PRIMARY TRANSITION

Our aim: to ensure that students arrive happy, confident and ready to learn in Year Seven.
Our expectations: are high for all our young people for achievement, effort, attendance and conduct.
Our way: we place great importance on the well-being of the individual.
Our primary liaison team meets every new student to prepare them for the challenges ahead. Each student is discussed in detail with their year 6 teacher.

Our Transition process

A letter of welcome is sent out normally before Easter.
In May and June, the primary liaison co-ordinator sets up visits for every student transferring to Chauncy at their primary school.
The information gathered on these visits is used in the compiling of tutor and teaching groups, in conjunction with Mr Ranner (Learning Coordinator for Year Seven) and Mrs Saxon (SENCO).
Each student is given a “Moving Up Challenge” to prepare in advance of New Intake Day.
Our “Moving Up” project in June and July gives extra support to a small group of students who might otherwise find the transition unduly stressful.
New Intake Day and Parents’ Evening take place on the second Thursday of July.
First Day at Chauncy: to ensure a confident start the new students begin school one day ahead of the rest of the school.
If you would like any further information please contact Miss Matthews, the Primary Liaison Coordinator.

People you are likely to meet during the transition process:

Moving Up

This is a time of change for the entire household, especially if this is your oldest child about to move up. You should have already received a Transition pack from our office, full of information about daily life at Chauncy and how to purchase a uniform. You will have the opportunity to meet the Year Seven team and of course your son or daughter’s form teacher on the Year Six Parents’ Evening (usually the second Thursday in July.) We will be selling a range of equipment that night. You will also be able to find out more about Chauncy and ask any questions that you may have. In the meantime, our SENCO Mrs Saxon is attending any review meetings for pupils with Educational Health Care Plans and we have asked every primary school to let us know of any individual who might find the transition particularly daunting and who would gain confidence from our Moving Up Project. We look forward to meeting you all in July and can of course be contacted by e-mail here or through the school office should you need to talk to us before then.

Getting In Touch

In the first instance, we suggest you contact the form tutor by e-mail and they will be able to get back to you when they are not teaching. You can also contact the subject teachers in a similar way. If you need to speak to someone, urgently or otherwise, you are always welcome to book an appointment. Chauncy contacts can be found here.

Learning Support

Chauncy strives to be an inclusive school offering a broad and balanced curriculum for all our students from our local community. During their school career, some students may require additional provision to achieve their potential and the SEN team work alongside our teaching staff to offer some students appropriate support – guided by our transition process, professional advice, observations or diagnostic assessment. Interventions will aim to be evidence-based and time-limited, to build skills and independence. Parents are informed of the provision in place for their child and have opportunities to discuss this with the SENCo or the most appropriate member of the SEN team throughout the year. Information on each child’s specific needs, and appropriate strategies to support their learning, is shared with all teaching staff to ensure a coordinated approach.

Our statement of SEN support is below and further information is available in the school SEN Information Report/SEN Policy, which can be accessed via the website.

SEND Provision at Chauncy – a guide for schools and parents

Chauncy is a mainstream secondary school aiming to serve the communities of Ware and the surrounding villages.

We try our best to welcome and teach all local children who can access the secondary curriculum.

All Hertfordshire mainstream secondary schools have the same funding and are obliged by law to welcome children with special educational needs.

Chauncy is a government-designated centre for Gifted and Talented Education.

• There is no 1-1 provision unless specifically outlined in Section F of an EHCP and funded by Higher Needs Funding. The maximum HNF would fund a third of a student’s lessons
• We have 1533 students and the transition between lessons and 8 buildings is busy
• We group by ability from September 1st of Year 7
• Children move around the school every hour, unaccompanied by adults
• We offer some whole-class support available for lower-ability groups
• There is no nurture provision
• All students are required and expected to follow our behaviour policy
• Students who swear at adults are suspended
• Every student who has ever assaulted an adult has been permanently excluded
• We do not accept SEND as an excuse for violence
• We have a counsellor 2 days a week to support our 1533 students
• All students are expected to attend school every day

Attendance Expectations at Chauncy

High levels of attendance and excellent punctuality are both characteristics of students who meet and indeed exceed their target grades, achieve success and progress to higher education and/or employment. We expect all students to aim for 100% attendance. Attendance falling below 96% has been shown to result in an average reduction of one grade at GCSE Level per student and this increases to two grades when attendance falls below 90%.

Authorised and Unauthorised Absences

Examples of authorised absences:

• Illness
• Emergency medical/dental appointment
• A medical appointment which cannot be arranged after school or during holiday time
• A religious holiday compatible with the faith of the student (must be authorised prior to date)
• A careers or college interview or career-related interview
• Family bereavement
• Court appearance
• Official study leave
• Approved work experience

Examples of unauthorised absences:

• Holidays during term time
• Birthdays or similar celebrations
• Babysitting
• Waiting for the post, plumber, decorator etc. to arrive
• Routine medical and dental appointments
• Unofficial examination study leave
• Missing a lesson in order to complete unfinished work
• Missed the bus
• Overslept

If any student is absent from school for any reason it is the responsibility of the parent/carer to contact the school before 9.30 am on the first day of absence by telephone or via the Edulink Attendance Reporting portal giving the reason for the absence. Contact needs to be made on each day of absence.
Where a student has a medical appointment during the school day the school should be informed of the appointment in advance in writing. Where possible the student should attend school before and after the appointment, and, except for hospital appointments away from the area, the maximum absence that can be authorised is one morning or afternoon session. Parents/carers are encouraged to make medical appointments outside of school hours and during school holidays wherever possible.

A Year Seven Guide to Chauncy

8.15 am Clubs
All year 7 students are expected to attend an 8.15 Club. On the first day of term, students will be allocated a specific club that will best suit their needs in order to support their literacy or numeracy. The club runs from 8.15 am to 8.45 am. Students will be rewarded daily and parents can keep track of this via the reward emails sent out every Friday. Toast will also be provided for every student that attends.

All students should be at their club by 8.15 am each day.

Homework
All students should log into Edulink every day. All homework will be recorded in this online diary. Parents should contact subject teachers, form tutors, or Mr Ranner Year Seven Learning Coordinator by e-mail if they prefer.

Lockers
All students in each year group are entitled to the use of a locker. Year Seven students must bring in a padlock (small to medium size – see those already in place) and they will be allocated a locker in September.

Canteen
Open three times a day:

• Breakfast Club (8:00 am – 8:15 am)
• Morning Break (10:55 am – 11:20 am)
• Lunch (1:25 pm – 2:15 pm)

As in primary schools, students can either bring a packed lunch into school or have school dinners. At Chauncy, we use our fingerprints to pay for our lunch! Students and staff register unique data from their fingerprint which is used to top up lunch money and pay for food and drink. The system is easy to use and is much quicker than using cash. Chauncy parents use Wisepay – an online payment system for topping up student accounts. Further details can be found here. Students are expected to take their trays/plates to the clear-away area by the entrance once finished.

Reception

Like any school, Reception has more roles and uses for staff and students than we could list here. Common reasons for students to go to reception are:

• Phoning home
• Feeling ill
• Signing out (for e.g. doctor’s appointments)
• Lost property
• Trip enquiries
• Valuables

We discourage any student from bringing valuable items into school unless necessary to avoid potential loss and damage. However, we appreciate that most young people carry mobile phones under the direction of their parents. Students should use their locker to protect valuables during activities such as PE or they can by prior arrangement ask Reception staff to keep their valuables until the session has finished. Chauncy School will not be held responsible for the loss or damage of any valuables that are brought into school.

Uniform

Please refer to our School Uniform page for a comprehensive list of items.