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Transition Arrangements

New Starters

At Temple Sowerby CE Primary School, we cater for children aged three to eleven years of age. Children aged three and above can join our pre-school. Children are admitted to our Reception class at the beginning of the school year in which their fifth birthday occurs.

To ensure your child’s transition to primary school is a happy and smooth experience for your family, we provide a popular ‘Temple Sowerby Tots’ playgroup for younger children in our local community. This allows parents and children to become familiar with our school environment and staff. We also arrange 1 to 1 meetings with parents to discuss your child’s needs and to find out what to expect when they join us. Discussions and visits to the child’s current nursery setting may also be arranged.

Many children join our pre-school from the term after their 3rd birthday. However, for those children who join directly into Reception, we provide a series of weekly induction days throughout the summer term to help them become familiar with their new environment, get to know their new teacher and play alongside their new classmates.

Year 6 Transition

Children from Temple Sowerby CE Primary School typically go on to attend Ullswater Community College, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School or Appleby Grammar School.

To give them the best possible start at their new school, we work closely with our local secondaries to ensure the transition of Year 6 pupils is as smooth as possible. Our transition arrangements also include:

  • Taking part in a range of events and tournaments over the year with other primary schools in our Eden Rural Alliance cluster to help children form friendships with other Year 6 children.
  • An annual Year 6 trip to Patterdale Hall for a day of team building and adventurous activities, where all Year 6 children in our area meet up in groups according to their secondary destination
  • Transition days, where children visit their prospective secondary schools and meet their new teachers.
  • Visits in the summer term from secondary headteachers and heads of Year 7 to discuss each child’s needs
  • Meetings with secondary Senco staff to discuss the needs of specific children and to arrange long-term transition arrangements
  • Visits from the NISCU team to reassure Year 6 pupils about the ‘Moving Up’ process, to help them explore how they are feeling about their move to secondary school, and to help them celebrate their time at primary school.
  • Running a Year 6 transition booster club, to ensure children have the opportunity to discuss their concerns and to address any gaps in their learning prior to Year 7
  • Advice leaflet on Transition from Public Health’s 5-19 Services (Year 6)