Parents' Information

So you are the parent of a (soon-to-be) high school student ... welcome!

The transition from primary school to High school is an exciting time, full of challenges and new experiences for both parent and child!

For most students, the transition goes very smoothly. They are ready for the challenge of High School and soon settle in, enjoying new friendships and the new opportunities that High school brings. We certainly play our part in making the transition as easy and painless as possible, and we know that as parents and carers you are also keen to support your child.

What do we do?

By mid March parents whose children have been allocated a place at Haybridge receive a letter from Ms Hoddinott inviting parents and students to a 'New Intake Evening' in June and giving the arrangements for a 'New Intake Day' for students in July. Students coming to us from outside the Hagley Pyramid are also invited to spend the day with us in March, so that they can get to know some other children who, like themselves, will know few (if any) other children in the year group. In September we allocate buddies who will support them in the early weeks and who will introduce them to others. This system has worked very well indeed for many years, so please do not worry if this applies to your child.

From March onwards Mrs Byford, who is responsible for transition and transfer,  visits our feeder schools to talk to Year 6 teachers and students. Assemblies are held, we organise visits to Haybridge and this year we are intending to launch an 'e-buddy' scheme whereby Year 6 children can email a Year 7 'buddy' who can answer any questions they may have. Your child will receive information about this from their primary school teachers during the Summer Term.

In September, Year 7 students have an induction programme in school. They also have an activity day at Blackwell Court. The purpose of this trip is to 'bond' the year group and to establish the ethos of the school. Children who were nervous about coming on the trip - especially children who knew few others - were soon reassured, and found that this was the best way to get to know new people. The form tutors are there too, and many staff visit during the trip, so students get to know adults in the school far more quickly than they would in the school environment. By the end of the day all our students, no matter which feeder school they came from, felt that they were part of Haybridge - you couldn't see the join!

We have been delighted by the success of the trip which has become an established tradition of the 11-18 High School.

What can you do?

Be positive - encourage the excitement and anticipation

Be supportive - acknowledge any anxiety and seek to address concerns

Please come along to the New Intake Evening on 18th June . This is a very informative evening and we hope that we will answer the many questions you are bound to have on that evening.

Because there is so much information to give you on the evening, we do not hold a ‘meet the tutor’ session on this occasion. We find it works better for you to meet the tutor once term has begun, when we can address any issues arising from the induction period. However, if you have any questions or would just like an informal word with one of the Key Stage 3 team, you are welcome to ring for a chat. 

We know that parents often feel that they are not as ‘involved’ once their child goes to High School, and certainly we all want to encourage the students to develop independence, but please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any concerns – we aim to be approachable and will always do our best to resolve any problems.

Getting ready for September - The Practical Issues

Uniform

Full details about uniform are given at the New Intake Evening, and the uniform list is in the pink booklet issued in your pack. We would advise you to read the list carefully, and follow the guidance given.

We are strict about uniform, and know parents wish to support us in this. Most Year 7 students will be desperate to get the right uniform and to look like everyone else! We do not want you to waste money on inappropriate purchases , so here are a few of the key issues to be aware of:

Skirts

• Most girls choose to wear a skirt rather than trousers.
• Must be the right length - on the knee - not too short, not too long.

Trousers

• Must be the designated style - see uniform list. No other style is permissible.
• May of course be worn by girls
• Girls’ trousers must be the designated style – please come into school to order these on one of the dates listed in the pink booklet. No other style is permissible.

Shoes

• Should be a maximum of 5cm high, measured on the inside of the heel
• Should have sensible heels appropriate for school . Students often have to get up and down from the floor, in assemblies and drama for example, therefore slim heels are not really safe - a sensible, square heel is practical, safe and comfortable. 

Tights 

• Should be opaque and black in the Autumn and Spring terms – a minimum of 40 denier is the most practical, as these tend not to ladder as easily and therefore look smart and save you money!
• May be ‘flesh coloured’ in the Summer but no fake tan instead, please!

This is the true story - any rumours which tell you anything different are wrong! So if you hear that "everyone else" is tottering around in short skirts, stiletto heels and caked in makeup, don't believe it!

Top Tip – make sure your child has a watch! We try to have as few bells as possible in school, so keeping an eye on the time is useful.

School Bags

Students should have a plain dark coloured bag (eg black, brown or blue) that is appropriate for day-to-day use. Any logos must be discreet and no larger than credit card size.

Equipment

You will be provided with a list of equipment required for Maths, PE, Art and Design Technology at the 'New Intake Evening' in June.

LABEL EVERYTHING!!

