Year 6: Transition St James

At St James, we know that choosing a secondary school is a big decision for your whole family. Therefore, we are delighted to offer open morning tours for you and your child to come and have a look at St James during our school day. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to experience St James, have a look at our lessons and see first-hand how our students interact with each other. At St James, we ask our students to work hard and be kind, and this is exactly what you will see.

Caitlin Searle, Head of Year 7, will be your main contact for the next few months. She will visit your child’s primary school soon to talk with their teachers about the students who will be attending St James. She’ll also meet your child to talk about the two transition days. These will be on Thursday, 10th July and Friday, 11th July 2025. On these days, your child will meet their tutor and other students and experience a day at St James.

Before that, we will have a meeting for parents on Tuesday, 8th July 2025, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. This is a chance for you to meet your child’s tutor and some of the school’s leaders. We’ll send more details about this meeting soon, but please save the date.
We kindly invite you to visit us at St James.

Key dates:

We have a detailed plan to help your child move smoothly from primary school to secondary school. We make sure each student gets the support they need.

Here’s what we promise to do for your child’s transition:

• We will listen to you and your child to make sure the move to secondary school is as easy as possible. We will keep in touch with your child’s primary school, so everyone stays informed.
• We will keep you updated. We have a dedicated team who you can email if you have any questions.
• Your child can take part in a virtual package, where they’ll hear from their teachers, students, and the Year 7 leader to help them feel ready for school.
• Your child can also write a letter to their new tutor to introduce themselves, share what they like to do, and mention any worries they might have.
• Your child will get to go on a residential adventure trip during the enrichment week, where they can make new friends and work together in teams.
• There will be team-building days at the start of Year 7 to help your child make new friends and feel part of the school.
• Your child will do enriching electives each week to try out different activities.
• Your child can also join our summer school and meet their new tutor group before school starts.

If you have any questions, please use our transition email below:

Transition@stjamesexeter.co.uk

Summer 2025 with The Big Step.

Are you looking to kick off your middle school journey with a bang? Look no further because The Big Step is here to help make that happen! Their team has designed a bespoke summer program that not only promotes fun, but also allows you to meet new friends before starting the new school year. With a variety of activities planned, they guarantee an unforgettable summer experience. To take advantage of this opportunity, to make the most of your break and prepare for the big step ahead, you can sign up here:

https://thebigstep.org/school/st-james