Transitions

Year 6 – Transition

Welcome to ODA’s transition page, here you can find lots of information about ODA and transition to secondary school.

At Ormiston Denes Academy, we take transition very seriously, to ensure that each new pupil starts Year 7 feeling safe, secure, happy and enthused to be part of their new school. We know that the transition from primary school to Year 7 is a significant change, which can be both exciting and nervous for students and so our focus for the year is preparing students to meet the many challenges involved in this move. This not only applies to students, but we also want to support parents and carers, so they are positive and well informed about the move their child will make from primary to secondary school. Through a dedicated team of staff, we do everything we can to make sure that the transition from primary to secondary school runs as smoothly as possible and students, parents and carers feel supported along the way. Mrs. Richings, our Transition & Co-Curriculum Projects Manager, has worked in the academy for over 20 years, supporting students, families and schools through transition from primary to secondary school, during term time and the school holidays.

We want to ensure you have every opportunity to find out about Ormiston Denes Academy.

It is our aim to provide our students with the knowledge, skills and support they need to experience success at Ormiston Denes Academy and beyond, to develop within our students a greater level of academic responsibility and a thirst for learning, to take advantage of new and exciting opportunities, to promote an atmosphere where students can achieve their full potential in all that they do to be ready, responsible, respectful, kind and proud.  

Once the local authority releases the list of allocated students, we begin our work by writing to all our new parents, correspondence being sent via the primary schools. This is followed by personal contact to families, to both introduce ourselves and confirm all up-to-date contact details. We also liaise with all our primary schools to collect information on every student that will be joining us the following September. We don’t only collect information on academic performance but also on attendance, behaviour and friendship groups. This helps us to get to know the students before they arrive and ensure that the relevant support is in place to support students in getting off to the strongest possible start.

Additional support includes:

Primary school visits for Q&A sessions with our staff and students.

Information coffee morning for parents & carers.

Induction evening, giving the opportunity to meet staff and find out more about the academy and transition days.

Bespoke transition mornings for students nominated by the primary schools as benefitting from additional input.

Transition days, which allow students to meet each other and develop new friendships, familiarise themselves with the building and staff and to begin to establish our school values and routines.

Additional meetings and tours of the school can also be arrived if required.

Mrs Richings works over the holiday period to be on hand to support as required.

We are confident Ormiston Denes Academy can provide a learning environment which will challenge, engage, inspire and care for all its students. Use the links below to discover more.

If you have any questions about transition or starting at Ormiston Denes Academy you can contact us via:

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01502 574474

Our academy prospectus can be found here.

Our parent carer handbook can be found here.

Our home academy agreement can be found here.

Whether travelling to and from the academy by walking, cycling, car or by, there are some things you need to consider.

If you are walking, make sure you know the route and how long this will take you, to ensure that you arrive on time.

If you decide to cycle or scooter to the academy, make sure you bike is in good condition, and always wear cycle helmet. Bikes and scooters are left at your own risk, we ask that you bring your own padlock to secure your bike in our cycle storage area.

If you are being driven to the academy, also practice the route to know how long it will take. There is a no drop off protocol on the school site, and we encourage all students who travel by car to be dropped off at a nearby road within walking distance of the academy.

If you are catching a bus, the bus routes serving the academy can be found here.

Below are some resources that young people may find useful to supporting transition and helping to prepare them for the move to Ormiston Denes Academy. Click on each link to find out more:

Videos for students:

Brain Smart, Jamma Wellbeing, have been working with our students over the past two years, supporting their transition. The three videos below include some of our students talking about their transition process:

Brain Smart Transition: Year 6 students just like you

Brain Smart Transition: The same students in year 7

Brain Smart Transition: Advice to Year 6 students