Questions and Answers from Edwinstree

Please thank your child for submitting any questions they had about their transition to Edwinstree. After hearing back from Edwinstree, we are now able to provide responses these questions. We hope that these are helpful and support your child in the transition process.

Year 4 Transition Pack

Below is a transition pack to support you with your transition to Middle School. You can work through the pack at your own pace. When you have completed sections of the pack you may want to email them to your class teacher; Mrs Wallis and Mrs Hughes would love to hear your ideas and support you at this time.

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we are all aware, Year 4 children should be enjoying their final term at Millfield. As we remain uncertain regarding the Government’s plans over the coming few weeks for introducing a phased return for other year groups, we have decided to put in place remote transitional activities to support your child whilst still at home. These can be adjusted should we make a return to school in the next few weeks.

Millfield staff have been preparing for the Year 4 transition to middle school right from the beginning of the year. The expectations, with regards to their learning in the classroom, are in line with expectations that middle schools require. Year 4 teachers have regular meetings with other Year 4 teachers from local settings, as well as local middle school teachers to discuss what is being taught, how we can support our children for the next stage in their education and to plan related activity events.

Year 4 children have visited Edwinstree for a Science afternoon and a Design & Technology afternoon this academic year. In addition, Edwinstree teachers have visited Millfield with Year 5 and 6 children for Dance, Drama and Music Workshops. These opportunities have provided children with an insight into middle schools and the curriculum they offer. Due to these visits, the children that will be attending Edwinstree, have had the opportunity to see different parts of the school, as well as meet school staff. In the summer term, we normally build on these opportunities for our Year 4 children and also provide opportunities for children that will be attending Ralph Sadleir e.g. a music concert. As we are in unprecedented times, the Summer term transition activities unfortunately cannot take place as planned, but the Senior Leadership Team and Year 4 teachers have been working hard with our local middle schools to ensure opportunities are modified to support the Year 4 children.  

We have been in touch with the Year 5 teachers at Edwinstree and Ralph Sadleir and have requested photographs and/or videos of their school premises and staff. We are hoping to be able to share these with you over the coming weeks so you can share and discuss these with your child at home.  

We appreciate that your child may have many questions about their middle school. Usually, teachers from the local middle schools would visit the children at Millfield to talk to them about a usual day at school and also answer any questions they may have. We are still able to offer this – please discuss with your child what questions they have and email these to your child’s class teacher via the class email address by Friday 26th June 2020. The Year 4 teachers will collate these questions and liaise with the middle school staff to answer them. We will then provide you with a detailed question and answer document that will support your child.

We are aware that many children will want to know which class they have been allocated to and may be interested in which of their friends they will be in lessons with. In the past, we have been requested by middle schools to ask children, which of their 3 friends they would like to be in a class with for September. We still want to offer this opportunity to the children, therefore, please have this discussion with your child and email your child’s class teacher via the class email address with their 3 friendship choices by Friday 26th June 2020. Along with sharing friendship information with middle school staff, we also share which children work well academically together. We cannot guarantee that they will be with the friends that they have chosen but the middle schools will try to accommodate some preferences.

As a school, we like to encourage the Year 4 children to reflect on their time at Millfield, as well as think about their aims and ambitions for the future. With the uncertainty of a return to school for our Year 4 children, this may not be able to take place in school this year. As a result, later in the Summer term, we will provide related activities to be completed at home via the school website. You will be informed by email when these have been uploaded.

As you will be aware, this week should have been the Year 4 trip to Lincolnsfields. As shared via email, as this sadly could not happen, we wanted to provide an alternative option for our Year 4 children. For each day that the trip was booked for, we have provided an activity, which is similar to an activity that the children would have undertaken at Lincolnsfields. We have shared the activities on the Year 4 Page on the school website.  If you wish to share, please email your child's completed activities to their class teacher via the class email address. We hope that the Year 4 children enjoy completing these activities.

Another important time for the Year 4 children is their Leaver’s Assembly in which they perform a show and are presented with a gift from the school. This unfortunately cannot happen this year but we can make it happen in a different way! We are going to put together a Leaver’s Video and will be asking you to send in a video of your child if they want to be included. We will then collate the video clips and make a performance for you all to watch and enjoy. This could be your child performing a talent such as gymnastics, football skills, singing, or recalling a particular memory from their time at Millfield. More details will be given to you shortly about when and where to send your video, but for now, your child could get practicing!

Historically, Year 4 children are presented with an autograph book at the end of their Leaver’s Assembly. This gift is a Millfield tradition and will still be provided for our Year 4 children this year. However, as an addition to this, due to a very different Year 4 experience, we wanted to provide the children with a further gift. We want this to remain a surprise for the Year 4 children so please help us to keep this our secret! We would like to provide every child in year 4 with a Millfield Leaver’s T-shirt. This will be a present from the school so is at no cost to you. To ensure your child receives a T- shirt that fits them, we would like to know which size to order. We are planning to order age 9 – 11 as this will suit most children. However, if you would like a different size for your child, please let your child’s class teacher know before the 16th June 2020 via the class email address. Other sizes available are age 8 or age 12-14.

Kind regards,

Millfield Senior Leadership Team and Year 4 Teachers