Primary to Secondary Transition
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome both you and your child to Cockermouth School. Whether you have been through this process before, or this is your first connection with the school, your support is both greatly appreciated and vital in helping your child settle, develop and succeed in their time at our school. The transition from primary to secondary school is one of the most important steps in a student’s academic journey. We recognise this and work hard to provide the support, encouragement and guidance that is required.
Differences:
- The number of staff working with your child will be considerable, in and out of the classroom.
- Your child’s teachers will teach many other children across different year groups.
- The size of the building is much bigger and the students will need to move independently around
- it between lessons.
- The day-to-day routine will be structured around a two-week timetable.
- Children will study new subjects such as Drama, Food & Nutrition, Design & Technology, etc.
- Many students will need to travel further; for some this will involve the use of a school bus or
- public transport.
Similarities:
- The majority of lessons are classroom-based.
- We insist on the highest standards of behaviour, both inside and outside the classroom.
- Students are expected to work hard and to do their best at all times.
- Many of the same lessons will be included in the two-week timetable.
- There is a morning break and lunchtime, which will be supervised free time.
- Students are encouraged to organise themselves for each school day with the correct equipment.
- There will be extra-curricular activities (both during the school day and after school) in which students will be encouraged to be involved.
We understand that the students who are joining us are arriving with a range of expectations and experiences. They will have a number of questions, they may find some things difficult and they may even make some mistakes, but we know from experience that they will rise to this challenge brilliantly in the next few months.
The booklet and information below have been created to support this process. We hope that the information provided is helpful for both you and your child. It contains details that will answer many of your questions and information that you can share with your child that will help them to be organised ahead of their start with us. We fully appreciate that this is both an exciting and anxious time, but please be reassured that our Year 7s are supported by an experienced and highly successful pastoral team. They will be working hard to ensure that the transition from primary to secondary school is a successful one.
If you have specific questions that you would like to have answered then please email year6transition@cockermouthschool.org and you can be assured of a prompt response.
Welcome from Richard King - Headteacher
Welcome from Michelle Henley - Senior Deputy Headteacher
Welcome from Ian Routledge - Assistant Headteacher: Transitions, Careers and Engagement
| Subject | Half Term 1 | Half Term 2 | Half Term 3 | Half Term 4 | Half Term 5 | Half Term 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art |
‘Organic forms’ - securing skills and knowledge of 2D media, understanding the formal elements. ‘Organic forms’ - developing a response to the theme, working to produce outcomes in multimedia. |
‘Architectural line’ - developing technical drawing, embedding skills of perspective in 1, 2 and 3 points. Developing knowledge of architects and artists who use technical drawing to achieve an outcome. |
‘Vessels and voids’ - using local stimulus to develop design and making skills in 3D. ‘Vessels and voids’ - using skills learned to develop a response to the theme in 3D. |
|||
| Computer Science |
Digital Literacy and E-safety. Housekeeping, passwords, VLE, baseline testing, keyboarding skills. E-safety, Idea, Bebras (problem solving). |
Using computers safely and responsibly. File management, Social Networking, keeping data safe, using email, searching the web. |
Algorithms and flowol. Use of algorithms and flow chart symbols to problem solve. Model real-world problems. |
Understanding computers. Elements of a computer, CPU, understanding binary, binary addition and storage devices. |
