Year 6 to 7

The transition from primary to secondary school is an important milestone in the lives of children and their families. At The Bulmershe School we pride ourselves on providing our new students, parents and carers with a smooth and extensive Transition programme; students arrive on their first day in September excited about the next chapter of their education, rather than feeling apprehensive.

We want all students who choose The Bulmershe School to develop new friendships, increase their confidence and get used to their new routines and school organisation with ease. We aim to enrich students’ learning experience by providing them with opportunities and challenges, along with the practical skills and knowledge to be confident, well qualified individuals, ready for employment, training, or the next steps in their education.

Educational Opportunities for Primary Schools

To help prepare students in primary school for this transition, we have developed strong links with all our feeder primaries offering a range of educational and enriched opportunities. These free-of-charge bespoke events are specifically designed to engage primary students’ imagination and provide the opportunity for them to visit The Bulmershe School to experience secondary school teaching while meeting and collaborating with current students. Sessions including Coding, Rocketeers, Science Club, Woodley School’s Sports Week, Woodley Bake Off and Fishbowl Days have proven to be very popular. We offer Maths in Action workshops that deliver Key Stage 3 lessons to those of a higher ability.  Parents are always welcome to join the celebratory presentations of all our events.

Our Transition Team have carried out this role for many years and are best equipped to provide the best transition process.

Those First Steps of your Transition Journey

Open Evening 

Our open evening will give you a sense of the values-driven education that our students experience alongside an insight into the ethos of The Bulmershe School and what makes us unique. You will have an opportunity to enjoy interactive subject displays, meet our students and speak to our dedicated staff.

“This is a great school where pupil individuality is acknowledged and respected then nurtured and nourished to give them the opportunity to be the best they can be”               Ofsted

Open Morning 

We offer many open morning opportunities throughout September and October to enable you to come and visit the school in a normal working day. You will be shown around the school by our students who will advise you on their transition experiences and the guidance they were given throughout their transition journey. Mrs Woodfin and members of the senior leadership team will be present to support you and answer any further questions you may have. We recommend and advise that you bring your son / daughter so they can also feel part of the transition process to secondary school.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Bulmershe School.

Once you have chosen The Bulmershe School and have been successful in being allocated a place then the bespoke transition program begins: - 

A ‘Welcome Letter’ and ‘Welcome Booklet’ will be distributed before the Easter holidays, welcoming parents, carers and students to The Bulmershe school and confirming all those important details of the transition process.

Liaising with the Primary Schools

In May, the Transition and Learning Support Team visit your child’s primary school. We work very closely with your child's Year 6 teacher to ensure that we have all the required information to enable us to fully support your child’s academic progress. During these visits, we give your child the opportunity to hear more about life at The Bulmershe School and to answer any questions in order to dispel any concerns they may have.

Year 6 Transition Day 

In July, your child will be invited to a Transition day. They will have the opportunity to make new friends, attend new and exciting lessons and meet members of staff and students. We have found that children feel much more confident and reassured about their move to secondary education after their 'Transition Day' has taken place and they are eager to return!

We offer further Transition days for SEND/ vulnerable students where they meet and work very closely with the SEND team in the Ivory and Oasis Centre.

Rising Year 7 Evening 

In July, parents, carers and students will be invited to a ‘Rising Year 7 Evening’ where you will view a presentation about the Transition process and hear how your child will be taught at The Bulmershe School. It is also an opportunity to meet key members of staff including the Head of Year 7 who will be there to support your child through this important milestone. During this evening, you will also get the opportunity to view the school uniform, Cucina (our catering supplier) and visit many stalls to allow for the smooth transition.

“We just wanted to let you know that Tom has really enjoyed the last 2 days. We really enjoyed tonight, and he can't wait to join in fact he wants to come back tomorrow”

Summer School

We also offer students an opportunity to attend our Summer School programme, run by Bulmershe staff. This creates further opportunities for children to make friends before starting at the school, increasing their confidence and resolving any last concerns they may have.

I hope that you find the answers to any questions you may have by visiting the Transition pages on our school website. However, if you have any queries which are not covered on these pages, please do not hesitate to contact our Transition Coordinator, Leanne Harris on: lharris@bulmershe.wokingham.sch.uk

Finally, thank you for taking the time to look at our Transition information; I look forward to meeting you and your child when you visit us at The Bulmershe School.

“Another great evening. We are so pleased with how she has got on in this first year, she's thrived, and we are delighted with the school, thank you so much for all your support”

Key Dates of the First Steps of your Journey

“We are a warm hearted school and my child is already less anxious about coming here due to the personal touches we are providing”
May 2020

“Rapid progress based on outstanding teaching combined with a high level of care for the individual child”