Open Evening and Transition Information
Open Evening
Every autumn we are delighted that prospective students and their parents/carers join us for our open evening. This is in readiness for the application deadline with Leeds City Council at the end of October.
At our open evening, you will be able to hear from our Headteacher; see science and food technology demonstrations; experience art, IT and music workshops; sample food from the diner; tour the school and meet with students and staff.
We hope you can join us to see how wonderful our school is.
Year 6 into Year 7 Transition
We know how daunting the move to secondary school can be for both students and parents/carers, so we do lots of work with our Year 6 students to try to make this as smooth and easy as possible.
We have strong links with our primary schools and throughout the year we work closely together to share good practice and link learning from primary to secondary school. Several activities are developed to help bridge the gap between these key phases in students’ learning.
Please also have a read of our general school FAQs here.
Transition Information and Activities
What I need to Prepare for September
Here are two checklists we have created. This allows you to see what you need to get sorted for September, in readiness for starting at our school.
Year 6 New Intake Evening for Parents
Thank you to all the parents/carers who joined us on Thursday 27th June. Here is some key information from the evening:
Year 6 New Intake Evening for Parents
SEND Information for Parents
Thank you to those parents/carers who were able to join us on Wednesday 15th May for the SEND evening, we hope you found it useful. Here’s some more information for parents/carers:
Year 6 SEND information for Parents
Year 6 Looking Ahead Evening
Thank you to all the parents/carers who joined us on Wednesday 13th March, we hope you found it useful. Here’s our presentation from the evening and some other key information for our students joining in September 2024:
Year 6 Parent Letters
Year 6 into Year 7 FAQs
How will Horsforth School differ from my primary school?
Our school will be bigger than your primary school with lots more students, but don’t worry, there is a map in the student planner, signage around school and classroom zones to help with this. There will be more teachers, classrooms and new lessons (drama, languages and technology) and clubs to experience. Students will need to be more independent and organised to remember stationery and PE kits, but we will always be here to help and support you as you settle in.
What will my transition timeline from Year 6 to Year 7 look like?
At the end of Year 6, students begin a transition programme of events which help with their move. Information on all of our events is distributed via primary schools once school offers have been made at the beginning of March.
March
We hold a ‘Looking Ahead’ session for parents/carers, where we will give you information about key events that will happen in the run up to September.
May
Students will attend a ‘Getting To Know Us Day’ where, along with their Year 6 teacher, they will be introduced to some key members of the Year 7 team, see the school, have lunch, begin to learn more about our school and have the opportunity to ask questions.
June
Our ‘Parents/carers’ Information Evening’ will go into more detail about day to day routines and procedures. Our uniform suppliers are on hand and our catering team will create sample food for you to try.
July
Students will attend their first full day in school, sampling lessons and meeting their Form Group and Tutor. Students will be given a summer project to complete and the best projects will win a prize!
Summer Holidays
Organised by Horsforth Children’s Services students can come along to the Summer School to become more familiar with their peers and new surroundings. Your primary school will let you know how to sign up.
September
On the first day in September, Year 7 students are first in the building to allow them to settle in. The other year groups don’t arrive until break time.
We do a lot of work as a Pastoral Team to help with the settling in process. Form Tutors will work on developing independence and reassuring students about any worries they may have.
In the first term all Year 7 students will go on an activity trip to do lots of fun activities like archery, an assault course, climbing tower and giant swing to help make new friends and parents/carers will be invited to a ‘Settling In Evening’.
Who are my key contacts in Year 7?
You can see who’s who on the Year 7 team including who to contact and when here.
How can I help my child be organised for school?
You can help your child by encouraging them to establish good routines, to be punctual and have a good attendance. Encouraging their effort and positive attitude to learning and reinforcing our expectations will all help.
Try to get them to check their planners daily for homework and to complete it the night it is set, where possible. We offer a homework club for students which can help them with this. They can go into the library between 8:00am and 4:00pm Monday to Thursday to complete work or can visit the ELC computer suite at lunch and after school most days.
Please encourage your child to check their planner and pack their bag the night before so that they are organised and prepared for the next day.
What will students in Year 7 learn?
There is a dedicated section on our website just for our Year 7 students, go here and read about what you will learn in your first year at our School.
Why do all students study RE?
Academies and free schools are contractually required through the terms of their funding agreement to make provision for the teaching of RE. Further information concerning RE in academies and free schools is given below.
– Academies and free schools must teach RE within the requirements for a locally agreed syllabus, set out in section 375 (3) of the Education Act 1996 and paragraph (5) of Schedule 19 to the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The requirements are that a syllabus must ‘reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are, in the main, Christian while taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain’;
– The law gives parents/carers the right to withdraw their child from collective acts of worship and/or RE lessons. We respect that right but would ask that you make an appointment with the Curriculum Leader for RE to discuss the matter first and follow this decision with a formal letter to the Headteacher.
Why do all students study Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) including Relationships and Sex Education?
As an 11-18 comprehensive school, we have a responsibility to prepare students adequately for adult life. The curriculum endeavours to ensure that every child is offered a continuing programme of personal, social and citizenship and health education, which includes a relationship and sex education component. This is statutory.