 7 Classes

All students will be allocated one of the following tutor groups:

7LM

7RGo

7KW

7DPa

7MS

7ABa

7DPn

7GH

We are currently receiving information from your child’s primary school, which we use to help populate our tutor groups. You will be informed in writing as to which tutor your child will be in. These tutor groups are mixed ability. Students will be taught in these classes for the first 4 weeks and during this time they will complete baseline assessments in Maths and English. We will use this information, together with the information received from primary schools, to allocate a teaching group, which will be carefully selected to meet the individual needs of each child.

Your child’s tutor will be your first point of contact with the school. You will find a welcome video from the tutor in the staff introductions, within the Y6 Information section on the website.

Questions and Answers

What will I do on my 1st day at Woodham?

The day will start with a year group assembly led by the headteacher Mr Bell. You will then spend the morning  with your form tutor where you will receive your timetable, have a tour of the school and get your finger scanned so that we can set up your cashless payment system. You will meet the catering manager and visit the school canteen so that you can find out about school dinners. You will also attend 3 subject lessons that are on your timetable . During this time you will practise moving around the school and finding different classrooms. Most of all, you will have lots of opportunity to meet other students and make new friends.

What do I do if I feel unwell while at school?

Students are sent to student support where you will be seen by a member of our welfare team. If is felt necessary a call will be made home.

Am I allowed to bring my mobile phone into school?

Yes, although it has to be switched off unless you are in one of our phone zones, such as the dining hall or outside. Phones are certainly not allowed out in lesson time or in corridors.

What happens if I get lost during the day?

There are many people around to help you, just ask. Older students enjoy helping out and taking younger students to their lesson. You could also head over to Student Support and someone there will help or ask a teacher who is close by.

How much homework will I get?

You will get about 4 subjects each week and you will have one week to complete the tasks. This is usually set online, using a platform called ‘doddle’. If you don’t have a computer at home then you can use our Learning Centre at lunchtime or after school. Your homework timetable will not begin until you are set up on doddle and you have been shown how to log on.

Will I be in a class with my friends?

When placing students in tutor groups we try our very best to put you with someone that you know and are friendly with. We get this information from your primary school. You will start and end the day in your tutor group. When you are placed in your ‘teaching group’ you might find that you are not with your closest friends. This is because we have to place you in a class that is right for you. This is done in October, so by this time you will have made a lot more friends and will feel more settled.

What do I do if I lose something?

Student Support is the place to go as this is where the lost property is kept. You can also mention it to your tutor who will help. When travelling from one class to another it is very easy to leave something behind like your PE kit. We recommend that you put your name on all of your items, especially your school tie.

Will I get into trouble if I am late for my lesson?

Your teachers understand that for the first 2 – 3 weeks you will be finding your way around. They will therefore understand if you are a few minutes late to your lesson, so don’t worry. Once you have gone through your weekly timetable 3 – 4 times you should know where you are going.

What do I do if I am finding my work hard?

It is sometimes good to find your work difficult as this means that you are being challenged. It is very important that you tell your teacher if you are finding something particularly difficult. They are there to help and support you. Teachers will make themselves available at break, lunchtime or afterschool to provide further support if you need it.

What food can I buy when I am in school?

Our Durham Dining Hall has a fantastic choice of food and drink. It is open before school for breakfast, at breaktime for snacks and at dinner time for lunch.  Your parents/carers will add funds to your parent pay account and when you buy something you will place your thumb on a scanner and the cost will be deducted from your account. Be careful though! The cost all adds up so don’t get carried away! Fortunately, your parents/carers can log in to the account and see what you have bought and they can also put a set limit onto your account. We have several water stations around the school so that you can fill up your water bottle. Please click the links below to view our school canteen menus and prices.

 

What our Year 7 students had to say 

“When I first arrived at Woodham I was worried where everything was. We were given a diagram of the school so you would have an idea where to go. It would have door numbers and you would look at the door number on your timetable and you would walk in the direction of the map.  If you were late  you wouldn’t get into trouble . When I started at Woodham I enjoyed the fact that it was a fresh start to life and I could do new things and make new friends.   They also gave me the help I needed and they did  that for everyone else as well” Harvey Y7

“What I enjoyed the most on my first day was getting to see who was in my tutor group and meeting my new teachers. My advise to new year 7 students is to socialise with people, join in and be friendly” Annalise Y7

“I enjoyed meeting the teachers and also the older students. I found it useful to follow the map and ask people where to go” Kaitlin Y7

“I enjoyed meeting my class mates. I found it useful to know that rooms 100 and above are upstairs and 99 and below are downstairs. Staff and older students will help you find your way” Lucas Y7