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Transition

Transition at Fulwood Academy

 

Welcome to Our Fulwood Family

Starting secondary school is an exciting milestone, and we understand that it can also feel like a big step.

At Fulwood Academy, we are committed to ensuring every child feels safe, confident and ready to thrive from their very first day. Our transition program is carefully designed to support students academically, socially, and emotionally as they move from primary school into Year 7.

We work closely with primary schools, parents and carers to ensure that every student is known, valued and supported.

We very much look forward to welcoming you to our Fulwood family.

Our Transition Promise

When your child joins Fulwood Academy, we promise to:

  • Get to know them as an individual
  • Build their confidence and independence
  • Support their academic progress from day one
  • Provide strong pastoral care
  • Maintain clear communication with parents and carers

We believe a successful transition lays the foundation for five happy and successful years.

Transition Timeline📅

Below is an outline of what families can expect throughout the transition process.

March

Confirmation of Places

Families receive confirmation of their secondary school place on the first working day of March. Information packs, including details on how to accept your child’s place, will be posted out to families later that week.

Spring / Summer Term

Transition Activities and Key Events

  • Primary school visits by Fulwood staff
  • Parent information evening
  • Additional meetings for students with SEND or specific needs
  • Afterschool Transition Events throughout May and June
  • Summer School during the first week of the summer holidays

All key dates will be shared directly with parents and published on this page.

Primary School Visits

Getting to Know Every Child

Our staff visit each primary school to:

  • Meet students in their familiar environment
  • Speak with Year 6 teachers
  • Gather important academic and pastoral information
  • Identify any additional support needed

This ensures we understand each child before they even walk through our doors.

Transition Day

Experiencing Life at Fulwood Academy

Our Transition Day allows students to experience life at Fulwood Academy and will take place with all Lancashire schools.

During these days, students will:

  • Meet their form tutor
  • Take part in sample lessons
  • Explore the school site
  • Meet new classmates
  • Experience lunchtime routines

The day is designed to reduce anxiety and build excitement for September.

Pastoral Care and Support🫂

At Fulwood Academy, pastoral care sits at the heart of everything we do.

Every Year 7 student is supported by:

  • A dedicated Form Tutor
  • A Head of Year
  • Our wider pastoral and safeguarding team

We provide:

  • Structured tutor time
  • Wellbeing support
  • Anti-bullying education
  • Clear behaviour expectations
  • Opportunities to build friendships and confidence
  • Separate break and lunch times to the rest of the school

We recognise that some students may feel nervous and our staff are experienced in helping young people settle quickly and successfully.

During the first two weeks of September, we run our ‘Transition Programme’ where students will remain with their tutor groups and learn about life at Fulwood Academy. This includes the opportunity to understand our expectations, learn their way around school, and get to grips with how learning takes place in each classroom.

During this time, we will also complete assessments and reading tests to gather as much information as possible. This will be used alongside Key Stage 2 data to assign students to their learning classes for the start of week 3.

Supporting Students with Additional Need🎓

We work closely with families of students who have:

  • Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
  • Medical needs
  • Social, emotional or mental health needs
  • English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Additional transition visits and meetings can be arranged where needed, and your child’s Year 6 teacher is able to refer them for one of these visits.

Individual support plans are developed in the Summer Term to ensure appropriate provision is in place from the start of Year 7.

If you have specific concerns, we strongly encourage you to contact us early so we can work together to support your child.

Contact our SENCO:
h.clipston@fulwoodacademy.co.uk

Frequently Asked Questions❓

More FAQs will be added throughout the year.

How are tutor groups decided?

Tutor groups are carefully organised to create balanced forms and support positive friendships.

Will my child be with their friends?

We aim to place students with at least one familiar peer where possible, while also encouraging new friendships. If you shared information with us prior to the creation of the form groups, this will always be considered.

What if my child is anxious?

This is completely normal. Our pastoral team is highly experienced in supporting anxious students, and we will work closely with families where needed. We highly recommend your child attending as many of our transition events as possible to support this.

How are classes organised?

Students are initially placed into mixed-ability form groups for the first two weeks. From week 3, students will be placed into a learning group for their lessons which are reviewed after assessment points throughout the year.

What if my child gets lost?

There are always staff and students around to support helping our new students find their way around. Typically, most students are confident on their route around school by the end of week 1 in September.

Preparing for September🎒

Uniform 

Full details of our uniform expectations can be found here:
View Uniform Information

Equipment

Students should bring:

  • A school bag
  • A pencil case containing: black pens, green pens, pencils, ruler, eraser, and highlighters
  • Scientific calculator (Casio FX-83GT CW) – available to purchase through school in September

Travel

Information regarding bus routes, safe walking routes and cycle storage is available here:
View Travel Information

First Day Arrangements

Specific arrangements for the first day in September will be shared with families during the summer term.

Working in Partnership with Parents 🤝

We believe strong communication between home and school is essential.

Parents will receive:

  • Access to Class Charts to monitor your child's behaviour, attendance and homework
  • Invitations to information evenings
  • Progress reports

We encourage parents to contact us with any questions — no concern is too small.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about transition, please contact:

Email: c.holmes@fulwoodacademy.co.uk
Telephone: 01772 719060

We look forward to welcoming your child to Fulwood Academy.

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