Year 7 Transition

Welcome to Saddleworth School, we are incredibly excited to welcome all of our new students in the coming months and can’t wait for them to begin their journey at secondary school at Saddleworth. Over the coming weeks and months in the build-up to transition, we know there will be a range of emotions and many questions that both parents and students will have. To support all parties, we have put together a range of materials for students and parents to view at your leisure that will hopefully address any concerns or queries you will have in the coming months. 

We would love for you to watch the transition video below, where some of our current Year 7 students answer FAQ’s and relay their own experience of transition. There is also a welcome message from Miss Cook, your Year 7 Home School Leader for this upcoming year.

Please keep revisiting our website as we will be updating it regularly with communications and information that will be pertinent in the build up to our transition day, which this year will be on Thursday 4th July 2024. 

We would ask that all prospective students complete the transition booklet, particularly their Class of 2029 shirt, that will go up on display on the Year 7 corridor in September this year. 

If you have any questions that are currently not answered through the website, please don’t hesitate to contact us on transition@saddleworthschool.org  Thank you for your time and we are looking forward to beginning this journey with you all

Click the link below to fill out your Transition Data Form

Meet the Form Tutors

School Visits

All our primary schools will have in person or virtual visits by a member of the school team. During these visits we share key information and answer any questions students may have about starting at Saddleworth School in September.

For some of our students with EHCPs or SEN needs, bespoke transition plans are organised alongside visits to school prior to the official transition day.

Year 7 Transition Day – Thursday 4^th July (9.30am – 2.30pm)

Year 6 Transition Day is an important part of transition that helps to prepare your child for their start in Year 7 in September 2024.  During Transition Day, your child will meet their form group and tutor, learn more about life at Saddleworth School, and participate in practical, imaginative, and creative lessons.

Year 7 Transition Evening – Thursday 4^th July (6pm – 7.30pm)

Invitation letters will be emailed out to parents/carers. A copy of the letter can be downloaded via this link: Yr7 Transition Day/Evening letter

Parents will arrive via the main reception, ready for their first introduction to the school at 6pm. We ask that families restrict attendance to one parent/carer. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate siblings or wider family members.

During the evening you will get to meet key staff, including the Home School Leader for Year 7, Pastoral Support Assistant, Form Tutors and the SEN team. Representatives for our FOSS (Friends of Saddleworth School) will be present and a uniform store open should you need support with any items of uniform.

Uniform

Uniform can be purchased from a number of stores in Oldham including Debonair Schoolwear and Simply Schoolwear. We will hold two pop up shops to support with uniform for September. Uniform has been donated and laundered and is in good condition – donations are accepted in exchange for uniform from the pop-up shop. There will be two pop up shops at school, one on Transition Evening, Thursday 4^th July and one during the summer holidays on Tuesday 27^th August (between 10am and 2pm).

Please see our uniform page for more details https://www.saddleworth.oldham.sch.uk/school-information/school-uniform/

Food & Catering

We operate a cashless system at Saddleworth School, and students will use their finger to purchase food from our six eating areas at break/lunchtime. Fingerprinting will be conducted during your child’s first day at school and you will need to credit your child’s account through ParentPay once they are on roll with us: https://www.parentpay.com/. Parentpay letters will be given to students to bring home during their first week at school.

Students may also bring a packed lunch which they can eat in any of the designated areas around school, including the sandwich room in their own Year group area.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you do to prepare for transition?

• Look at the school website
• Ensure you have the correct uniform
• Ensure you have the correct equipment (arrive with 5).
• Keep up to dates with the letters and correspondence from school.

What equipment will my child need?

• A bag
• A pencil case containing pens (black, green and purple), pencils, a sharpener, eraser, ruler, compass, protractor, and a scientific calculator
• Whiteboard and pen

A DUE check (daily uniform and equipment) will take place each morning during form time. Stationery can be purchased from the Credit Zone, using credits gained.

How can I see my child’s timetable or how they are doing at school?

The school uses a system called Classcharts to monitor all aspects of your child’s progress. Once your child is placed on the school system in September you will be able to access this internal monitoring system by logging in to either the website (www.classcharts.com) or by downloading the free mobile app (available on both IOS and Android by searching for Class Charts) and using the appropriate unique codes that will be issued in September. This will allow you to have access to the following information for your child or children.

• Behaviour points – both positive and negative
• Detentions – see when detentions are set and when they have been completed.
• Homework – see when homework is due, details of the task, and whether it is submitted on time.
• Timetable – see details of your child’s timetable.
• Attendance and punctuality – see details of your child’s attendance record

Can my child use their mobile phone in school?

Saddleworth School operates a no mobile phone policy. If a phone rings in school, is visible, or is out around school, it will be confiscated and stored securely for five days or until collected by a parent. The same is true for students using air pods in school, both air pods and phone will be confiscated. Students can bring a mobile phone to school providing that it is switched off and kept in the student’s school bag.

Should a students need to contact home for any reason, they can visit their Home School Leader or Student Services.

How will I be supported at school?

Each year group has a dedicated pastoral team. These members of staff include: a member of the Senior Leadership Team, a Head of Year, a Pastoral Support Assistant and an Attendance Officer. If there are issues arising throughout the day, the pastoral staff are on hand to be able to deal with these. Your child will also have a form tutor that they will see every morning and during form time. The form tutor is the key person for your child and you to speak to if they have any issues.

What extra-curricular activities are available?

Saddleworth School is proud to offer a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities and clubs for students. This includes in PE, Music, Drama, Art and Science, amongst many others! We strongly encourage all students to take part in as many activities as possible as this is a great way to make friends and develop students’ skills and abilities outside of the classroom.