Year 7 Transition - FAQs

Moving from Primary to Secondary School

Moving from primary to secondary school can be both an exciting and daunting time and we are here to make the transition as smooth and enjoyable as possible. We very much look forward to welcoming you into The Holy Cross School community in September.

Please find below some Frequently Asked Questions about starting Year 7:

Each morning you will meet in your tutor groups with your Form Tutor for registration. You need to be in school by 8:35am. You will have an assembly twice a week. One of these will be with all of Key Stage 3 together and the other one led by Miss Simpson ( your Director of Year 7). On the other days, you will say a morning prayer followed by an activity such as a news discussion, colouring, relaxation or a quiz in your tutor group.

The timings of the school day are as follows:
8:35 – Morning registration
9:00 – Lesson
10:00 – Lesson 2
11:00 – Break
11:25 – Lesson 3
12:25 – Lesson 4
13:25 – Lunch
14:15 – Lesson 5
15:12 – End of the day for Year 7 

We have a House system for tutor groups and different teaching groups for lessons. Your House will be your tutor group and you will spend time each morning in your tutor groups for morning registration, prayers and a different activity. Then you will have your lessons in your teaching groups throughout the day.
The School Houses are: Charity (Purple), Faith (Blue), Hope (Yellow), Mercy (Red) and Peace (Green).
The teaching groups are: A, B, J, M and T – they are each an initial of a different female Saint: A = Anne; B = Bernadette; J = Joan; M = Margaret; T = Teresa.

Each year we get lots of girls who come to Holy Cross without knowing anyone or only a few people. We understand this can be worrying for some of you but you will be in new groups with lots of students in the same situation as you. There is lots of time to make friends and settle in with different activities and games we can play when you start together. It is also a great time for a fresh start and to be mature in how you introduce yourself and find common interests and hobbies with other students. You will make lots of new friends before you know it!

We have a fantastic reward system at Holy Cross. House points are given when students demonstrate:

  1. That they are personally responsible for their own learning

  2. That they are committed to achieveing the best with confidence

  3. Social responsibility skills valued in the workplace

  4. That they are an exceptional leader 

  5. A sense of community

  6. Deep knowledge and understanding

Rewards and House Points are entered onto a system called Compass and are visible to both you and your parents/carers.  

Detentions and sanctions can be given for various reasons such as disruptive behaviour, incomplete homework, missing equipment and inappropriate language. However, they are used to encourage you to learn from your mistakes and move on. Like the rewards, detentions and sanctions are also recorded on Compass.

The canteen is open before school for breakfast and also at break and lunch time. It has a wide range of different food available, including freshly prepared hot meals, sandwiches, salads, jacket potatoes, soup and more! If you would prefer to bring a packed lunch then that is fine too. You can buy food in the canteen and eat it there, or you can take it out to one of our lovely outside spaces such as the Peace Garden, on the field or the courts to sit and chat with friends.

You will be issued with a locker where you can store some of your things.  You should always carry your bag with you and the majority of the books you need for that day.  You should only visit your locker before school, during break time, lunchtime and after school.

We have a wide range of clubs available for you to join and most of them are free to attend. There are a large number of different sports clubs including Football, Netball, Trampolining, Athletics and Badminton. We also have Dance, Drama, Chess, Choir, Orchestra, Chaplaincy, Science and Mindfulness clubs. These run either at lunch time or after school. You will receive more information about the clubs we offer when you start.

Although The Holy Cross School is a small school compared to other secondary schools, it will feel a bit bigger than most primary schools. We are a very friendly community and all our staff and students are very happy to help new students find their way around. Always ask another student or a member of staff to help you find where you need to go.