Micro bits – block programming. Inputs and sensing, conditions and randomness, use of variables, loops, I/O Sensing Pins, commenting code. Algorithms. |
Python programming. Text-based programming, sequence variables, selection and iteration. |
| Design Technology | Natural forms - design skills, understanding the design process, analysis skills, 2D design. |
Intro to the laser cutter, analysis of context - solving design problems. Skills and processes to cut and shape acrylic. |
Completion of acrylic based practical. Techniques and processes to decorate and construct fabrics and textiles. |
Techniques and processes to decorate and construct fabrics and textiles. Developing knowledge and skills using the sewing machine. |
Applying knowledge and skills in textiles techniques into a final outcome. Design, development and practical skills. |
Completion of textiles final outcome. Forces, motion and mechanisms knowledge and understanding. |
| Drama | Introduction to Drama War of the Worlds: Physical Theatre. | Musical Theatre - conventions of/rehearsal and performances of Musical Theatre routines. |
Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations. Exploring play texts, reading, interpreting and performing a play text. |
Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations. Rehearsals and performing a scene. |
Scriptwriting - writing an original script using Fairytale Heart by Philip Ridley as a stimulus. | Scriptwriting - writing an original script using Fairytale Heart by Philip Ridley as a stimulus. |
| English |
Oliver Twist - Dickens - Prose. Fluency First. Reading for Comprehension/Pleasure. |
Oliver Twist - Dickens - Prose. Fluency First. Reading for Comprehension/Pleasure. |
A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Shakespeare - Drama. Fluency First. Reading for Comprehension/Pleasure. |
A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Shakespeare - Drama. Fluency First. Reading for Comprehension/Pleasure. |
Poetry Anthology over Time. Fluency First. Reading for Comprehension/Pleasure. |
Poetry Anthology over Time. Fluency First. Reading for Comprehension/Pleasure. |
| Food & Nutrition |
Getting to Grips: Health & Safety. Equipment & washing up. 5-a-day. Practical Skills. |
The cooker & using the grill. Weighing & measuring. Practical Skills. |
Weighing & Measuring: Use of the hob & oven. Seasonality. Practical Skills. |
Design, Make & Bake: Biscuit Project. Basic Nutrition. Practical Skills. |
Dairy - eggs. Function of ingredients. Practical Skills. |
Consolidating knowledge & skills. Assessment. Practical Skills. |
| French | Introducing myself, saying how I feel and giving a reason (using j’ai/ je suis) | Talking about age and birthday using avoir with singular pronouns | Talking about pets using avoir with all pronouns, understanding gender of nouns (indefinite articles) and adjectival agreement | Describing myself and others using “avoir”. | Saying where I live | Talking about food, giving opinions, using definite articles. Film: Le Petit Nicolas. |
| Geography | What is geography? | How do we use maps? |
How do we use maps? What is our world made of? |
What is our world made of? Weathering fieldwork. How do drainage basins work? |
How do drainage basins work? Infiltration fieldwork. |
How do places change? |
| History | Why did William win the Battle of Hastings? | Was the Norman Conquest really so significant? | How did Mali develop into a wealthy kingdom? | Who had more power - the Medieval Church or a Medieval monarch? | Is it right to remember the Middle Ages as the ‘Dark Ages’? | Was the Peasants Revolt a significant event in history? |
| Mathematics |
Number sense. Adding and subtracting. Multiplying and dividing. Calculating with negative numbers. Order of operations. |
Expressions. Substitution. Solving Equations. Time. Measures. |
2D shapes. Perimeter and area. Coordinates and shapes. Factors and multiples. Primes. |
Writing and comparing fractions. Adding and subtracting fractions. Brackets. |
Angles. Averages and Range. Tables and charts. Collecting and presenting data. Proportion. |
Multiplying and dividing fractions. Fractions of an amount. Fractions, decimals and percentages. Probability. |
| Music |
Keyboards, notation, textures, using music software. Listening and appraising. |
Keyboard performance. Sea Shanties. Listening and appraising. |