One job your child can do to prepare for Haybridge is to help you to label all uniform items and belongings with their name. You would be amazed at the things which turn up in lost property! Name tapes are best for longevity on uniform items, but indelible marker pens can be just as good. It can be worth having spares of some items (calculators and school ties spring to mind!) to avoid those early morning panics.  

Lost property

This can be a real issue in the first term. Encourage your child to unpack the bag each evening and only bring essential items each day, so the bag does not become cluttered and there is room for everything to be kept safely. If things do get lost, encourage them not to panic. Usually if they retrace their steps calmly they will find the lost items with no problem!

School Lunch 

Students may buy lunch in school – there is a fantastic selection of hot and cold food each day, including salads and fresh fruit. Students may prefer to bring a packed lunch. You can ‘mix and match’, having a school lunch one day and sandwiches another day – no problem! Students may bring or buy tuck for morning break. We are a “healthy school” and the items for sale reflect that. Too much sugar can send energy levels racing up and down!

Water

We are very aware that children need to keep their brains hydrated in school! Students are therefore encouraged to bring a ‘sports- type’ water bottle to school (to avoid spills), and to have this with them in lessons. They may refill the bottle at the water cooler during break or lunch time. Contrary to what you might think we haven’t found that this leads to requests to leave lessons to go to the toilet. Water only, though - no sugary drinks in lessons! 

Rules and Sanctions

We try to base our rules on mutual respect, and community spirit - we don’t have a rule for every little detail, but trust students to do the right thing. If something does go wrong, then yes, there will be a sanction, and sometimes children do get things wrong. The main thing is they learn from it and put it right! We rely on parents to support us in this. It can be a shock if your child gets into a spot of bother, but it is rarely too serious, and if they can see we are working together to help them to learn from their mistakes, then that is a positive outcome!

What can you do? June

• After the 'New Intake Evening' spend a cosy evening with your child going through all the materials issued on that evening.
• Make sure you have discussed the home - school partnership agreement together before you both sign it
• Make sure your child fully understands the rules regarding uniform etc
• Make a list of any questions your child might have - on the New Intake Day there will be the chance for children to ask questions anonymously so there is no need for them to feel inhibited
• Remind them that questions can be asked of e-buddies
• Make sure that all the paperwork which needs to be returned to school on 26th June is ready in an envelope. This avoids stress for both tutor and child!

What can you do? July

• After the New Intake Day spend time with your child chatting about the day
• Look together at the leaflets your child has brought home
• What can she/he remember about the day, the tutor, the other children in the class?
• Any worries or questions?
• If you want a word with one of the small school support team do not hesitate to phone the school, or email us at year7transition@haybridge.worcs.sch.uk
• Be positive!
• Remember that the cross phase tasks are meant to be ‘light touch’ and enjoyable to prepare students for their first few lessons, do not let your child spend excessive amounts of time on the tasks! They are not designed to ruin your holiday!
• Start buying uniform, bits of equipment and encourage your child to feel proud and excited. Most children are thrilled at this stage, and will demonstrate this at home even if it doesn’t seem ‘cool’ to admit it to friends!
• Start packing the new school bag ready for the first day.
• Buy a box for storing all school books and folders at home
• Decide where homework will be done – somewhere quiet!
• Practise the morning routine to see how long it takes to get out of the house!
• Practise the route to school if your child is nervous about walking to school, or catching the bus or train for the first time. They may not want to admit this to friends, but a discreet ‘trial run’ can work wonders for their confidence on day one.

September - The Early Weeks

What can you do to help?

• Have a chat about the day each evening, but don’t panic if your child doesn’t seem to want to go through every detail of the day. Students will be excited, but may well be tired and, as they get older, may want to ‘mull things over’ for themselves before chatting about them.
• Pin the two week timetable and the homework timetable up in the kitchen, and help your child to organise their time to make sure homework deadlines are met.
• Go through the two week timetable - get your child to explain it to you, as this will help them to get to grips with it!
• Help with the unpacking/packing of the bag for the next day. Make sure books go in the box (bought in the Summer!) when they come out of the bag.
• Listen to any small worries or problems - help your child to think of a solution for themselves if they can. If they can’t, remember there is always someone they can talk to.

The Two Week Timetable (see sample)

• All children are issued with their timetable on the first day of term, and the form tutor helps them to understand how it works. Ask your child to explain it to you, as this will help to reinforce their understanding (and will enable you tactfully to support them!)
• The week number is indicated in the student's planner and there are signs around school to remind everybody that it is Week One or Week Two.

What can you do?

