Year 7 Induction
We believe that an effective induction programme is essential to enable the move from primary school to Hylands School to run smoothly and happily for all pupils. By the time your children join the school they will have visited Hylands on several occasions, met the other members of their tutor group and their tutor and have a clear idea of the lay out of the school. They will also have met the Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator both in their primary school and at Hylands and will have been able to gain a great deal of information about life as a pupil at Hylands and the differences between primary and secondary school. Our expectations will also have been made clear.
On the first day of term in September, Year 7 pupils arrive at the school before the other pupils and spend two hours with their tutors. During this time they are issued with their Student Planners, their school and homework timetables, their locker keys and a plan of the school. They also start to get to know the other members of the tutor. Lunch is served early for Year 7 pupils so that the canteen can be explained to them.
Sixth Form students act as guides and mentors during the first weeks, meeting classes after each lesson or break and taking them to their next lesson and assisting the tutor with tutor group welfare.
In addition to the measures taken to support Year 7 on their arrival at the school, the Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator and the Special Needs Co-ordinator liaise closely with primary teachers to enable Hylands to build on the academic and social progress made by the pupils in their primary schools.
The Pastoral System
The School is divided into three parts of school, Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9), Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) and Post 16 (Years 12 and 13). The aim of the Pastoral System is to safeguard the happiness of each of its members and promote their academic, social and personal development.
Key Stage 3 is led by Mrs A Wiles who will work with Mr Skriabin
and Mrs. D. Rolph.
On entering the school your child will be placed in a mixed ability Tutor Group under the care and guidance of a Group Tutor. The Tutor Groups will be made up of pupils from a range of primary schools. Your child will remain in the same Tutor Group during his/her time at the school. The Group Tutor is concerned with monitoring welfare, attendance and overall progress and will usually remain with the group for five years, where possible.
A Tutor Group is referred to by a year number and the tutor’s initials e.g. 7JB is a Year 7 group - the tutor Mrs J Brook.
All pupils attend two assemblies per week and follow a pastoral programme during tutor periods. For any matter, academic or pastoral, the Head of Year is the first point of contact. If the Head of Year is unavailable, the Key Stage Co-ordinator may be able to take your call. If this is not possible, a return call will be made at the earliest opportunity. Please telephone the school to arrange appointments as all the Pastoral staff are teachers and may be unable to see parents without notice due to teaching commitments or other appointments. Any concerns about your son/daughter’s progress or general welfare should be communicated at an early stage so that a prompt solution can be sought. Informing the school of family developments such as a bereavement, family illness or death of a pet enables the staff to monitor the situation.
Year 7 Curriculum
The work for Year 7 is planned to continue and extend the skills developed in the Primary School and is in line with National Curriculum requirements. This facilitates a successful transition for pupils into the work and atmosphere of a Secondary School.
The subjects taught in Years 7 - 9 are as follows:
|Art and Craft
Personal & Social Education
(* Year 9 for the more able linguists)
Initially all Departments teach mixed ability classes. However, in the first year the Mathematics and Modern Foreign Languages Departments place pupils in sets based on their ability. In Year 8, pupils are set in Science. The English Department sets from Year 10. At present all other subjects are taught in mixed ability groups. In P.E., in Years 7 and 8, some activities are taught in mixed gender groups.
In some subjects, such as Design and Technology, due to the nature of their work, pupils are taught in groups smaller than a Tutor Group.