Fanfares; melody and harmony in a fanfare. Listening and appraising. |
Fanfare composition. Improvisation and Jazz. Listening and appraising. |
Recording and editing sounds, adding effects. Listening and appraising. |
Listening and appraising assessment. |
| PE |
Group 1 – Multi-skills / Rugby Group 2 – Gymnastics / Netball |
Group 1 – X-country / Trampoline / Football Group 2 – X-country / Dance / Hockey |
Group 1 – Gymnastics / Netball Group 2 – Multi-skills / Football |
Group 1 – Orienteering / Dance / Hockey Group 2 – Orienteering / Trampoline / Rugby |
Group 1 – Athletics / Cricket Group 2 – Athletics / Rounders |
Group 1 – Athletics / Rounders Group 2 – Athletics / Cricket |
| Personal Development | Personal Identity. | Relationships. | Changes – puberty. | Health and wellbeing. | Living in the wider world - money, careers, community. | Study of Religion - Abrahamic Faiths. |
| Science |
Introduction to the laboratory. Energy. |
Forces. Energy. |
Forces. Adaptations. |
Particles and solutions. Cells. |
Simple chemical reactions. Reproduction & variation. |
Simple chemical reactions. Reproduction & variation. |
| Spanish |
The Spanish-speaking world. Talking about my age. Saying when my birthday is. Describing hair and eyes. |
Saying where I live and where I’m from. | Talking about family members, and giving their name and age. | Talking about family, how well I get on with them and why. | Preparation for the End of Year assessment, and then moving onto introducing how to say what you like and don’t like. | Talking about what pets you have, you don’t have and what pets you would like to have. |
Catchment Transport Providers 2024-2025
| Contractor | Route | Villages | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reays Coaches | T0601 | Sunderland, Linskelfield, Blindcrake, Redmain, Parkhead, Bridekirk, Tallentire, Dovenby |
Mr Steve Crossley 016973 49999 |
| Ellenvale Coach Company | T0605 | Brandlingill, Mockerkin, Mosser, Pardshaw |
Mr Steven Berwick Admin – Vicky 016973 22244 |
| T0614 | Great Broughton | ||
| T0608 | Lorton, High Lorton, Embleton | ||
| M & I Travel | T0600 | Bridgefoot, Broughton Cross, Eaglesfield, Greysouthen |
Mr Martin Burgess 01900 872999 |
| T0604 | Branthwaite, Dean, Deanscales, Ullock | ||
| T0610 | Little Broughton | ||
| M0613 | Brigham, High Brigham |
Out of Catchment Transport Providers
Many students who join us from out of catchment travel to Cockermouth School by bus. Some choose to use public transport (provided by Stagecoach), whilst others choose to take places on private buses that travel from different parts of West Cumbria. For further information about these routes, individuals are encouraged to contact providers directly, using the contact details below.
| Contractor | Pick-up Points | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|
| Stagecoach | X4, X5 | www.stagecoachbus.com |
| Ellenvale | Ellenvale Depot, Watch Hill, Sheila Fell Close, Aspatria Library, Prospect, Crosby Villa, Crosby, Birkby, Netherhall Corner, One Stop (Netherton), Crown Inn (Ellenborough), Commercial Inn (Dearham), Ship Inn (Dovenby), Main Street (Cockermouth) |
Mr Steven Berwick Admin – Vicky 016973 22244 |
| M&I Travel |
Edgars - Rowrah, Top Arlecdon Hill, Yeathouse Road (Frizington), Rheda Park, Cleator Moor Square, Bowthorn, Mill Hill, Hensingham Spar, Hensingham Square, Old Distressed Sailor, Tower Hill, Sunny Hill, Pelican Garage, Brewery Brow (Parton), Parton Hill, Howgate, Distington Chip Shop, Bridgefoot, Scaw Road (Harrington), Kiln Green Bus Stop (Harrington), Beckstone Bridge (Harrington), Sunnies (Salterbeck), Entrance to Yard (Moor Close Shops), Bollards (Ullswater Avenue), Amathea, St Johns Church, Stainburn School Bus Stop, Curwendale, Bus Stop (Stainburn Road), Briery, Ginn House, High Rigg Junction (Brigham) |
Mr Martin Burgess 01900 872999 |
Basic Equipment
Please ensure that your child brings the correct equipment to school. Here is a list of what they should have with them:
- Essential Equipment - pen, pencil, ruler, red pen, whiteboard, whiteboard pen, scientific calculator – a calculator can be ordered from the Maths department, see below.
- Recommended Equipment - black fine liner, glue stick, highlighter, colouring pencils, round ended scissors, eraser, compass and protractor.
