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

Taking into consideration government guidelines, we have taken the decision to hold our Open Evening on Thursday September 17^th 2020 virtually. We will host a dedicated ‘Virtual Visit' page on our website which will consist of pre recordings, images and links to key areas of our website to give you a sense of the values-driven education experienced by our students, and an insight into the unique ethos of The Bulmershe School.

We are sorry that on this occasion we will not be able to welcome families in person.

Open Mornings

I am delighted to announce that Open Mornings for our year 7 September 2021 entry will still take place but again these will be held virtually and will be replaced with our ‘Virtual Headteacher’s Presentation and Q&A’ webinar’. These will be held on the 22^nd, 23^rd, 24^th, 29^th, 30^th September and 1^st October 9am – 10am.

Due to a huge demand we have also added some time slots in the evenings on 22^nd, 23^rd, 29^th and 30^th September 6.30pm – 7.30pm.

If you wish to book a place on one of our ‘Virtual Headteacher’s Presentation and Q&A webinar’ which will consist of Headteachers address followed by a Q&A session with the Headteacher and Transition Co-ordinator. Please telephone the school office on 0118 9353353 to reserve a place on one of these events.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Bulmershe School virtually.

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 June, 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 June, 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”