At St Cuthbert’s, we are committed to ensuring that new student transition is as smooth, effortless and as positive a process as possible. This is vital for all students, but especially those moving from primary to secondary school. We understand that this can be a daunting time, but we have a dedicated team of pastoral staff to help support and assist both students and their families. If there is anything that you are unsure of, or if you want anything clarifying, please feel free to submit questions in the space below.

St Cuthbert’s Year 6 Transition FAQs

1. What will I need to do on my first day at St Cuthbert’s?

Please be assured that we are very much looking forward to welcoming you on your first day. Please enter our school site through the main front gates where a team of supportive staff will be positioned to direct and guide you to where you need to start your day. In addition to this, our experienced student helpers may also be utilised to assist you throughout the first weeks and help you settle into life at St Cuthbert’s RC High School.

2. What does the school day look like?

The school day begins at 8.25am and you will be expected to be sat in your first lesson at this time. Each of your lessons will last for 50 minutes, unless it is a double lesson lasting 100 minutes in total. Lesson 1 (8.25am-9.15am) and lesson 2 (9.15am-10.05am) will take place before form time each day. You will spend 20 minutes each morning (10.05am-10.25am) with your form tutor before heading for a 20 minute break between 10.25am-10.45am. Lesson 3 (10.45am-11.35am) and lesson 4 (11.35am-12.25pm) will take place before a 45 minute lunchtime (12.25pm-1.10pm). After lunch you will have your final two lessons which are lesson 5a (1.10pm-2pm) and lesson 5b (2pm-2.50pm). At the end of the school day you will make your way to the front of school before embarking on your journey home.

3. How do I know what my uniform should look like?

We are very proud of our uniform at St Cuthbert’s as it acts as a projection of our school onto the wider community. We want every student wearing it to also feel this pride and represent us in the correct manner in all situations. We set very high uniform standards and the full uniform can be found on the parent tab of our school website, as well as being in the Parent guide sent through the post. This also details the information on PE Kit.

4. How will I know where to go for my lessons?

On your first day at St Cuthbert’s, all students will be given their individual timetables and have opportunities to clarify anything they do not understand. In addition to this, our transition team have put in measures to help you familiarise yourselves with the location of your lessons and navigating the school building.

5. Who do I go to if I am unsure of something, or need a little extra help?

In the very first instance, your form tutor will provide you with all the necessary information you will need. You will also see them every day to ask questions if unsure on anything related to your time at St Cuthbert’s. As well as your form tutor, we have an extensive and experienced team of dedicated pastoral staff including Heads of Year, Pastoral Managers and other pastoral support staff who will be willing to assist and support where required. Student Services is always a good place to ask if unsure of anything.

6. I’m worried about travelling to and from school, what do I do if I miss the bus or I am late to school?

The key to this is planning ahead. Before your first day, know how you are going to get to school and estimate how long your journey will take. Unfortunately, especially if relying on public transport, there may be instances when you are late for school or miss a bus. Firstly, be assured that you will not be in trouble for this. If you miss a bus, contact home if needs be and they can they contact school regarding this matter. You can then make alternative arrangements for getting to school. If you are late for school for other reasons, please explain these to our attendance officer upon entry. She will then communicate this to your Head of Year who may well speak to you regarding this. We take punctuality very seriously and students who are regularly late will be sanctioned according to the school’s behaviour policy. Upon finishing school at 2.45pm, it is also vitally important to know how you are going to return home. If this involves taking a school bus, make sure you know the bus number you need as well as where you need to get off the bus. New Year 7 students will spend their first fortnight familiarising themselves with this routine with the help of staff and students.

7. Where can I go at break-time and lunchtime?

We are a big school and due to this we have many areas where students can congregate at break-time and lunchtime. For break-time, students have the option of going outside onto the tennis courts or going into the cuisine to buy something to eat/drink. However, as part of our year 7 transition programme, year 7 students will initially spend their unstructured time at breaks and lunches either in the cuisine or on the year 7 yard located next to the 3G pitch. Within the cuisine, our school operates a cashless catering system where parents/carers can credit their child’s account online. Snacks/drinks are available at break-time and an assortment of options are available for students at lunchtime including hot & cold food, the sandwich station and the pasta station.

8. What happens if I get lost in school?

If you do get lost, firstly do not panic. Experienced staff who have worked at the school for a long time still sometimes forget where classrooms and departments are located. On corridors and outside classrooms there will always be members of staff supervising students. Please just ask a member of staff for directions. Alternatively, speak with the other students and ask how to get to where you need to be. During your first fortnight of transition, there will be a number of familiarisation opportunities to help navigate the school, supported by some of our KS4 students.

9. Will I be in any classes with my friends?

Unfortunately, there can be no guarantees that you will be in your departmental lessons with your friends. This may be for a number of reasons, however, part of being in high school is having the opportunity to make new friends. After experiencing your first couple of weeks of lessons, we are certain you will have made many new friends across the school. To supplement this further, it is encouraged to try and involve yourself in extra-curricular opportunities where possible.

10. Will I be in a form class with some of my friends from primary school?

Again, unfortunately there can be no guarantees regarding this. We will have a number of different form classes, each with a mix of students from different primary schools. This provides each student with a real opportunity to extend their friendship circles and potentially make some life-long friends.

11. What clubs and activities do St Cuthbert’s offer?

An important aspect of life at St Cuthbert’s is giving students the chance to take part in a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. These can range from core subject groups such as Science club and Geography club, to multiple chances to get involved in specialism subjects groups in Performing Arts, Technology, Computing and PE. Running alongside this will be the opportunity for students to contribute towards the Catholic ethos of the school through our Student Chaplain programme.