- School bag - with the correct books for that day and PE kit if needed. We would recommend a waterproof rucksack with two shoulder straps. Although students are offered the chance to have use of a locker, in which equipment, books etc. can be stored temporarily, there is still the need to carry items around school and, at times, these could be quite heavy.
- A stock of lined/plain paper and plastic wallets can be kept at home.
All students will be supplied with a whiteboard and a whiteboard pen at the start of Year 7, but they will then be required to replace these items as required.
Try to make sure that your child has access to a desk or table at home on which to work, and suitable storage space for books and equipment that are not needed in school every day. An A4 plastic folder can be useful for carrying homework to and from school.
Maths Calculator
The Maths Department also offers an ordering service for a suitable maths calculator. All staff in the Department use the CASIO FX83GTCW. Because we order in bulk, the cost is lower than is available in shops. Letters will be sent out early in the autumn term to all Year 7 students, which will allow them to place an order through the school. For further information, please contact Miss K Irving – Director of Maths, irvingk@cockermouthschool.org.
Homework
Homework is an important part of school routine; it enables better use to be made of teacher time in the classroom and encourages independent learning skills in students – skills that will become increasingly important as they go through their lives in the modern world. Parental support and cooperation is very important in establishing and sustaining good homework habits.
Homework is set via Firefly, our virtual learning environment (VLE), to which all students and their parents have access; for further information, see section 6, page 10. Homework should not take longer than an hour in total per night in Year 7 and may involve a range of tasks including revision for forthcoming tests, written assignments, reading, completion of classwork, consolidation of classwork and individual research. It is important that a child has a quiet place to study, and experience suggests that a regular routine on arriving home from school helps in promoting good homework habits.
In the first couple of weeks of September, whilst we establish the routines around Firefly use for students, any homework set will be minimal and students will be supported in their completion of these tasks (as required) to assist a successful transition. Once we are confident that all students and parents have had the opportunity to access Firefly, the expectations around the completion of homework will be as for all other year groups.
Parental assistance with homework tasks can be helpful but remember, a main purpose of homework is to give a student the challenge to complete a task individually; if the homework set is regularly beyond the ability of a student, or is taking more than the recommended time, this should be brought to the school’s attention so that homework can be adjusted accordingly.
Positive Support
Positive support is extremely valuable during the intake process and in the early days of September.
Reassurance:
- Listen to your child’s worries;
- Try to understand their concerns and affirm your support along with the form tutor on a daily basis;
- After a few days’ map reading and being guided, they will soon find their own way around;
- Discuss daily events – this is an exciting and somewhat anxious time for new students;
- Encourage friends, old and new, to visit out of school to reinforce links.
Praise:
- Provide lots of verbal encouragement pre and post-school;
- When your child is discussing school, re-affirm your positivity;
- Rewards can be most welcome at the end of a long day or week.
Contact with School
Parents are welcome to contact the school at any time. Please let us know early if your child has a problem – once we know about an issue, we can take appropriate action. If you need to contact school about any concerns you may have, the following steps should be followed, moving onto the next step if the problem remains unresolved:
- email your child’s form tutor – send an email for the attention of your child’s form tutor to reception@cockermouthschool.org, who will forward the message to the relevant member of staff;
- telephone, leave a message or write a note for your child’s form tutor;
- make an appointment at a mutually convenient time.
Parents' Evenings
Two Parents’ Evenings for Year 7 will be held during the academic year, a transition meeting with your child’s form tutor (provisionally Tuesday 22 October 2024) and a meeting with subject teachers (date will be confirmed in the Autumn Term). The transition meeting will provide you with the opportunity to discuss your child’s transition into Cockermouth School. It will allow you to ask any questions that you may have and will provide some invaluable information on your child’s progress in the first few weeks.
The Parents’ Evening will give you the chance to have an appointment with a teacher for each subject that your child studies. The member of staff will be able to give you an update on the academic progress that your child has made and provide some guidance on the additional steps that they can take to progress further.
Parents can also expect to receive three progress reports during Year 7, one at the transition meeting and one each in the spring and summer terms.