Transition

What should we expect on the first day of school and what time should my child arrive?

Our school day starts at 8.50am with students’ first lesson of the day and students must therefore be through the gate by 8.45am. They enter through the pedestrian gate off The Green. Students must never enter the site through the double gates which access the car park. On the first day, our new Year 7s will make their way to the area outside the sports hall ready to greet their tutor at 8.50am (they will know where to go as we will practise this during their transition days and staff will be on hand to guide them) where their tutor will register them. They will then be taken into the dining room for an assembly with a member of the Leadership Team and the Year 7 Team.

During their first day (and first couple of days) with us, Year 7 will:

• Receive their timetable and be talked through where to go and when (this can be a scary thing for students coming from junior/primary but they are well supported!)
• Have their finger print taken so they can use the dining room
• Have their photo taken so we know what they look like
• Be given their login details for the important apps we use in school
• Be settled in to their lessons and meet their subject teachers!

We will take a great deal of care of them!

What uniform and equipment will my child need?

Students must be in full school uniform and have all the required equipment on their first day. The only thing they won’t need is their PE kit (this will be needed for their first PE lesson on their timetable). All of our equipment and uniform requirements can be found on our school website via the following link: https://www.swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk/culture/ready-to-learn/

How can I help my child prepare for the transition to secondary school?

We understand that this can be a worrying time for Year 6 students and their families, however, we work really hard to support you in the process. We have a team of experienced staff who support students from Miss Owen, the Assistant Headteacher for Pastoral, who has now led transition for a number of years to Miss Barnsley, the Head of Year 7, who is employed as a static Head of Year for Year 7 meaning she has a great deal of knowledge of and experience with Year 6 transition. Our current Year 7 have settled in to #TeamSwanwick incredibly well!

A few practical things that families can do to help:

• Ensure your child attends the transition days on Thursday 9^th and Friday 10^th July 2026
• Ensure you attend our transition coffee evening on Thursday 9^th July 2026
• Try to attend events put on by Swanwick Hall School such as the Summer Fayre
• Check the letter section of our website as a parent/carer letter is posted on there every week: https://www.swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk/?s=letter
• Show your child the route to get to school and walk them through it so they are confident on where to go and how long it will take to walk or show them where the bus will pick them up
• Ensure you look out for messages or literature regarding transition – you will receive more of these in the Spring term as we build up to the transition days

Here are a few websites that our families might find useful for Year 6 Transition:

Young Minds

Place2Be

BBC/Teach

Anna Freud

What support is available if my child struggles to adjust to secondary school?

Our transition process is designed to support students in adjusting to and settling in to secondary school. However, where there are concerns, families can liaise with either the Form Tutor, Miss Barnsley who is the Head of Year, the Pastoral Support Officers, the SEND team, the Safeguarding team or the Attendance team. We work with students and families to triangulate our support, all three of us (families, students and school) working together to find a solution. We will always be happy to meet and communicate with families where needed.

Where you do need to make contact with school, please use one of the options on this link and we will direct the correct person to contact you: https://www.swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk/?s=contact

Who should I contact if I’m concerned about my child’s academic progress or wellbeing?

As above, there are a number of staff who are here to support. Please use one of the options on this link and we will direct the correct person to contact you: https://www.swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk/?s=contact

What are the school’s expectations for homework in Year 7?

We set our homework on an app called Class Charts. You and your child will receive a login for this on the first couple of days in September. Please click on this link to find out more information about homework: https://www.swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk/curriculum/homework/

What is the process for signing up for school meals?

Our dining room runs a cashless service and we use a system called ParentPay. Your child will have their fingerprint scanned on their first day and will be issued with login details to enable you to create and credit their account. If your child is eligible for Free School Meals, this information will be transferred over from their primary school so we will already have this on record. The FSM allocation is currently £2.90; your child will be able to use the dining room at lunchtime and this amount will be credited to their account each day. If your child wishes to purchase food at breaktime then you will need to ensure that their account does have credit.

Who do I talk to if my child has additional needs?

The transition team will work closely with the junior and primary schools to ensure that we have all of the information we need about each child. Included in this will be any SEND concerns or provision. For any student with SEND or suspected SEND, our SEND team will work with the student and the families during the transition process and into Year 7. There is some further information in the SEND section on our website: https://www.swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk/?s=send#1728467611793-9b1e4e1d-bda4

Alternatively, you can contact us by clicking on this link and choosing one of the options: https://www.swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk/?s=contact

When will my child find out which form group or house they are in?

During the transition days, your child will spend all day with their form groups in order to build strong relationships prior to starting with us in September. Our families will receive a letter before the Transition days to inform them of their child’s form and house.

To ensure that we have as much information as possible before your child starts with us in September, we ask that you complete our admission form

Transition Admission Form – Fill in form

If you do not have the facility to complete this online, please download a hard copy to complete. This can either be posted back to us or emailed on enquiries@swanwickhall.ttct.co.uk.

Transition Admission Form

Aspens, our catering company, also request details of any dietary requirements or food allergens. If your child has either, please complete and submit the online form below.

Aspens Special Diets Parent Letter

Allergen Form

What we enjoy about secondary school?

What was I worried about before starting secondary school?

#TeamSwanwick Year 6 Transition Family Video 2

#TeamSwanwick Year 6 Transition – Family Video 4

What a gorgeous day we had yesterday! So gorgeous that it has inspired us to create a virtual tour of the school! This video will go through where certain classrooms are, where key areas are like the toilets, where students should go on the Transition Days and when they start with us and more! Enjoy!

Year 6 Transition – Family Video 4

#TeamSwanwick Year 6 Transition – Family Video 5

Here is Video 5 of our Year 6 Transition Family Videos. Enjoy!

Year 6 Transition – Family Video 5

#TeamSwanwick Year 6 Transition – Family Video 6

Here is our Year 6 Transition Family Video number 6 which gives you more information about our uniform and equipment expectations. 

Year 6 Transition – Family Video 6

#TeamSwanwick Year 6 Transition – Family Video 7

Here is our seventh Family Video for you to enjoy which runs through what a Year 7’s day is like at Swanwick Hall School.

Year 6 Transition – Family Video 7

#TeamSwanwick Year 6 Transition – Family Video 8

Here is our next video which gives you more information on who our new Year 7s can speak to if they need any support when they join #TeamSwanwick

Year 6 Transition – Family Video 8

#TeamSwanwick Year 6 Transition – Family Video 12

Here is our next Year 6 Transition Family Video on the topic of attendance at Swanwick Hall School. Enjoy!

Year 6 Transition – Family Video 12

#TeamSwanwick Year 6 Transition – Family Video 13

We recently sent you a video about uniform and equipment expectations. Today’s video is to inform you of a slight amendment to our PE kit requirements

PE Uniform update

#TeamSwanwick Year 6 Transition – Family Video 14

Today, we have a video for you which provides more information about tutor groups

Tutor Groups