Year 6 Transition

Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the relevant member of staff:

• If your concern is specific to one subject: 
Please contact the class teacher or the Head of Department for that subject. 
All email addresses can be found in the meet the school staff section.

• If your child is having friendship issues: 
Please contact your child’s mentor they will involve the Year Team if further intervention is required.

• If your child is struggling to settle in: 
Please contact your child’s mentor or the Pastoral Lead for Year 7.

• If your child is having uniform or equipment issues: 
Please contact your child’s mentor or the Pastoral Support Manager for Year 7.

• If your child is having problems organising or completing homework: 
They can attend homework clubs either in specific subjects or general homework clubs.

• If your child has any medical issues: 
Please contact Dawn O'Neill, Medical Room Supervisor.

• If your child has any attendance issues: 
Please contact the attendance team; Marie Wootten and Angie Williams.

• If you have any concerns around progress: 
If it relates to one subject, please contact your child’s subject teacher. 
If it relates to multiple subjects, please contact the Head of Year 7.

• If you have any concerns regarding bullying: 
Please contact the Year Team.

All emails can be found on the staff contacts page

Moving up from primary to secondary school can sometimes seem like a daunting and complicated experience. At PCS, we want to make the transition process run as smoothly as possible, but here are some top tips for parents on helping your children make the change smoothly. 

• Reassure your child that their worries about transition are normal and that things will get easier. 
• Read through the student transition booklet together to ensure that your child knows who to contact or where to go if there is a problem. 
• Go through the ‘Frequently asked questions’ section of the website. 
• Have a trial run of the route, especially if your child plans to walk or cycle. 
• Get up earlier during the last week of the holidays so that early starts for school aren't a shock to the system. 
• Help your child to get into good routines. Encourage them to pack their bag the night before. Help them to create a daily checklist for items they need for school. They should also look at their timetable to remind them about homework that they might need to hand in. 
• Encourage your child to go to bed at a reasonable time and set an alarm to wake them up in the morning. 
• Keep a copy of your child’s timetable to ensure that you know what they are doing each day; put on display somewhere visible in the house. Also, encourage them to have a copy of their timetable on their phone so if they lose their paper copy they will still have one to refer to. 
• Support your child to stick to the uniform code. Your child will feel more comfortable from day one if they’re wearing the correct uniform. They will feel like they are part of the school community and it will prevent constant negative interactions with staff. 
• Get in touch with us if something happens that may affect their day. (See who should I contact?) 
• If possible provide a quiet area for them to complete their homework, and agree upon a routine for completing it. If there isn’t an appropriate area to work, encourage them to use the school homework clubs. 
• Where possible, have a set of equipment at home to use for completing homework rather than taking equipment out of their bag. This will help to prevent issues with forgetting or losing equipment. 
• Name and label everything, including shoes. 
• Encourage your child to join lunchtime or after-school clubs. They are a great way to make friends. 
• Ensure your child is “device-free” at least one hour before they go to sleep to enable them to have a calm end to their day. 
• Visit the Starting Secondary School section of the BBC Bitesize website for tips, resources and advice: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/tags/zh4wy9q/starting-secondary-school/1

 

Dear Year 6

I know you may feel nervous and anxious about starting PCS. I know I did and that is totally ok.

One of my fears was that no one would know I was dyslexic and I would struggle to keep up, but it was fine because Miss Gould at Telscombe had spoken with PCS and all my teachers were made aware of it.

I know after my transition week, I thought I am never going to be able to find my way around the school, it seems massive compared to our lovely little primary schools, but it took 1 week for me to know my way around.

Another fear I had was not being able to make new friends. I can be quite shy, but I didn't need to worry. My mentor group is the best, even though it is made up of children from all different schools we get on so well and are great friends.

My main piece of advice would be if you are worried, upset or anxious about anything please ask for help. There are lots of people who can help and students who will point you in the right direction.

Be happy

Alex 

Coming to PCS; What's it like?

Firstly, I would like to assure you that the transition between year 6 and year 7 is not as hard as it may first seem. That is not to say that it is not nerve-racking, and I am sure that many of you, as everyone at PCS once was, are nervous. However, this is just natural, and I can promise you that everyone at our school is willing to help you, because we all know how you are feeling.

The only mistake you can make coming into Secondary School is not asking the questions you would like answered. If you think in your head now, there is most likely a question or worry you would like to be answered- if there is not, one will probably come to you when or before you arrive. No question is a silly question and I give you my word that every member of staff will be happy to help and reassure you. Just remember that every pupil has been through this transition, and I know from personal experience that it is better to talk about your emotions rather than bottle them up.

When you first come into PCS, you will receive your timetable and meet your mentor. They will explain to you everything you need to know, and this may be the best time to ask any questions you have. As you settle in, you may want to join just one of the many clubs on offer, or perhaps become part of the school football team. This is a great way to find people with similar interests to you, and I know first-hand that sport is the best way to make friends.

At first, PCS may seem like a huge building, but after a few days you will know its corridors like the back of your hand. If you need to ask for directions, just ask! Your Secondary school life is now fast approaching, and you will love it. 

Oscar.

How is PCS different from primary school?

