Below is an Information PowerPoint we share with our new parents and also our Welcome Information Pack. These may have the answers to some of your questions. 

One question we are often asked is about how we manage the transition process and create the new Year 3 classes.

Children join us in Year 3 predominantly from Westmeads Infant School and St Alphege Infant School, although we do on occasion have children from other schools join us in Year 3.

Once we know the children who are joining us we start our transition program. Firstly we send parents and carers links to a whole host of information (we try to do our bit for the environment). Included in this will be a Google form which you can complete telling us anything you think would be useful for us to know e.g. friendships, specific needs. We can then use this information to help us create the new classes.

We also talk at length to the infant schools about every child. We find out about their friendship groups, peers they learn well alongside, academic needs, progress and all those things that make your children the individuals they are.

We then spend an enormous amount of time creating the 2 new classes.
We make sure each class has;

• every child has at least 1 named friend from their previous school and also children from their infant class, so they have familiar faces around them
• a good mix of boys and girls
• a spread of abilities to ensure the children can be aspirational but also have children they can work alongside them

Once we have done this we share the classes with the infant schools who check to make sure every child will be happy with their class.

Then the new class teachers meet with your child's infant school teacher. This is where they discuss everything about your child that will help make the transition as seamless as possible. We want to know your child as well as is possible before they join us. 

The children also have a chance to visit WJS. They will visit us on tours and also on a transition day when they get to meet their new teacher and other adults working in the classroom. Normally this is an entire morning including lunch. 

Some children require a little extra support with the transition process and we liaise with their infant school and yourselves to work out ways we can support this.

Our aim is for the children to feel excited and eager to join us in September.

You can contact either myself, Ms Kent (Headteacher), Skent@whitstable-junior.kent.sch.uk

or Ms Collin (AHT/SENCO), kcollin@whitstable-junior.kent.sch.uk at any point.