Transition from Year 6 to Year 7

Weekly Transition Communications 2024

We hope that you’re getting excited about your child joining us at Imberhorne School – we are! We are currently updating this webpage with the most up to date documents and information. Please keep checking back as we will be using this webpage as a reference for letters and important information regarding transition later on this year..  

 

 

Virtual Tour

We are pleased to share a video tour of Lower School:

 

 

 

Questions and Answers

Our website gives comprehensive information about life at Imberhorne. The Parent and Student sections in particular are good places to start. You will find information on everything from our SEND provision to medication in school and holiday request procedures. Answers to the most common queries that students and parents/carers have when starting at Imberhorne School are also found below. 

  

We are here to help support children and parents as they join us at Imberhorne:

Key Staff

Mrs Emma Best, Assistant Headteacher, Responsible for Key Stage 3 - ebest [at] imberhorne [dot] co [dot] uk

Mrs Ceri Price SENCo - cprice [at] imberhorne [dot] co [dot] uk

Mrs Sandra Cook, Transport, Lockers and Medical Administration  - scook [at] imberhorne [dot] co [dot] uk

Miss Kayleigh Moss, Uniform Coordinator - uniform [at] imberhorne [dot] co [dot] uk 

Mrs S Evans, Family Engagement Officer - sevans [at] imberhorne [dot] co [dot] uk

How do I contact the school?

All contacts may be found in the 'Contact Us' section of our website. The Who to Contact page is a good place to start. 

If you need to contact the school prior to your child starting at Imberhorne in September, please use the key staff list above.

What are the procedures if a student is unwell?

If a student is too unwell to attend school, please phone the main switchboard on 01342 323562 and choose the relevant options on the automated system to report the absence. Please ring and report each day of absence.

If a student feels unwell during the school day, they should report to the medical room near reception at either breaktime or lunchtime. If the symtoms arise during a lesson, they should alert their class teacher who will give them permision to leave and report to the medical room. Medical staff will ascertain how the student is feeling and decide if it is necessary to contact parents/carers.

What do students do at breaktime and lunchtime?

Our fantastic canteen facilities offer food at break and lunch times and before school as well. There is always plenty of food and we limit the purchase of key items to ensure there is enough for all! Year 7 have their own food service area at break and lunch times. Further information and menus are available here

Students may bring their own food into school and this may be eaten in the Year 7 Playground or field when open. Please note that carbonated drinks and energy drinks are not allowed in school and we always encourage healthy eating.

Year 7 students have their own playground where they may chat with friends and a Year 7 court to play ball games. We have a loan system available for balls and table tennis bats via the Pastoral Office and students may bring in their own named ball. They do not have to be soft balls as they do at primary schools.

We have a variety of lunchtime clubs and the library is open for use as well. Clubs and activities are published in the first few weeks of the academic year. 

What to do if something is lost?

Sometimes property is misplaced at school and the chances of reuniting it with students is greatly increased if all property is clearly named. When a student becomes aware they have lost an item, they should visit the lost property box in their year group zone, outside of lesson times, to see if it has been handed in. If this proves unsucessful, they should retrace their steps for that day as the item may still be in a classroom or one of the areas they have visited during their free time. In a large and busy school, this is best done on the day, however, it is always worth checking back with the lost property box every few days. 

All valuable items should be kept at home e.g. mobile phones, electronic devices, cash, trainers, jewellery.  

How often will homework be set and how can I check what is set?

Students may be set weekly tasks in English, Mathematics, Science and Languages. In all other subjects, homework is set at appropriate times when it is meaningful to do so. In Year 7, tasks should take approximately 20 minutes per subject, however some assignments will be designed to span a number of weeks. Please see our homework policy here for more informaton. 

Students and parents/carers are able to view homework that has been set via Bromcom, for parents this is the MyChildAtSchool app. Please see our Admissions Booklet for further information.

It can take a while to get into the routine of organising time for homework. Students tend to settle in to their own routines very quickly and find systems to help them remember. If you encounter a problem, talk to the member of staff by email or before the class. If it is the first time, don't worry there will be no consequence, staff will work with students to ensure it doesn't happen again.

