CHANGING TIMES
“Perennial concerns about lessons and homework are handled with reassurance and sensitivity”
Unsurprisingly, given the excellence of their pastoral care, schools in our area put a huge amount of effort into ensuring that every aspect of the transition process is planned in minute detail, so that new pupils are given the support needed to settle quickly into school life. Induction programmes often start long before the summer holidays and keep going into the autumn term. Where schools are all-through, children moving up to senior school will usually be familiar with the bigger scale of life there thanks to first-hand experience of, say, theatre productions or sporting events. But if they haven’t, there will be a programme of taster days and induction events to help develop a sense of familiarity. Perennial concerns about lessons (how hard will they be?) and homework (how much will be set?) are tackled with reassurance and sensitivity so new pupils don’t feel overwhelmed. They may be
in touch over the summer holidays, set some gentle homework which reassures pupils they won’t be out of their depth and generally make sure that, by the time pupils start at their new school, they are already starting to feel confident in their ability to fit in. Older pupils are often enlisted in the process, swapping stories of how they felt when they first started and acting as an informal listening ear for any problems. In addition to planning impactful, fun programmes that make the move to a new school or phase of education as seamless as possible, our area’s educators are also a fount of wisdom when it comes to getting parents fully prepped for school. If you do have any questions, ask your school. Whatever a student’s age, from nursery school newbie to senior school starter or sixth form sophisticate, these local schools will make that transition as smooth and worry-free as it possibly can be.
CAMBRIDGE EDUCATION GUIDE 61
Powered by FlippingBook