Document for new starters to Simon Balle Y7

1. Welcome to the
Year 7 Transition Evening
Wed 12th
July 2017

2. Pastoral Information
• Primary vs Secondary
• Year 7 Team
• Transition
• Resilience & Grit
• Phasels Wood Trip
• Information about tomorrow
• Information about the start of term.

3. Primary School Secondary School
Environment
Typically smaller.
Fewer specialist areas (e.g. ICT,PE and
hall).
Typically larger.
Numerous specialist areas (e.g. gym,
studio, labs, art room, photo lab etc).
Staff
Typically one class teacher who teaches
the majority of subjects.
Most staff, including the Head, are likely
to know students by name.
Several subject teachers, as well as
form tutor.
Staff not involved directly with
student are unlikely to know them by
name.
Personal
organisation
Equipment for most lessons is provided
and kept in the room.
Timetable shows the sequence of the
day; failure to use or understand it is of
little consequence.
Students are expected to bring their
own equipment and to remember
which day they need to bring it.
Students need to use the timetable
to know where he/she should be,
which lesson it is and what
equipment is required.
Differences between primary and secondary school

4. Primary School Secondary School
Other students Year 6 are the oldest.
All students are children.
We have EYFS, Y1 & Y2
Y7 -13
5yrs – 18yrs
Student movement Lessons take place in one
room.
Students move to different
locations usually
accompanied by an adult.
Students move to different
rooms for different lessons.
Students move around the
site independently taking
responsibility to arrive at the
right place at the right time.
Curriculum Subject based but divisions
less evident.
Homework set by one
teacher, often on an
occasional, informal basis.
Subject based, emphasised
by movement to different
rooms and teaching by
different teachers.
Homework set by different
teachers on a regular, more
formal basis.

5. Year Team

6. Year Leader
Miss Robinson
I have been teaching at Simon Balle for three years.
I did a Maths degree at the University of Bath, then completed my teaching
qualification at the University of Cambridge to teach Maths.
I am an ex Simon Balle student, so I am very attuned to the ethos of the school
and believe this is the reason for its success.
I play netball to a high standard and enjoy all sports.
I am incredibly competitive and ambitious, so I will ensure every student makes
the most of their school experience.

7. Our Vision for Year 7
Positive Transition to Secondary and Wellbeing
•Year 7 students will be encouraged to participate in all areas of school life and
have the provisions that enable them to be safe, happy, healthy and successful,
not only for today, but for the future.
•My tutor team and I will ensure every Year 7 student makes a successful and
positive transition to Simon Balle and are on the right pathway to achieve their
next steps to success.
•Year 7 students will develop independence and character skills, taking on
leadership roles and working with different people.
•We will establish good working relationships with you as parents, with regular
contact and enrichment events throughout the year.

8. Year 7 mottos:
•Never settle for anything other than your best
•Always treat others as you would like to be treated

9. Pastoral and Academic Structure
Pastoral:
• Your child’s form tutor is the teacher who they can
go to with any questions, successes or problems they
face.
• The Year Leader has overall responsibility for well-
being, behaviour, attendance and academic progress
of the year group, and will put strategies in place to
ensure the best outcome for all.

10. Pastoral and Academic Structure
• For general concerns a note or
e-mail to the form tutor should
suffice
• For specific subject concerns,
contact the subject teacher in
the first instance
(Cc. Form tutor if necessary)

11. Success at
Simon Balle

12. Co-operation is the Key
• We will work together to ensure your
children do their best
• We want all the students to enjoy school
• Encourage them to join clubs and
participate in as many activities as
possible
• Use the lines of communication and feel
free to talk to us at the end of this evening

13. Effective Transition
Relationship with curriculum
What skills does the child currently have and what additional skills will be
necessary to deal with differences in the curriculum, teaching methods and
increased expectations of personal organization of learning?
Relationship with others
What skills does the child currently have and what additional skills will be
necessary to form new relationships with staff and peers and deal with
increased expectations of abilities to learn and socialize in group settings?
Relationship with self
Does the child have the dispositions and attitudes that are
likely to contribute to better coping with the transition?
What are their feelings about their perceptions of their own
ability to cope with change?

