At Brookfield, we aim to make sure that transitions run as smoothly as possible. Parents / carers who are interested in sending their children to Brookfield are invited to attend a Parent Tour with the headteacher and also to sample the nursery through Stay and Play sessions. When new children first start at the school, they undertake a short induction session with the headteacher and then visit their new classes. For children starting in Nursery and reception, there are taster days and parents are also invited to attend various meetings and socials to get to know the school and one another a bit better.
Each term, we set aside some time for parents to come into school and meet with the class teacher on open evenings to discuss their children’s progress. This provides an invaluable opportunity to discuss how the children have settled in and what progress they are making. At the end of each year, children are provided with a school report and an opportunity to meet their new class teachers, teaching assistants and visit their new classrooms. For children starting in Reception, there are also opportunities to take a meal in the school hall and to familiarise themselves with other areas of the school.
In Year 6, children moving onto secondary school have opportunities to visit their new schools and to meet the Heads of Year 7 when we organise our annual secondary carousel. Parents are also provided with lots of information ahead of submitting their online applications and are encouraged to meet with the headteacher to discuss any concerns that they might have. The majority of children opt for one of the three main local secondary schools: Acland Burghley; Parliament Hill, and William Ellis. They are all very good schools and we have managed to maintain some very strong links with them through FAB and other curriculum initiatives.