New Year 7 Transition Arrangements for Autumn 2020
At Orchard Mead Academy we understand how important it is to ensure a smooth and enjoyable transition to secondary school, to support this we have developed an extensive transition program to deliver assurances to both parents and students.
Unfortunately, as you will appreciate, we are in very unusual circumstances this year, however, we are determined to find new ways of enabling our new families and students to become more familiar with Orchard Mead in preparation for September.
We understand how disappointing it that our new pupils are not unable to visit us this term, however please be assured that our dedicated transition team have been liaising with your child’s primary school to find out a little more about each of our new students so we can make sure we have all the information we need to enable a successful start for your son / daughter.
Our transition team have also created a summer pack which will be delivered to your child’s primary school for you to collect before the end of the term. This pack will contain lots of useful information and activities to help prepare your child for the start of their secondary school journey.
In the meantime, if you and your son/daughter would like to find out a little more about starting school at Orchard Mead Academy, please have a look through the following…
Welcome Letter from Executive Principal – April 2020
Welcome Video from our Principal, Mr Patel
Welcome Video from our Head Of Year
Please allow your child to watch this welcome message from our from our Head of Year 7, Miss K Patel and Miss C Rose, our Assistant Head of Year 7
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s transition you can contact one of our transition team here:
| Name | Role | Email Address |
| Miss K Patel | Head of Year 7 | [email protected] |
| Miss C Rose | Assistant Head of Year 7 | [email protected] |
| Mrs L Loaiza-Sanchez | SENCo | [email protected] |
Or call the school office on 0116 241 3371
Virtual Tour
Please watch this virtual tour of Orchard Mead Academy with your child, so as they can familiarise themselves with facilities and see where their lessons will take place.
We also have school maps available for students here, can your child spot places from the tour on the map?
Activities for the summer
As well as the summer pack which will be delivered to your primary school, our transition team have put together a number of activities for your son / daughter to complete if they wish. We hope this gives your child a flavour of the different subjects we have on offer and what to expect in preparation for September.
The subject activities can be found here.
Our Year 7 Curriculum
Parents can look up an outline of our year 7 curriculum on our website here.
You might also like to have a look at some of our previous “Year 7 Knowledge Organisers”
The Start of Term
The first day of the autumn term will be reserved just for Year 7 students. They will start their time at Orchard Mead in a quiet, calm and supportive environment.
Early in the new autumn term we have a ‘Meet the Form Tutor’ evening for parents to find out how their child is settling in, ask questions and be able to put a name to key faces.
Autumn 2021 Starters
We are not sure what transition for September ’21 starters will look like, but do have our Open Evening planned for Thursday 24th September 2020. By attending this event you will be able to visit and tour our fantastic facilities, meet our amazing and dedicated team of teaching and support staff, taste some of our school meals and ask any questions that you may have.
If, due to ongoing social distancing restrictions, we are unable to open our doors fully, we shall create some virtual briefings, faculty information and zoom meetings to support parents when choosing which school to send their child to.
To apply for a place at Orchard Mead you need to submit an application via Leicester City Council Admissions Service (see our admissions page), by the 31st October. In early March you will be notified by LCC if you have a place with us.
Once you have secured a place with Orchard Mead we will write to you with details of your child’s transition plan, we hope that our 2021 cohort to receive a transition plan which would look some like the below:
| End March | Meet the Senior Leadership Team, learn more about the Academy and its links with The Mead Educational Trust. This is your chance to ask any questions you may have about your child’s transition to secondary school. |
| April | Look out for your Good Luck postcard ahead of your SATS exams. All students transferring to Orchard Mead will receive a personalised message of support! |
| April / May | Guided tours by a member of our senior leadership team of Orchard Mead. The tours will offer an unrivalled opportunity to see our school during the academic day and provides a further chance for you to learn more about the academy and ask any questions you may have about your child’s transition. |
| May | Our Transition Team, will visit Year 6 students in their primary school. We will talk to students about their move to Orchard Mead Academy and will be on hand to answer any questions that they may have.We will also speak to Year 6 teachers to gather important information about your child as this will help us support their transition to Orchard Mead Academy. |
| June | Transition School A number of students, recommended by their primary school, will have the opportunity to try taster lessons and team building activities to support their transition, this will culminate with a Graduation Ceremony. |
| June | Open Coffee Mornings We will have open morning and afternoons for you to pop in to ask any last minute questions. |
| June | Keep an eye out for the postman… Your child will receive a personalised post card from a student at Orchard Mead Academy welcoming them to the school. |
| June | Induction Evening Join us for a fantastic opportunity to:
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| July | Induction Day All Year 6 pupils across the city will attend an Induction Day at their chosen secondary school. We are planning a full day of exciting lessons and a chance to meet the teachers and make some new friends. |
| Summer Holiday Challenge | We will set a summer challenge to help students get ready for their secondary school journey. |
| August | To ensure our new students get the very best start, we only open for Year 7’s on the first day of the new academic year. |
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