14. The transition…
We want to create a platform for students to develop
all relationships during Y7
We provide 2 days off timetable at the start of the
year that helps them make any adjustments.
Activities include:
Form tutor time
E-Safety talks
Equality and Equity session
Protective behaviours workshop
Formal expectations assembly from the Head
Photos
Tour
Baseline tests in M&E

15. Meeting new friends
E-Safety / Equity & Equality
Protective Behaviours
Adjusting to Secondary
Showing resilience
Baseline Test
September

16. Routines
• It is crucial that students adopt positive routines from their
first day.
• Students are far more likely to be successful if they feel in
control of their learning; routines are an essential element
of this.
• We expect all students to be appropriately dressed, in
school, punctual, fully-equipped and ready to learn from
day one.
• Support from school and home should be available to
enable students to achieve this.

17. Organisation – how you can help
• Encourage students to refer to Go4schools each
evening and to meet all homework deadlines
• Encourage students to refer to their timetable each
evening to ensure that they have packed all that they need
• Check that they are fully-equipped each evening
• Ensure that they are dressed neatly, leave for school on time
and with a good breakfast inside them

18. How do we nurture resilience?
•What is “Grit”? According to Duckworth “grit” is having the
passion and perseverance to achieve especially long-term goals.
•Achievement = Talent x Effort
•Roger Black – Intrinsic Motivation
•Will Smith - Attitude

19. Culture of Grit
• Deep practice involves failure.
• Deep practice is frustrating.
• Students often think that talent is all that
matters.
• When practice is frustrating – praise effort!
• We embed culture that failure is on the path
to success – we celebrate ’stuckness’

20. 6 KEYS TO MOTIVATION
#1 AMBITION
#2 EXPECTANCY
#3 FOCUS
#4 EFFORT
#5 ATTITUDE
#6 ENVIRONMENT

21. • https://youtu.be/KUWn_TJTrnU

23. Go4Schools

24. Inspiring a lifetime of adventureInspiring a lifetime of adventure

25. Simon Balle All-through SchoolSimon Balle All-through School
Forms 7M, 7N, 7R will go on Wed 27Forms 7M, 7N, 7R will go on Wed 27thth
Sept to Fri 29Sept to Fri 29thth
SeptSept
Forms 7A, 7B, 7L will go on Wed 4Forms 7A, 7B, 7L will go on Wed 4thth
Oct to Fri 6Oct to Fri 6thth
OctOct
Phasels Wood Activity CentrePhasels Wood Activity Centre
Wildchild ResidentialWildchild Residential
Adventure TripAdventure Trip

26. AccommodationAccommodation

27.  Bushcraft/Wild Survivor ActivitiesBushcraft/Wild Survivor Activities
 Team-building and problem-solving activitiesTeam-building and problem-solving activities
 Adventurous Activities including Climbing, Pot-holing ArcheryAdventurous Activities including Climbing, Pot-holing Archery
and Crate-stackingand Crate-stacking
 Evening Activity ProgrammeEvening Activity Programme
 Camp-fire supperCamp-fire supper
Outdoor AdventurousOutdoor Adventurous
ActivitiesActivities

28. Uniform
Uniform on sale in school on:
•13th
July (3pm-4pm)
•17th
July Stevensons uniform sale 3-7pm
•18th
July Stevensons uniform sale 3-6pm
In the canteen area

29. Next term...
• Year 7 begin school on September 4th
• Year 7 will be off timetable for the first two days and will begin lessons
fully on Wednesday 7th
• Students will be completing a variety of activities – both formal and
informal
• Please send a cheque (made payable to Simon Balle School) to be paid in
for use on a smart card if you want your child to have a school dinners or
set up a Parentpay account
• The deadline for paying the deposit for Phasels Wood has passed, so if
you have not yet done this it needs to be done ASAP
• Also if you are requesting a locker for your child then this money needs
to be paid as they are on a first come first served basis
• Monday 11th
September 7pm - Information Evening

30. Technology
Apple iPad 32GB with a case
You have received ‘One person, one device’ scheme breakage
information in transition books. £26 year (Covers cost of case, accidental
breakage). It does not cover Theft or loss
It will have installed on it a particular App called MIRAKI that monitors
what they do on it. It also ensures they can access WiFi and have internet
security.
We strongly believe that using technology purposefully develops students
into the citizens of tomorrow therefore value technology skills like we do
handwriting and presentation
Any questions please contact: edutech@simonballe.herts.sch.uk
finance@simonballe.herts.sch.uk