Year 7

I am excited to welcome our new Year 7 students into their first year of secondary education here at The Warren School. They will embark on a challenging but exciting journey, and I have extremely high expectations for the year group. My vision is for our students to experience a safe, supportive and successful start to secondary education, and with the collaborative efforts of parents/carers, students and teachers, I have no doubt that we will be able to achieve this.

The achievement and progress of Year 7 will be continually monitored and evaluated by myself, Mr Halstead, the Achievement Team Leader (ATL), while behavioural and pastoral concerns will be managed by Ms Hutchings, the Year Care Team (YCT). Our dedicated team of Form Tutors will also play an integral part in our students' academic and pastoral well-being. Form Tutors are the first port of call for any issues, as students see them at the very start and very end of each school day, offering opportunities to celebrate our students' daily successes and pick up on any challenges they may be facing.

This year is the start of our Year 7 students following their own individual learning pathways. With this in mind, it is crucial that students are focused and organised from the start. Therefore, while all students will be supported at every stage of their primary-secondary transition, we will be placing a greater emphasis on students taking responsibility for their own learning and supporting them every step of the way to becoming independent learners now that they are in secondary education.

Our rewards system ensures that all students displaying outstanding work and effort are recognised, receiving certificates in assemblies, positive phone calls and letters home, and earning places on extra-curricular trips. Students at The Warren School pride themselves on being ‘in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing’, and any students failing to meet these expectations will be sanctioned appropriately; we ask for full parental support when dealing with such behaviour. There are no excuses for any students disturbing the learning of others and there will be no tolerance for this.

Organisation is key and students are expected to be prepared with all their equipment every day and to make full and efficient use of their student planners. The planners will allow students to record and track homework, as well as monitor their own attendance and punctuality. The planner is also a tool for communication between the school and home. Parents/Carers and Form Tutors are required to sign the planner weekly, monitor the homework that is being recorded, and check that the planner is being used to its full potential. At The Warren School, we feel that home input is essential for a student’s success, and a positive relationship between home and school is vital for our students to succeed.

Excellent attendance is crucial for students to fulfil their potential. Students are expected to be in school every day; missing one day results in students missing at least five hours of learning time, which can have a knock-on effect for future learning. Students that have 100% attendance are rewarded regularly throughout their year.

The school will facilitate extended opportunities to assist students in their effort to be their best. Our inclusion programmes for English as an Additional Language (EAL) students, and students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), serve to develop their resilience and enable them to reach their targets.

After school and during lunchtimes, we offer many extra-curricular opportunities for the students, such as sports clubs, music lessons and arts clubs.

Year 7 will be an academic adventure for our students as they commence their first year here at The Warren. The year ahead will stretch and challenge them, and expectations of them will be higher than they have ever known. I look forward to helping students to meet these challenges head on, and with help and support from our dedicated team, I have every confidence that our students will not only succeed, but thrive.

Thank you in advance for your continued support.

Mr L Halstead

Achievement Team Leader for Year 7