You have to wear a blazer and a tie according to your year group, this is good because the ties make you feel part of your year group and help you recognise people who are in your year, the blazer is also a good addition to the uniform as it looks smart and when you look smart and feel smart it improves how you conduct yourself.

The layout of the school is easy to find your way around, as there are many big vibrant posters guiding you to different subjects. The school is a nice size as it is not too small, making it less crowded for students, this can reduce risks of injuries. However. the school is not too big either, so students will not have any issues getting lost and being late to lessons, this also reduces anxiety in some children.

PCS provides a range of different out of school hour clubs for its students, for example; dance, football, rugby, drama, music, a revision/homework club and also a breakfast club for those who may need to arrive at school a bit earlier. Following on from this a select amount of the physical/sport clubs offer fixtures against other schools around the area. These clubs also boost children’s social skills, this can improve their mental health.

nlike primary schools every year group has their own head of year in which they can go to about worries or issues they may have. Each head of year is very friendly and easy to talk to and they communicate very well with other staff/students to suit your child’s needs and problems. 

Lola

Other bits of advice

What can you do if you’ve got a problem? 
“We (Transition Leaders) could talk to the year 6's in a more quiet area, instead of right outside the classroom maybe on the field or playground.” - Josh

What do I do if I get lost? 
“When I was in year 6, I was worried about getting lost at secondary school, and I was worried about the older kids. The advice I would give to year 6's are: secondary school is a big step in life and yeah it can be scary, but once you get to know everything, you'll be just fine”. I think the transition programme the school has is really great and I wouldn't change it.” - Katie

“I was worried about getting lost but after a couple days it was so easy” - Isobel 

“I would say, don't panic. Although the school is big, it is really easy to learn how to find your way around. There are staff and us current year 7 (will be year 8's) to ask. We were all nervous at first, so we know best how you are feeling.” - Megan

“I was worried about meeting new people and the older years in the corridors. I'd tell the year six's to not worry about getting lost because you'll soon find your way around. I enjoyed the whole transition period.” - Ben

What if my friends aren’t in my mentor group? 
“I was worried about not having any friends because my Telscombe friends were going to different schools. But the good thing is that even if you don’t have friends in your group you’ll be able to meet them at break and lunchtime in the Year 7 zones.” - Jack

I’m worried about quite a lot of things. What advice can you give to me? 
“When I was in year six I was worried about making friends, fitting in, the older years and what my teachers and pupils thought of me. I would tell the year six's to be calm and not to worry because it's not as scary as it looks. I would also tell them if they had any problems they could come talk to me or head of year. I think the way PCS transition students is the best way I could think of.” - Kara

What if I can’t do the work? 
“I was worried about the school work and homework. My advice would be to just try your best and ask for help. All of the teachers are happy to help you. I was happy with my transition.” - Keagan

“I was worried about the work being harder but I was wrong, it's not hard but not easy either.” - Finn

How do I make friends? 
“I was worried about making new friends. I would tell them that all the teachers are nice and it's very easy to make friends in every class. But it’s important to tell your mentor if you are finding it difficult. Going to clubs will help you to meet more people”. - Summer

I’m worried about the bigger children. 
“I was worried about not being able to find my way around and all the older ones but that’s not a worry because it's not that bad and there’s people you can ask to find your way. My advice is don’t be worried or scared just be you and you’ll fit in and find your way around!” - Freya

 

We now use a biometric system and more information regarding this will follow once your child joins us.

Our uniform policy and expectations for 2022/2023 are available to view via our uniform page.

Uniform is one of the outward signs by which the local community recognises and makes judgements about our students, and it is important that our students present themselves in a positive, professional way that conveys a disciplined and well-ordered learning environment. Smart uniforms ensure that all students are prepared for work both in school and beyond. 

All students are required to wear full school uniform whilst inside and outside the school buildings. The uniform should be neat and clean, communicating that our students take pride in belonging to PCS.

 All homework can be found online via and Google Classroom. Students will receive login details and further information will be communicated in due course. 

• To begin with, Year 7 students will only be given homework in 2 subject areas, this will increase as we progress through the term. 
• Homework is set to suit the needs of the students within the class. 
• If you have a query or concern regarding homework, please contact the subject teacher. If your query or concern is not resolved, please contact the Head of Department. 
• Each piece should take approximately 30 minutes. 
• Students have access to homework clubs, computer rooms and the library during the day and after school. 
• If homework is not handed in on time or completed not to a satisfactory standard, then a Department Detention will be issued. 
• If a student is absent when the homework is set, they are still expected to complete the homework. The homework can be found on the website.

All students are expected to respect their learning environment and it is their responsibility to leave the space as they found it.

Students are required to have a school PE kit with PCS logos on. 
Visit the uniform page to view the full range of PE kit. 

• Trainers - please note that trainers can be any colour. 
• Students will be required to purchase an art book from the office for £3:50. 
• Students will also need their ‘Golden 5’ which consists of a box file, a reading book, a pen, a pencil and a ruler. 
• Additionally, they will need a calculator and an art set.

Students must not:

• Wear headphones in school or use mobile phones. 
• Eat in the school corridors; we have allocated spaces where students can sit and eat in the food hall or outside on our many picnic tables.