St. Joseph's Catholic College

Primary Transition

 

Year 5 Transition Information

Information for Parents/Carers of Year 5 students:

Choosing the right secondary school is vital to ensure that children are inspired to reach their full potential.

We offer a variety of opportunities for pupils in Years 5 and 6 to visit St. Joseph's and experience our exciting learning environment for themselves, and we collaborate with primary schools to offer Maths and Science challenges, STEM activities, and a wide range of other opportunities. In addition, our staff and students visit pupils in their primary schools to answer any questions about life at the College.

Pupils join us from primary schools across Swindon. We are very proud of our 'Good' Ofsted inspection rating, and if you would like to read more about our inspections, you can click here to do so. At present, we will not be inviting students into the College until it is safe to do so. We will always share information about our open events on the school's official Facebook and Twitter pages. 

 

Year 6 Transition Information

Information for Parents/Carers of Year 6 students:

For admissions to St. Joseph's, we have a dedicated admissions page. If you would like to view our prospectus for a reminder of the fantastic learning environment at the College, please click here to do so. When we have received your acceptance of the College place we will contact your child’s current school for information. We will also start preparing for their induction programme.

With current Covid-19 restrictions, it has not been possible to advertise a Year 6 Induction Day at St. Joseph’s Catholic College. We will prepare our transition events around these restrictions, as they change over the coming months. We will contact all parents about any opportunities for their children to come to the College before September if and when this becomes possible.

Parents/Carers will want to get your child ready for their start at St. Joseph’s in September. Information about College uniform expectations and suppliers can be found in the student welcome packs that will be sent home in March.

Please contact the people below if you have any worries or questions about the transition process:

  • Dena Daglish - General Enquiries, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Michelle Ferris – Admissions, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Kirsteen Fraser - Curriculum Support, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Clare O’Connell – Student Manager, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Adrian Stoten – Director of Student Welfare, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Year 6 to 7 Transition - English & Maths

Maximising each child’s educational journey and helping them prepare for secondary school is a part of our vision at St. Joseph’s Catholic College. We are committed to improving the transition experience of our students as they move from Year 6 into 7 and have developed an English and Maths scheme of work that students complete in term 6 of Year 6 and continue into their first term of Year 7. In English, they read an engaging spy fiction novel called ‘Stormbreaker’ by Anthony Horowitz and are introduced to some of the analytical approaches to English in Year 7. In Maths, the spy fiction theme continues in a code-breaking unit focused on the topic of Algebra. Our goal is to improve pupil outcomes of both numeracy and literacy alongside developing confidence in students in their transition from KS2 to KS3.

 

Preparation for Year 7

After receiving the student welcome packs in March, this is a great time for your child to prepare themselves for starting Year 7 in September. Here are some suggestions for things to do before September: 

  • Read the information available on this website with your child, particularly our uniform and behaviour policies
  • Ensure your child knows their route to school, whether they're cycling, walking or using public transport, and practice this route with them before starting in September
  • Label blazers and ties with your child's initials
  • Make any uniform enquiries early in advance 
  • Find out what kind of book your child likes to read, as they will always need a book at school
  • Watch the video below!