Transition

At Whitworth Park we are proud of our strong primary links. We have a dedicated transition leader who visits primary schools and coordinates regular activities here at Whitworth Park Academy.

We have an extensive transition programme for KS2 students. All our feeder primary schools are invited to experience a plethora of activities which not only support student learning, but also develop their social skills and confidence.

We feel our work with Year 5 and 6 students is a vital aspect of life at Whitworth Park as we want students comfortable and confident when they join us in year 7.  As students spend lots of with us over KS2 they become more relaxed and at home with us.  This in turn makes the transition process less worrying for both parents and students.

Here at Whitworth Academy, we understand that transition can be a challenging time and do our best to support pupils and their parents through the transition process:

• Key staff will visit their primary school and spend time getting to know your child; this may take the form of a meet a greet assembly, a meeting with the Year 6 teacher, a transition session for the pupils and/or small group sessions.
• There will be opportunities for parents and carers to visit the school multiple times during Y5 and Y6. This is designed to give parents greater peace of mind about the transition phase. These sessions are an opportunity to meet key members of staff face to face, familiarise yourselves with the school setting and find out who is available to support you and your child.
• There are enhanced transition visits for any children who may require additional support during the process.

To support all of our transition work, we have our own transition leader dedicated to work with Year 6 students. This includes both work in the primary schools and visits to Whitworth Park. Once Year 6 move up to Year 7, our transition leader works closely with the Head of Year 7 to provide support to students in the first half of the year.

Every year, we hold transition days for the Year 6 students coming to Whitworth Park– this is an important and valuable time for all concerned. The Year 6 students experience sample lessons and take part in fun activities, all designed to build their self-confidence and familiarise them with how a secondary school works. Following these days, our new Year 7 students can start the year off as happy and enthusiastic young people.

Whitworth Park Academy provide a summer school during the summer holidays which is aimed at Y6 students to support their transition to Whitworth Park Academy. The summer school provides a focused academic environment with smaller classes, but also blends several fun activities to allow students to experience an engaging, motivating and challenging week. We aim for the summer school to

• Increase self-confidence
• Develop literacy and numeracy skills
• Understand independent learning
• Allow students to be more familiar with the WPA building
• Build relationships with staff and peers
• Feel more comfortable and confident about their transition to Whitworth Park Academy