Welcome to Transition at Netherwood Academy
Here at Netherwood Academy, we want students to feel excited, positive and supported throughout the transition process. Moving from Primary to Secondary school is a big step for parents and students, but we are here to help!
At Netherwood Academy we have key members of staff who work on developing an exciting and effective transition programme for our students. On this page you will find: our key priorities for the transition programme, key dates and events, a virtual tour of the school, introduction to different departments, a range of links for specific information, and FAQs.
Key Contacts:
Transition Lead: Mrs Emma-Jane Ghataurhae – emma-jane.ghataurhae@astreanetherwood.org
Associate Assistant Principal Director of SEND and Inclusion
SEND Administrator: Mrs Emma Currie – emma.currie@astreanetherwood.org
Progress Leader – Chris Snelling
Student Manger – Julia Neave
The Transition from Year 6 to Year 7
Here at Netherwood Academy we aim to make the transition process as smooth as possible as we understand it can be an anxious time for many students. Our Transition Team continuously work on developing a fantastic programme that includes a variety of events and activities to ensure that Year 7 students feel confident in beginning their journey to Netherwood Academy.
Our priority in order to ensure students have a successful transition is building relationships. The following will be taking place:
- Key members of staff to meet with all Primary schools to meet the students and gather important information
- Information to be gathered prior to July transition days so that adjustments can be made
- Bridging materials to be sent to Primary schools to support the KS2 and KS3 curriculum transition
- An offers evening where parents can visit Netherwood Academy and receive key information
- Coffee morning and afternoon tea sessions for parents to attend Netherwood Academy before September
TRANSITION TIMETABLE
Coming soon
Some students require additional transition days, these can be arranged with the Primary schools.
COME AND MEET THE TEAM! ALL Y6 FAMILIES WELCOME!
NUTURE PROVISION:
In September, students in Year 7 will have access to the new Nurture room at breakfast, break and lunch times. Students in Year 10 and 11 who are assigned to be a buddy will also join to support students. This is a quiet space where students can relax and speak to staff away from the crowds to support their transition to Netherwood Academy. Students who require additional support will be offered 3 sessions a week in the Nurture Provision focusing on Emotional Literacy, social skills and emotional regulation. This provision will follow the 6 Nurture Group Principles:
WONDER PROJECT
Here is an introduction to our WONDERful reading project. We invite you all to read your brand new copy of the book Wonder and complete your activity booklet to give to your form tutor in September. 3 will be selected to receive a WH Smiths voucher.
To help you get to know the staff and help you read the book, please watch our Wonder audio book where members of staff read chapters of the book.
How to purchase uniform:
Please click on link https://astreanetherwood.org/uniform/
FAQs
Will I be in a form with my friends from primary school?
We do our best to place students in forms with their friends, however it is not always possible for students to be matched. However, when there are numerous students joining Netherwood Academy from a primary school, we try to ensure students are in a form with a familiar face.
Can I use my phone in school?
Mobile phones are not allowed to be used in school. If you need to contact home, a member of staff can support you with this.
Can I buy breakfast at school?
Yes, the canteen is open from 8:15am-8:30am and provides free toast and bagels. There are also other healthy options to purchase.
How do I buy food at school?
Parents/carers will be given an online account on MCAS (Mychildatschool) to top up students accounts. This means that instead of cash, biometric (fingerprints) identification is used. This helps to keep queues moving faster, allowing students more time to eat.
What happens if I am late to school?
The school gates close at 8.30am. students who arrived after this time, will be escorted to a ‘late line up’ where they will receive the same messages as the rest of the students in their morning address.
Who can I go to if I need help?
Your Form Tutor will be your first point of contact who you will see every day if you have any concerns. You will also have a Head of Year and a Student Manager.
If you feel you need more professional help for your mental health and well-being we have a counselling service on site that you can access which your Form Tutor will be able to give you more information about.
What is the Student Planner?
Every student will be issued with a timetable and a student planner on their first day in September. The planner is used to record homework, to communicate with parents, equipment map, review progress and to record rewards and consequences. We ask all parents to regularly check planners. Students are expected to have their planners with them at all times. The planner also provides key information about the Academy, providing a useful source of information for parents and students.
As the planner is an essential element of the home school partnership the expectation is that it remains graffiti free. If a child is found to have put graffiti on their planner they will need to purchase another at the cost of £5 from the Student Reception.
Students will also have a knowledge organiser which is also a requirement. This is a black folder with key terminology and information for each subject and is updated termly.
As well as the student planner, we have the ‘My Child at School’ app.
https://astreanetherwood.org/my-child-at-school/
MyChildAtSchool is an online portal for parents that enables you to view your child’s performance and other information. Every Netherwood parent has a MCAS (My Child AT School) account where they can access and view your child’s data 24 hours a day via PC, laptop and mobile devices with internet connection. It will give you live information and is specifically designed to improve the quality and accessibility of information for parents.
The facility allows instant access to:
- Lesson Timetables
- Student Behaviour
- Attendance
- Important Documents
- Student Reports
- and much more…
To access MCAS, simply visit www.mychildatschool.com and redeem the invitation code sent to you by the Academy. This page also includes a link to the App store – to enable parents to use a mobile version for convenience and can be downloaded for free from the app store.