Woodham Academy recognises the important steps parents and students make when moving from primary school to secondary school. Transition at Woodham Academy is an ongoing cycle with strong bonds being formed with even the youngest of students in our primary feeder schools.
These links are established early to alleviate any concerns or worries about the process and Mrs Tait, Head of Year 7 is a regular visitor to schools, delivering assemblies and sessions specifically for Year 5/6 students. Mrs Meachen, the Academy’s Transition Worker has been working between the primary schools in Newton Aycliffe for 11 years and is a well known support for both students and their families alike.
As part of the process of transition, Woodham Academy identified the need for a combined curriculum approach for students. In their first term all Y7 pupils work for half the timetable with their form tutor and tutor group following the Woodham Learning programme of study.
This helps students settle into their new learning environment quickly, allowing them to develop skills for learning, ready for the challenges of the whole-school KS3 curriculum which they pick up after the first term.
Year 7 students at Woodham Academy have this week finished their first half-term at secondary school. Comments from their learning journals include, “One of my favourite things about Woodham Learning is that it helps you to get to know people” “I don’t know what I was worried about. I made the right choice choosing Woodham” “We have just had assessment week and I am so proud of how much hard work I’ve done and I’m more confident at talking to older pupils now, I like my new school because I’m always learning new things”.
