We want to make the transition to secondary school a positive experience for all students. We know that moving from primary to secondary school can be daunting as the buildings are always much bigger and there is a wider variety of subjects to experience but we are always here to help. Our open mornings and open evening are a great way to experience the Academy as well as our transition days in the summer term before joining us.
Reading
We require our students to read for 20 minutes, at least, each day, when they start year 7, therefore we recommend that they continue reading a wide variety of books over the summer break. You will find a list of recommended books within his Transition Booklet, with links to where you can read these books for free online. At the bottom of the page is a link to a list of recommended books on our website for you to look through.
When your son/ward joins us, he will be enrolled into the Accelerated Reader programme which assesses him on his reading age, as well as recommends books that he should read to improve his reading ability. After reading each book, he will complete a quiz on the book, and we will retest his reading age.
Spelling
The ability to have a good spelling ability transcends the curriculum, which is why we have compiled a list of 100 key spellings that we would like all of our students to be confident in when they join us. The students will be tested on these key spellings throughout year 7, so we recommend that they practice these over the summer holidays. To view these spellings, please click on the link at the bottom of the page.
To further support your son/ward in his spellings, we have also set up a Spell Zone account for him. His account can be accessed via the following link at the bottom of the page.
You will have his username and password sent to you very soon.
Numeracy
Having basic numeracy skills is fundamental to the Maths curriculum, which is why we encourage our students to practise their timetables on a regular basis. We also sign all of our students up to Maths Whizz, which is an online programme where the boys can play games and improve on their Maths skills. Personalised usernames and passwords for Maths Whizz will be sent to you. Please access Maths Whizz via the link at the bottom of the page.
At the bottom of the page you will find a folder full of Maths transition work to keep you busy before Year 7 begins. We recommend that you complete, at least, 30 minutes of work a day to keep your brain active in during this period.
SEN
We have an inclusive SEN department at Greenacre and provide many interventions to ensure our students with SEN make progress academically and socially. Our SENCO and Deputy SENCO have already been involved in many of the Transition calls which have taken place between primary and secondary school. For more information regarding opportunities for students with SEN at Greenacre, please click on the SEN link at the bottom of the page. Here, you will also find email addresses so you are able to contact the SENCO and the Deputy SENCO if you would like to discuss any concerns before your son/ward starts Greenacre.
Clubs and Sports
If you would like any further information about the after-school clubs that we have on offer at Greenacre, please click on the link at the bottom of the page.
We are also impressed with how our current students have been keeping active whilst in Lockdown, so it would be great to see our new Year 7 students doing the same by participating in the Joe Wicks workouts or completing their own workouts in the garden.