Transition is an important milestone in a child's educational life. At Falmouth School we understand how important it is to collaborate together with our students’ families and facilitate the preparation for all stages of education. At Falmouth School we plan events for the following transitions:
Primary school pupils joining Falmouth School
Over the years we have established great links with many of our local primary schools. Through various sporting, performing arts events and other local events, the Falmouth School staff and students have been deepening the links with the primary schools and these contribute to a strong and positive transition process for the younger pupils.
Open Evening marks the first transition visit where pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 are invited to join us and get to know the school, staff, students and facilities.
In Spring Term - school tours are offered to groups of students and/or families where the early and/or longer transition process needs to take place. The primary schools receive the transition booklets electronically to share with the pupils joining Falmouth School so that they get to know the key aspects.
In Summer Term - after the exam season - Falmouth School leaders visit the local primary schools to meet the pupils and also the families, where more detailed information is shared about Welcome Days.
The SENDCo liaises directly with the primary colleagues and offers additional meetings with the families as relevant and appropriate, based on the strategic planning with the pastoral team.
Falmouth School maintains two Welcome Days that take place in sequence in early July. The first day, the new Year 7 students work in their tutor groups to establish their first peer links and relationships. They work with their tutor to get to know their school in more details and become familiar with the key routines. The second day the new Year 7 students sample lessons to enable them experience how learning happens and how to be successful.
In addition to the school day, the new Year 7 students and their parents are invited to a Welcome Evening where they meet their child’s tutor and get to see the school further. A settling-in parents’ evening takes place in early October to enable the tutors to meet with the parents and support their child’s success.
We always review the transition activities repertoire and build upon it, based on the feedback received, the students’ needs and based
Year 9 students concluding their KS3 and moving into KS4
Year 9 have their Year 9 Option Evening in early spring to enable each student to identify what optional subjects they would like to pursue in their next stage of education. The direct links are made to the Falmouth Sixth Form and the courses available so that the students and their families are fully aware of the opportunities that are available and how the qualifications may work together or can be studied further at an advanced level. Based on the parental feedback received, to strengthen the transition from Year 9 into KS4, Falmouth School will host the Family Learning - Success at KS4 - in the future years in September, to deepen the understanding and importance of the academic study and deepen the mutual collaboration between school and parents to support students in their new programmes of study.
Year 11 students concluding their KS4 and moving into KS5
Year 11 students participate in independently led career interviews to understand the potential pathways linked to education and/or training. Importantly, they experience a number of events linked to the Falmouth Sixth Form to understand how the school can continue supporting their success until Year 13. Employers and service providers are invited periodically to showcase their services, industries and career pathways to the young people at Falmouth School, not just in Year 11, but more widely.