Blessed Edward Transition

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ regarding Transition to Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College.

STUDENTS

  1. What happens on the first morning?

            On the first morning you will need to arrive in school by 8.45. Go to the Year 7 playground at the back of the school where the Head of Year 7 and the seven form  tutors will be waiting to meet you.

  1. Will I be in the same class as some of my friends?

Yes. We have several meetings with your Year 6 teachers and always try to make sure  that you are in the same tutor group as some of your friends from primary school.You will find out who else is in your form group on New Intake Evening.

  1. What are the timings of the day?

8.45  Bell to start the day

8.50-9.15  Registration or Assembly

9.15-10.10    Lesson1

10.10-11.10  Lesson 2

11.10-11.35   Break

11.35-12.35  Lesson 3

12.35-1.35    Lesson 4

1.35-2.15      Lunch

2.15-3.20      Lesson 5

  1. Where can I catch the bus from?

We have a bus bay at the back of school. All school buses arrive and leave from here.

In the morning you simply get off the bus within the college grounds. A member of staff will be on duty in this area.

In the afternoon everyone lines up in years groups in designated places and the duty team of the day will coordinate all students’ entry onto the different buses.

All bus times are included within the transport information icon on this website section.

  1. What can you do at break and lunch time?

At break time and lunch time you can go to the canteen to buy some food or you can go straight to the Year 7 playground where there is also additional covered outdoor seating.

If you bring a packed lunch you can eat it in the canteen or outside.

At lunch times there is also a variety of extra-curricular activities to join in with..

  1. What happens if I get lost?

Don’t worry. We always say, you are not lost, you are just in the wrong part of the building.

During the first week staff will be standing outside all of the rooms welcoming you into their lesson. Senior teachers will also be walking around helping you to get to the right place and all the other students are very helpful too.

Nobody is going to tell you off if you arrive a few minutes late for a lesson, we know that it will take a while to get used to moving around all the different classrooms.

  1. What happens if I am late for lessons?

During your first couple of weeks staff know that you are still trying to become familiar with the school setting so you don’t need to worry, you won’t receive any sanctions for being late.

  1. How much homework will I get?

For each subject you will receive one piece of homework each week, the homework will take you approximately 30 minutes to complete.  You will be given a planner on your first day where you can record all your homework and the date on which it should be handed in.

  1. When will I know who my form tutor is?

Normally you will get to meet your form tutor on Intake Evening but due to the circumstances we are unable to hold this evening.  We will send out another video from your form tutors so you know who they are ready for September.  

  1. Can I bring my mobile phone into school?

Yes, but you must follow the mobile phone policy.  Mobiles must be switched off before you enter the school gates and only turned back on when you leave the school site. 

  1. Will I need my PE kit on the first day?

No, your first lesson of PE is a talk from the members of staff about expectations and extra-curricular activities. 

  1. What do I do if I lose something at school?

Your first place to check is your classrooms, if you still don’t have any luck go to pupil reception where lost property is taken.  Tip – make sure you label all of your belongings.

PARENTS

  1. How will my child’s primary academic and pastoral information be shared with Blessed Edwards? 

As part of our transition programme we have several meetings with your Year 6 teachers and there is a well established process for gathering all of this information.

We also visit our feeder schools to meet the students and staff personally.

  1. Will there be a baseline test at the start of Year 7?

Yes, we will be holding baseline tests for the new Year 7 cohort. However we aim to conduct these in a non-intrusive manner. We will then match this information with all the details that we have received from primary schools.

  1. How will I know how my child is getting on in school? 

We have a regular cycle of reporting and this information is sent home on a termly basis.

During Year 7 there is an Expectations Evening within the first two weeks of September, followed by two further Parents Evenings during the academic year.

Of course, you may also contact your form tutor or Head of Year directly if you would like any more information at any time.

  1. How do I contact the school if I have a concern about my child?

Your first point of contact is your child’s form tutor so please contact them directly in the first instance. You may also wish to contact the Head of Year who has overall responsibility for all of the students in Year 7.

You can phone the school, 01905-352615, and ask to speak to a particular member of staff or depending on the nature of your concern you can write a message in your child’s planner to show to a particular member of staff.

  1. How do I pay for my child’s school diner’s / school trips?

Students will be set up with an account on our cashless system. This uses your child’s fingerprint to load money onto their account and to pay for anything they purchase.        You will also be sent a log-on for parent pay,which will allow you to top-up your child’s account online. Learners who receive Free School Meals will continue to do so.                  Their account will be pre-loaded with the allocated amount daily.

  1. What happens if my child feels unwell during the school day?

If your child is unwell they need to let a member of staff know, they will then send them to the medical room.  Depending how unwell your child is, will depend on if we contact you to come and collect your child.  It is therefore very important to keep school up to date with emergency contact details.

  1. How can I check what homework my child is set?

Your child will be issued with a planner where they will record homework and due dates.  Please ensure you check through the planner weekly and sign off to say your child has completed the homework.  Please find further information in our homework policy

  1. If I need additional support where can I access this?

At Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College we recognise the challenges that families face in bringing up children. There may be times when you need extra help and support. If this is the case, please come and talk to us. There are many ways in which we can help as outlined in our early help offer. We can also help to plan specific support for families where we can work together to set and achieve outcomes.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us at transition@blessededward.co.uk