Transition process

The transition between primary school and secondary school can be daunting for young people and their parents.  At Southfields Academy we do all that we can to make this process smooth by getting to know each student as well as possible during the months before term begins in September.  From the student's first visit to their induction day in July we stay in touch and can help with any issues, questions or worries that the child or parent has.  We visit the young people in their primary school and speak to their teachers, we look at their work and really get a picture of what we can do to make the students feel that moving on to secondary school is part of a continuation of their education rather than a completely new set of experiences and challenges.  A guide to helpful activities is sent home to parents in a handbook and there are summer holiday tasks for students to complete during the summer break.

Tutor Grouping and Year Grouping / Pastoral Care

Students are placed in a smaller tutor group of less than 30 students when they join in Year 7. There are two tutors assigned to each group giving a teacher to student ratio of less than 15 to 1.  We endeavour to keep Tutor Groups through to Year 11 where possible.  In each Year Group there are between 8 and 12 Tutor Groups, they are managed by a Head and Deputy Head of Year supported by the Acting Deputy Headteacher, in Years 7, 8 & 9,  and the Deputy Headteacher, Upper School Attendance, Behaviour and Attitudes in Years 10, 11 and Post-16 (including International Group) and in the Sixth Form the Deputy Headteacher, Curriculum, Standards and Progress.

Students meet with their tutor in the morning for registration at 08:20 and again at the end of the day.  This is a chance for the registers to be taken and any messages or information passed by the class teachers to be addressed with students.  Contact with the Academy will be through your child's tutor in most cases and any messages or information you need to give us should be passed to them first.