Year 6 to 7 Transition
Welcome to Finham Park School
Students are the heart of our wonderful school. Not only do we want them to make outstanding progress academically, but we also aim to provide the support they need physically, socially and emotionally.
Our aim is to provide an inclusive, personalised environment with support surrounding it that encompasses the needs of all of our students ensuring their time here gives them the skills and confidence for the next steps of their journey, be that not only in going on to secure their first choice destination, but also in playing a positive role within their community.
Are you in Year 6? Then take a Virtual Tour of Finham Park School by clicking the video below…
Transition – making it easier
Before your child starts...
Our amazing transition programme headed by Mr Lawrie (Katanga College Leader) starts long before students actually enrol with us at Finham Park school in September of Year 7. This ensures students and their parent/carers are not only well informed, but also start to get to know some friendly faces before they start with us. After our Open Evening these start with teacher/student ambassador visits to our local feeder primary schools. In July 2024, students in Year 6 will attend an induction day for students with team building and well-being activities, get to know sessions, meeting your mentor and other students that will be in your mentor group and starting to get to know the school site and taster subject lessons. Letters will be sent to all parents prior to Transition Day to inform you which mentor group your child is in and how to set up ParentPay for purchasing food on Transition day. Students should attend their transition day in their own clothes, not their primary school uniform.
Our parents evening is also in July 2024 from 6pm for our prospective Year 7s to ensure Finham Park School starts to become familiar to you before you start with us. We ensure the students mentor contacts the parents to start building the support network before the summer.
From their first day in September onwards...
Our Learning Mentors are the first people students see in the morning. They have the important role of helping students to prepare for the day ahead, asking about their wellbeing, providing them with the information they are going to need in the days, weeks and months ahead and listen when a student needs someone to talk to. They deliver a robust mentor programme each week. A Learning Mentor would be the first person to contact if you want information holistically or simply want to talk about how your child is settling in at school. We plan our mentor groups to include students across year groups, finding this helps new students settle in quickly by getting to know older students who we find take them under their wing. Early in the first half term we host a meet the mentor evening so that parents with their child can get to discuss how they are settling in at Finham Park School whether we can do anything additionally to support their early days with us. Very early in their lives with us they will find we have numerous leadership opportunities across a variety of roles and also opportunities to take part in team building activities to ensure not only that they get to know other students, but develop the skills to communicate effectively within different groups. Opportunity to build self-confidence and esteem by attending whole school extracurricular programme.
The College System
The College Leader role is to oversee the mentors and ensure that the quality of support and guidance at Finham Park School is second to none. As part of their role, they identify students who may need support settling in the early days of transition to secondary school.
Within our vertical colleges we ensure siblings are together to provide that common link home between Mentor and Parent/Carer. Students invariably remain within the same college and mentor group throughout their time at Finham Park School. The college system ensures students new to the school especially get support from older students and helps to breakdown any perceived barriers a younger student may have about mixing at social times with older students. Our experience is that this also helps our students to foster excellent relationships with students of not only the same, but also different ages.
Our fabulous team of Student Wellbeing Officers are there to support you and will stay with you from Year 7 as you move up the school. They are approachable during the day as they do not teach.
From Learning Mentors to College Leaders, School Counsellors to our wonderful PLC staff – we have a wealth of support and expertise on hand to ensure both the transition to, and journey throughout, Finham Park school is as reassuring, supportive and developmental as it is exciting, challenging and rewarding.
Asiatic
College
Nubian
College
Masai
College
Barbary
College
Katanga
College
Key Dates
March/April
- Primary school visits and tours
July
- Parents welcome evening
July
- Year 6-7 Pupil Transition Day
Students who study Mandarin as their choice of language follow the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) and follow a slightly different curriculum route. This is an exciting opportunity but has a significant workload implication with it: once students start the MEP they are tied in for five years. If you are interested in this, please watch a virtual presentation evening on our website, under Departments, MEP. Please listen to the presentation and think carefully before opting for this programme. If you would like more information about the MEP please see...
or, contact Ms Zhu: l.zhu@finhampark.co.uk
Pupil Premium
At Finham Park, we are committed to supporting our Pupil Premium/Free School Meal students on their journey through secondary school and beyond. We can help provide additional mentoring, academic support, breakfast clubs, assistance with school trips, equipment and uniform, as well as free music lessons and lots more. We take pride in working closely with families, so if you are a current Pupil Premium/FSM family and have any questions about how Pupil Premium funding will be used for your child whilst at Finham, then please contact our Pupil Premium Experience Lead, through the school's email address - admin@finhampark.co.uk.
If your child is not currently receiving Free School Meals, but you believe you may qualify, then please apply through Coventry Council at...
Road Safety
Coventry’s Road Safety Officer has asked us to remind you of their particular concerns with road safety in relation to Year 6 children. We would ask you to assist by helping your child to plan a safe route to school and by reminding your child of the usual road safety rules.
School Uniform
For more information about our school uniform please see...
Governing Body
If you are interested in joining the Local Governing Body, which meets approximately six times per year, please write to Mrs Case (address below), Clerk to Governors at the school address, outlining your suitability for the role and detailing your experience.
Ms D Case, Finham Park School, Green Lane, Coventry, CV3 6EA
d.case@finhampark.co.uk