Transitioning to Year 7

Starting secondary school is an exciting and proud milestone for children and their families but naturally, can also be an apprehensive time. At Harris Academy Battersea we recognise this and are here to support you every step of the way.

We know how crucial the transition from year 6 into year 7 is in setting each person up for success; our goal is to make this smooth, enjoyable and full of opportunities for success – both academically and personally. 

We work closely with local primary schools so that students and their families begin to feel a sense of belonging in our special community as early as possible. We visit them, talk to prospective new students and families about the school and welcome them in for various events to give them the opportunity to experience our school first-hand. During visits such as ‘Open Mornings’ and ‘Open Evenings’ they can get a feel for our strong school culture, immerse themselves into the ‘HABS’ community which we are incredibly proud, for example, have tours led by the students themselves, see our fantastic facilities, get a sense of the rich learning experience they can expect when visiting lessons and have an opportunity to ask any questions they may have. From an academic perspective, our year 7 curriculum is specifically designed to build on everything students have learned in Years 5 and 6, ensuring a seamless continuation of learning as they move into secondary school. 

Once families decide to join our Academy, we then host two full transition days in the summer term where year 6 students can experience ‘a day in the life of’ a HABS student, getting to know their new school ahead of September. This will include taking part in fun and interactive lessons in new subjects, for example, doing experiments in our science laboratories and team building activities using our PE facilities, making new friends, familiarising themselves with the new school building which we appreciate can feel overwhelming and meeting our fantastic staff. All of this will help new students to ease any worries they may have and start building excitement around their ‘HABS’ journey with us ahead! 

In addition to the above, we also off the below support to ensure that everyone feels ready for the first day of Year 7. This includes: 

• ‘Transition Meet and Greets’ - for families that might want extra help and support, for example, with making Free School Meal (FSM) applications, setting up ‘ParentPay’ or ordering school uniform and equipment. 

• ‘Transition Interviews’ - where our team will meet families to find out more about their child, their school experience so far, go through the ‘Home Academy Agreement’ outlining key expectations and follow up on anything else as required to ensure a strong start in September. 

• ‘SEND Coffee Mornings’ - inviting in parents or carers of students with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) to offer additional support for these families. When our new state-of-the-art sports hall is completed, we also intend to use this to host a range of exciting community events across the summer! 

When September then finally arrives, our new Year 7 students join us before any other year group to ensure they have the extra time and attention they need and deserve. They start the day in small groups getting to know their Tutors and completing fun activities, for example, a treasure hunt to find their way around the school building, have an assembly to go through important information and meet key staff, a computer room session to ensure they are set up on key platforms and a library session, making sure that every student has a reading book with them from day one. 

Finally, within the first term of Year 7s joining the HABS family, we then have a ‘Meet the Team’ evening where we invite families into the school to hear about the highlights of their journey so far, meet key staff supporting their child and find out about exciting opportunities ahead!