Overview

Introduction to P7-S1 Transition

KEY TRANSITION POINTS

P7-S1

The transition process from feeder primaries to Mintlaw Academy is wide ranging and extensive.  Throughout the session many activities, visits and events are planned each academic year:

From August

·       Mintlaw Academy staff begin discussions with Primary Schools about the transition programme and start to transfer information about P7 pupils to the Academy through formal processes. These processes continue throughout the whole academic year in stages so that all personal and confidential information is passed in an appropriate way. This allows the Academy to plan for each young person and parents/carers to feel confident in their young person moving on to Secondary School.

October

·     Parents and Pupils are invited in the school for an Open Evening at Mintlaw Academy. Parents will be offered a presentation about the transition process and a tour of the school building. Pupils will engage in initial team building activities and also get a tour of the school building.

January    

• Two visits by the Pupil Support Worker accompanied by S1 Helpers who transitioned the previous year from the school being visited.  The purpose of these visits is to explain the transition process and to answer any questions P7 pupils may have.

February

• P7 Parents Learning visits to observe some morning lessons of a Mintlaw Academy school day. Four dates are provided for parents of P7 pupils to allow them to visit the Academy during the school day; attending assembly, visiting lessons across the school, and having the opportunity to ask key staff and senior pupils questions about Mintlaw Academy.

April

• “Crew” Team Building days at the Academy. This is an induction visit to the Academy for all pupils, where they get to spend two days getting to know the building, facilities and staff, whilst mixing with their new S1 peers. Pupils will get to know their houses and visit areas of the community that their house originates from. The focus on these days is about relationships and getting to know their “Crew” classes (traditional registration classes).

May

• P7 Parents’ Evening at Mintlaw Academy –the purpose of this is to provide all parents and carers of P7 pupils the opportunity to receive essential information about the transition process, the curriculum and understand how to access the necessary information about Transition to the Academy.

• Enhanced Transition Visits begin, for a very limited number of pupils identified by professionals as requiring them. Day visits are scheduled for pupils who may find the transition process more daunting. Pupils who will regularly require access to the Enhanced Learning Suite in the Additional Support for Learning department, will have the opportunity to meet staff and gain an understanding of the bespoke literacy and/or numeracy curriculum they will experience.

June

• Parents Evening – Meet the guidance team. Every young person will be linked to a House group which is looked after by a Principal Teacher of Guidance (PTG). The PTG will be your main contact while pupils are at the school and so this will allow parents/carers the chance to meet these members of staff.

• Three Day Transition Visit to Academy. All 3 days P7 pupils follow the timetable they will have in August

Parents/carers should initially discuss any questions/concerns with their primary schools and if they have any additional  questions/concerns then they may contact the Depute Head Teacher (Pupil Support) or the Principal Teacher of Additional Support for Learning for information or advice.