Here at Bryn Elian, we understand the anxieties and excitements that go hand in hand with the move to high school.
We always welcome communications and visits from parents, to help put their mind at rest and to share information about how the school operates, in order to give a clear picture of what Year 7 and beyond entails.
Our more formal work begins in the Summer of Year 5, when we run an Induction day for all our feeder primary pupils, giving them the chance to come to school, with their own teachers, and to have tasters of lessons across the curriculum. This helps pupils see what a new location, a new building with its own atmosphere and a whole new set of people would be like! We also offer an out of catchment school Induction day for the children who attend non-feeder schools, whose parents have applied for a place for when their child is in Year 7.
Early every October, we hold an Open Evening – look out for the flyers coming into primary schools and adverts in the press! This usually runs from 6-8pm on a Thursday evening, and includes demonstrations, hands-on activities, quests and puzzles to get parents and pupils around the whole of our school, to meet our pupils and staff and to discover together what our school has to offer.
During Year 6, we aim to work closely with our feeder schools from the outset.
Timetabling allowing, we aim to provide subject specific support to all of our feeder primary schools. In recent years this has included: English, Science, Design Technology, French, P.E., Drama, Music, Geography, History and Cymru a Fi. Ysgol Bryn Elian staff and our primary colleagues work together to learn from each other and provide a smoother transition for our learners.
We also invite Year 6 to school, in June, for a 4 day week in which they get to work in their form group, meet their form tutors, understand the routines of the day, and sample the really important things like school lunch and break time! We work closely with all our primary colleagues, to make sure that we transfer the necessary information about pupils, in order that we can support their needs, be they learning, social or medical, from the outset.
In addition to our transition activities, we continue to work with our primary colleagues during Year 7, focusing on inclusion and the individual needs of learners. Recently, this has included the secondment of a primary school teacher to support teaching and learning after Covid and a teacher swap, one day a week, to strengthen understanding of the different sectors, developing pedagogical skills and sharing knowledge and good practice.
In June we also hold a Year 6 Parents Induction Evening where we discuss the formalities of school life- attendance, expectations, curriculum, uniform- and also clarify what our school motto – 'Achievement for All' means in practice for every child in our care. On this evening we give out a very useful Year 6 Parents’ Information Booklet which is very informative and useful.
Mrs. Lindsey Hastings - Headteacher Hastingsl3@ysgolbrynelian.cymru
Mrs. Bronwen McKibben – Learning Manager Year 7 McKibbenB1@ysgolbrynelian.cymru
Mr. Conner Earp-Hughes - Learning Mentor Year 7 earp-hughesc5@ysgolbrynelian.cymru
Dr. Anna McCormack-Colbert - Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator mcco-colba1@ysgolbrynelian.cymru
