Year 6 Transition

Welcome to our Year 6 Transition page, where you can access resources and information about the transition from primary to secondary school. We recognise that the move from primary school to secondary school is a big one – often for parents and carers as much as for the students! Our extensive transition programme allows us to make the process a positive and exciting experience for our students.

Each year at Gracewood Academy, we have worked to tailor and refine our transition programme to ensure a supportive transition for every child that joins us. Students who are offered a place at Gracewood Academy will be invited to attend transition events during the summer term. These days give pupils the opportunity to explore our outstanding curriculum, get to know our highly skilled teaching staff, and build confidence before starting in September. At the beginning of the autumn term, Year 7 students take part in dedicated induction days, including tailored lessons and assemblies designed to help them understand how to succeed at Gracewood Academy. Through strong partnerships with primary schools locally and further afield, we are able to support a smooth and well-planned transition, enabling new Year 7 students to settle quickly and feel comfortable in their new environment.

Who’s Who?

 Principal – Miss Charles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I am so excited to meet all our new Year 7s and welcome you into the Gracewood family tree! Starting secondary school is such an exciting time! You’ll make new friends, meet inspiring teachers, discover subjects you’ve never tried before, and find out what you really love learning about. When you join us, you will see our students wearing badges proudly for having excellent attendance, subject awards and displaying our values. We hope you enjoy being a part of our school community (and collect lots of positive rewards and badges too)! At Gracewood, we believe everyone grows a little every day, and I’m really looking forward to seeing you join our community, stretch your branches, and make your own mark on our school.

  Vice Principal – Mrs Thorncroft

The wider team

Assistant Principal – Mr Kourris              

 Assistant Principal - Mr Budu-Amoako

 Head of Learning for Year 7 – Ms Medcalf

 Transition Events

Worried about change and transition?

Our Induction Days and our Year‑7‑only start in September are designed to help you feel confident, prepared and excited before the rest of the school returns. You’ll meet friendly faces, get to know your teachers and classmates, and practise our routines so the building feels familiar from day one. It’s a gentle, supportive start to your Gracewood journey and you can find even more information about the support available to you below.

See below for some more helpful advice to manage wellbeing throughout this change.

Wellbeing and Advice

1. Clinicians at the Anna Freud Centre have developed 7 ways to support children and young people feeling fear and worry, especially at a time of change.

Seven ways to support children and young people who are worried | Anna Freud

2. Save the Children have produced a useful guide to understanding the difference between normal nerves and when this might be closer to anxiety and what you can do as parents to support.

School Anxiety: 5 Ways to Help Children With Back to School Worries (Updated 2025)

•  BBC Bitesize have put together a page that supports parents who have children starting secondary school this year.

Starting secondary school - BBC Parents' Toolkit - BBC Bitesize

•  Young Minds have produced a video giving practical tools for supporting transition to secondary school and supporting young people’s mental health.

Supporting school transitions | Resources | YoungMinds

•  The Spark have two helpful Blog posts that support both parents and students embarking on the new journey of transition to Secondary school.

Starting Secondary School: A Guide for Parents - The Spark

Starting Secondary School: Tips for Young People - The Spark