The Chiltern area is served by a large number of extremely good state, independent and grammar schools, some of which select pupils through the 11+ entrance exam or their own entrance exams taken in Year 6.  As you begin to think about where your child may go after attending CSPA, we are very happy to discuss the options with you and help you choose the school in which your child will thrive. We have extensive experience in working in partnership with our families, supporting them, advising them and helping them on this exciting next step in their child’s life. 

Transitioning from primary to secondary school is a landmark step in a child’s journey towards maturity and independence. In addition, moving from a smaller school, where everyone knows each other, to a larger environment in which children are taught by several different teachers and in several different rooms can also bring its challenges. At Chalfont St Peter CofE Academy we believe that it is important to prepare children carefully for these changes, in order that they have the best chance of making a smooth and confident transition, by focusing both on the skills sets required and the opportunities that such a change presents. Our carefully tailored curriculum and pastoral support leads to outstanding results with our children going onto their choice of school. The key is in the excellent foundations from Year 3 onwards and by the time our children reach Year 6, they are already keen, enthusiastic, independent learners. 

We start preparing the children in Year 5; the children are encouraged to become much more self-reliant in their learning, to think about how to organise their learning and manage their time, how to research, how to evaluate their work and to identify the next steps in their learning journey. This helps them to prepare for the greater demands for independent learning and juggling their time that secondary school makes.

In addition, children in years 5 and 6 take on a variety of roles of responsibility in school, helping with a range of tasks around the school, including Open Morning hosts, Peer Mentors, Sports Leaders, House Captains and a whole host of other responsibilities. As well as making a valuable contribution to school life, these roles help the children to develop commitment, organisational skills and a sense of personal responsibility that will stand them in good stead for secondary school. Residential visits in Year 4 and 6 also help them to gain vital self-confidence and resilience when away from home.

Our carefully structured transition arrangements include:

• Supporting parents in making an informed decision about the right secondary school by hosting CATs testing in the Summer term of Year 5 to assess pupils' overall intelligence, developed abilities and likely academic potential

• Encouraging parents and Year 6 to attend KS3 Open day sessions and parents’ evenings in September and October – absence will be authorised

• Administering the Secondary Transfer Tests (11+) to be sat at CSPA in September** and where appropriate, supporting families through the Selection Review process 

• Supporting children through entrance exams for some elective schools, invigilating exams where appropriate

• Inviting parents to an information evening in the summer term of Year 5 to share information about applying for a secondary school place and the secondary transfer test process

• Supporting Year 6 parents to meet the deadline for Secondary applications in October (confirmation of school place announced in March)

• CSPA staff to complete transition paperwork between October-May 

• Year 6 Leader meets with Secondary teams as requested in May/June- discussions about all children’s learning and conduct

• Supporting transition days in June/July which is an opportunity for children to visit their new setting – organised and communicated to parents by the Secondary Schools

• Promoting KS3 transition parent meetings in June/July – an opportunity for parents to familiarise themselves with the school staff, policies and procedures- organised and communicated to parents by the Secondary school

• Running the 627 transition programme for children identified as needing additional transition support

• Providing our Special Needs Coordinator (SENDCo) time to liaise with families who have children with an Education Health Care  Plan (EHCP) or have been identified as requiring extensive SEN support

• Providing additional transition meetings for identified children requiring additional support