Cluster Transition Plan

Our main purpose is to foster the common bond of the Catholic Faith, which exists between the schools and to serve the Catholic and the wider Christian Community by helping children to develop their relationship with Jesus Christ. Our Cluster Transition Plan for first cohort Year 6 2022/2023 has been co-constructed and approved by our Governing Bodies and published on 1st September 2022. As a family of schools, we are committed to developing a seamless learning pathway for our pupils which:

• maintains and builds upon the momentum previously established
• ensures appropriately high expectations of what every pupil can achieve
• secures continuity and progression in the planning and delivery of the curriculum
• promotes the development of the key skills of literacy, numeracy and digital competency
• continually improves the quality of teaching and learning through partnership and the sharing of pedagogical practice
• builds pastoral links which are in place to meet every pupil’s personal and social needs.

We want our pupils to feel that they are:

• socially prepared for the transfer to their new school
• happy and secure in their new school
• transitioning across the continuum in a natural, smooth and almost seamless manner
• moving on and progressing in their education
• recognised for their academic, personal, cultural and sporting achievements or aptitudes.

Our agreed aims are to:

• promote the continuity of education across the continuum
• develop and support cross phase work
• facilitate greater staff awareness of other phases, especially its practice and methodology as well as the pupil experience
• prepare Year 5 and 6 pupils for the transfer experience
• identify and target specific support at those pupils considered to be vulnerable
• ensure proper availability and use of pupil transfer data
• inform parents/carers/families of the transfer process
• design a common strategy to convey the importance of Catholic education to all sectors of our community.

The implementation of the above aims fundamentally rely upon the development of a common educational philosophy in which no one partner is any more or less important than another. When developing and evaluating our work, schools will focus on a variety of transitional competencies in order to meet the needs of learners and provide engaging and rewarding opportunities. This will ensure the programme has the necessary skill sets, qualities and ingredients for successful transition in:

• Expressive Arts
• Humanities
• Health and Wellbeing
• Language, Literacy and Communication
• Mathematics and Numeracy
• Science and Technology

In turn, our work will help all cluster schools achieve our collective aims of nurturing young people who demonstrate the following qualities:

• Happy pupils, who show confidence in their approach to education, are excellent attendees, demonstrate outstanding behaviour, have a healthy approach to their lives and through strong friendships/ fellowship are positive role models and contributors to our immediate and wider community.
• Safe and secure, thanks to excellent care, support and guidance, they are able to support themselves and one another in school, at home and within the wider community.
• Motivated individuals, pupils who want to be the best they can be, are prepared to work hard/ play hard, have future aspirations and demonstrate eagerness, drive, commitment, dedication and are ‘contributors not takers’.
• Passionate pupils, demonstrating commitment to their faith and culture, individuals who have many opportunities to take part in hobbies, sport, music, art and show a love of learning.
• Independent individuals who are researchers, teachers, thinkers and workers, pupils who regularly demonstrate initiative, exhibit leadership skills and ‘know how to’ or ‘know where to’.
• Number and word literate, pupils who are confident in the use of, strong in the understanding of and can apply across the curriculum.
• Team players who have a community spirit which embraces the gospel values, and are valuable members of society who demonstrate high quality employability skills (LORIC).
• Proud pupils who are loyal and active members of their church, school, community and nation, individuals who celebrate living in a diverse, multicultural society and possess resilience and ambition.