How will HCCS support my child in their transition to secondary school?

We will continue to deliver a programme of additional support for our new Year 7 cohort. We are already really looking forward to them joining our HCCS community.

 

Your child will spend their first few days at school supported by their new form tutor. This will allow time for us to offer support and guidance. At the start of our provision in school we will invest our time alleviating any concerns your child might have. We will also focus on getting your child excited, engaged and feeling invested in the opportunities available at HCCS.

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Will the transition process change this year due to Coronavirus pandemic?

Yes. We need to ensure the safety of all members of our community.

 

Our current position is that the staff from HCCS will not visit our primary schools nor will your child access provision on our site during the summer term. This situation may change and we will adapt accordingly.

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What if schools are not able to open in September?

We will provide your child with access to our online learning communities to ensure that there is continued education provision for your child.

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How will the staff get to know my child and their needs before they start at HCCS?

Our transition lead Louise Guy has already visited a number of schools to meet those students with complex learning needs.

 

In addition, we will collate information from your child’s Year 6 teacher and this information will be shared with the teams supporting your child. Further contact will be made with your child’s current school from our Heads of House team, Learning Intervention Manager and SENCO.

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Will I have the opportunity to visit HCCS to meet teachers and those who will be supporting my child?

Yes. We always value opportunities to meet with our parents as we will be working in partnership with you to secure the best outcomes for your child.

 

We intend to run a parents information evening in the Autumn term. This will be an opportunity for you to meet the key team who will be involved in supporting your child. We will confirm the date with you once we have more clarity on schools being reopened to students.

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My child has additional learning needs. How will this be supported at HCCS?

Please contact our learning support team transition lead: louise.guy@hccs.info for further information.

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There are no SATs examinations this year. How will my child’s progress be assessed?

We will continue to use our GL assessment transition tests. We have, for the last four years, introduced cognitive abilities tests (CATs) with our new year 7 cohort. These tests are not something your child needs to worry about or can revise for. Information from these tests provides a baseline assessment.

 

We will deliver these assessments at the start of the academic year and they will provide an indicative grade range.

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What is an indicative grade range?

This range is an indication of the typical grade range at the end of Year 11 for each student. The range applies across the whole curriculum and is not changed for individual subjects. The range is calculated using data including the CAT scores.

GCSE grades are 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest) in the new system. There are three Indicative

Grade Ranges which we use at this school. These are ranges 1-3, 4-6 and 7-9.

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My child isn’t coming from the main feeder primary schools and is nervous about starting school. How will they be supported?

We have a number of students who are singular entries to HCCS from their primary school. We take pride in the fact that they quickly settle into our school community.

 

We will provide an opportunity for these students to meet others in a similar position. In addition, we will also contact their Year 6 teachers before they start at HCCS to ensure that we have all the information we need to help them quickly settle into our school.

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How will my child’s form tutor get to know and understand my child?

We are a family and getting to know your child and their needs is really important to us. As a school, we have excellent standards of pastoral care and this is due to the time tutors and teachers invest in getting to know your children.

 

We will be sending out an “all about me” form for your child to complete. This will be shared with your child’s tutor so that they can start to build a positive relationship with your child.

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What is the role of a form tutor?

Your child's tutor will see your child every day Monday to Thursday each week. They will be a key point of contact for you and your child.

 

Tutor time is an opportunity to develop and support the social and emotional development of your child. In addition, it is a key source of information on events running across the school.

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My child struggles to make new friends and is really worried about starting a new school. What can I do to provide further reassurance?

It’s normal for any child to be nervous about starting a new school. It's a massive change for the whole family.

 

We have experience in supporting children who are worried about starting secondary school. We will offer the support they need to become a happy and successful part of our school community.

 

Encourage your child to talk about their worries with you. The BBC Bitesize website has a number of video clips and support resources for your child to access: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zjgck2p/articles/znc9dxs

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My child is really worried about getting lost at HCCS, it is a much bigger site than their primary school. How will you help them?

This is a common concern that children raise with us before starting school. We will use the restaurant as our meeting point on the first day. There will be staff on duty to show your child where they need to go.

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Your child will have a tour of the school and be provided with a map as part of the transition process.

Our school community always offers amazing support to our new Year 7 cohort. Our students and staff will take your child to their lessons if they are not sure where they need to go.

 

What should I do if my child is absent from school?

You will need to notify the school on the first day of absence by phone or email, with an explanation. Please phone school or email attendance@hccs.info to confirm subsequent days absence.

 

If your child has a medical appointment a letter needs to be provided to your child's tutor to be presented to the attendance manager when signing out.

 

We will not authorise family holidays in term time. Should you wish to take your child out of school then you need to apply for leave of absence which Mr Lowe will either grant or decline.

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How much homework will my child receive?

As a school we actively promote literacy and therefore we expect all of our children to read at home.

 

We take a gradual approach to homework in Year 7 and you should expect your child to have up to 12 hours of home learning per fortnight. Some homework may be on-going project work.

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How can I support my child's learning at home when they start secondary school?

We will provide you with access to our MyChildAtSchool software. This will provide you with access to information on your child’s attendance, house points and homework.

 

In addition, we will circulate interim reports throughout the academic year which give you an overview of academic progress.

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Will you be having a Year 7 residential visit this year?

Our usual Menai residential trip is unlikely to go ahead as planned due to the current Coronavirus pandemic.

 

We will monitor the situation carefully and contact you if we are in a position to safely offer an off site learning experience.

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When will I find out who my child’s tutor is?

We will circulate this information prior to the summer holidays.

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Who is the best person to contact if I have further questions about transition?

We will be circulating further information over the next few weeks. This will be emailed to you directly and we will also signpost key parts of our website.

 

If you have any further questions please contact via email our Year 7 Learning Intervention Manager; Heather Hughes.

heather.hughes@hccs.info