• Look at the timetable with your child and get them to explain what the subject abbreviations mean. Make it fun.
• Students soon get used to the system, but it is always worth parents asking "Which week is it?" when the schoolbag is being packed each evening!

Doing lots of new subjects is exciting but getting to know the names of the teachers as well as finding your way to lots of different classrooms can be daunting at first.

What can you do?

• Pin the timetable on the kitchen noticeboard! Highlight PE kit days and Food Technology 'Practical' Days!
• Look at the timetable. What do the initials mean? Your child will have a staff list, so go through together and work out the names of the teachers. This will reinforce what has been done in tutor time during the induction period.
• Look at the map with your child each evening and ask them to show you where they have been today, and which rooms they will be in tomorrow. They will enjoy sharing this with you, and it will boost their confidence considerably.
• Help your child to pack their bag each evening before going to bed. Have the timetable with you as you do this. Check the right equipment is in there for each lesson, including PE kit and food ingredients when required!!!
• Look at exercise books (they will be colour coded for most different subjects but if colours are duplicated, a coloured sticker on the spine can help to differentiate books) and help your child to get into the habit of sticking in handouts straight away to avoid build -up and confusion at revision time.

Homework Timetable and homework (see sample)

The timetable is produced for the Year Group, and can look quite complicated at first. Tutors will explain it to the students, and they will work out their own timetable from it.

What can you do?

• Get your child to explain the timetable to you
• Make sure the homework nights are indicated on the timetable in your child's planner
• Keep a copy on the wall in the kitchen, with the subjects highlighted.
• Harness your child's enthusiasm and desire to make a good impression at this stage and help to establish routines now , to avoid having to 'nag' later!!!
• Ask to see homework each evening for the first few weeks - encourage a routine and ensure there is a quiet place for your child to work, where some sort of 'homework to be done' and 'homework finished' system can be put in place. A zip up plastic wallet for homework to be handed in can be useful.
• Encourage your child to do homework on the night it is set where possible to avoid build -up and stress.
• Look together at your child's week - homework will have to be planned around commitments such as piano lessons, dance practice, guides or scouts. Help your child to manage their time.
• Encourage your child to spend the time allocated on homework. It is better to focus on a task for a set time than to allow it to drift on all evening. Keep an eye on the clock and on what is happening, but do not feel obliged to sit there and either monitor or 'do it with them'. Homework is an important part in children's development as independent learners.
• Some homeworks will be long - term projects. Remind your child to 'nibble away' at these rather than have a last minute panic! The homework should be written in the planner for each week, so that it doesn't become 'invisible'.
• Some homeworks will not be written tasks ; reading, research, learning, watching a TV programme are all valid tasks and should be recorded in the planner.
• Be wary of excuses: "We weren't given any" .. "I did mine in the lesson" .. "The computer lost it" .. "It doesn't have to be in for ages".
• Good organisational and time management habits established now will reap benefits when your child is in the throes of GCSE coursework in just a few years' time!

The Student Planner

These planners are stylish and have been designed in consultation with our students. Used well, they can become the students' life support system! Here they can write their homework, note items to bring to school, meetings and messages. Here you can communicate with staff, and we with you! The planner will be used in every lesson.

What can you do?

• Check the planner each evening for the first few weeks
• Help your child to use the planner correctly. Are enough details about the homework written down? If a child writes down 'Do rest of questions' this may make sense at 11am on Monday, but may mean absolutely nothing at 7pm on Wednesday!
• Has 'work done' been ticked off? Is the homework being spread across the week and not left until the night before? Are there any messages for you?
• Sign the planner weekly and use the message box where necessary.
• MAKE SURE THE PLANNER IS IN THE SCHOOLBAG EACH DAY!

Settling-In Evening - September

Once your child has had time to settle in there may be a whole new set of questions you would like to ask! The 'Settling-In Evening' gives you that opportunity, and you will receive a letter early in the term inviting you and your child to meet your child's form tutor for a chat about the first weeks. This gives us the chance to give you some early feedback, but most importantly this is your chance to feed back to us. Any early worries can be 'nipped in the bud' , but mostly we find this evening is a happy affirmation that children have settled in with consummate ease!

September onwards - contacting the school. When and Who?

Secondary schools are much more complex in their organisation than primary schools, and therefore all communication between school and home goes through the Student Support Office. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have concerns about your child. Many children will ask their parents not 'to tell the teacher', and as parents we are all reluctant to seem over-anxious or over-protective! However, if there is a problem, and talking to your child and trying to help them to find ways to resolve a situation has not changed things, please do let us know. Problems can often be 'nipped in the bud' and it is better not to let them fester. We all want the High School Years to be happy and successful!