When will students find out which form group they are in and who their Form Tutor is?

We normally do this on the Year 6 Induction Day. 

Are mobile phones allowed in school?

Mobile phones should be switched off and placed either in the student's bag or safely stored in their lockers. They are not allowed to be visible anywhere on the school grounds during the school day without permission.

It is worth remembering that expensive items should not be brought into school.

What are the timings for the school day and what are lessons like?

Please see our Term Dates page here for the timings of our school day which include details of when break and lunch times are. Please note that students are welcomed into school every morning by 8.30am in readiness for an 8.40am start. It's always better to aim for 8.30am to be safe, the bell sounds at 8.35am as a reminder to move to the form room or to the hall for assembly.

The school day starts with either registration and form group time or an assembly for 15 mins. There are two assemblies per week, one with the Head of Year and another with a member of the Senior Leadership Team

There are 5 one hour lessons per day and students move between classrooms for each lesson. They have a personal timetable so they know which subject, classroom and teacher they have and when.

What equipment should be brought on the first day in September?

Students should bring their bag with any food required and the following equipment list on the first day and every day thereafter. We have a fully stocked stationery shop in our library to purchase items from. Please see here for details.

Will there be an opportunity to make new friends?

Yes! Students from lots of different primary schools in the area will be starting at Imberhorne in September. Form groups are made up from a few existing friends from primary school and lots of new ones too. 

Students get the opportunity to meet new friends by joining extra curricular school clubs as well - this is really recommended. We encourage everyone to join at least one club at the start of Year 7.  We will give you further information on what clubs we have on offer once the activities start in September.

We also have Peer Mentors at Imberhorne who help guide the younger students. They will be available to support students when they start in September and can become great friends and a good source of knowledge.

What are the arrangements for catching school buses home after school?

Students will wait in the Main Hall until a member of staff takes them safely on to the bus.

Do students carry everything with them all day?

Fortunately, lockers are rented to students so they may store books, valuables, P.E. kit, jackets etc. during the day. This means that students only need to carry their bag and minimal equipment around school.

Lockers may be accessed before school, at the begining and end of break/lunch times and again at the end of the day - not between lesson or during the middle of break and lunch times.

What happens if students are late to school or have missed their bus?

Whilst students normally enter the school via the side entrances, if they arrive after 8.40am, they should report to reception via the main entrance. Staff will ask the students to sign in and explain the reason. A yellow slip will be issued for registration purposes if the student arrives after 8.55am.

If a school bus is missed, students should contact their parents/carers to make alternative arrangements to get to school.

Do students often get lost when they start at Imberhorne?

This is a very common worry for new Year 7 students and the answer is 'yes', some will lose their way around school as they move from classroom to classroom. Students are given a map and they very quickly learn their way around.  The thing to do is to ask someone else for help, either another student or any adult in school. There are always people around to help. It's important to remember that staff will not be upset with students if they are late to lesson in the first few weeks as students find their way around.  Please don't worry!

Where should students go if they are worried or unhappy about anything?

If for any reason a student is worried or unhappy they should speak with their Form Tutor in the first instance, or visit the Pastoral Office to speak with Mrs Galloway, the Pastoral Support Assistant. Any other member of staff can help too. Staff at Imberhorne are always happy to support all students with any concerns and most issues can be dealt with really quickly.

Who do I contact if my child has to leave school for any reason during the school day?

We ask that all appointments are made outside of the school day where possible, however we understand that sometimes this is beyond your control. If you need to inform us of any absence that requires your son/daughter to leave during the school day, please:

  • email reception [at] imberhorne [dot] co [dot] uk stating your child’s name, year group, reason for appointment, time of leaving and approximate time of return (if applicable). 
  • If it is not possible to email, please telephone main reception on 01342 323562 Opt. 0
  • Please do not email Heads of Year or Pastoral Teams and Form Tutors as messages may be delayed in getting to relevant staff in advance of the required leave time.
  • Students should always exit via either Windmill Lane/Imberhorne Lane main reception and sign out using the student signing in/out book.

Useful Documents