BEACONHURST
TRANSITIONING PROGRAMME
THE ADVENTURE...
...STARTS HERE
A guide for pupils and parents
CONTENTS







The importance of the TR – S2 phase
Curriculum
Homework
Extra-curricular opportunities + Trips
Pastoral Care + PSHE
S4 Mentors
Code of conduct
The importance of the Tr – S2 Phase
Transition marks the start of a very important phase in your child’s education. The TR – S2
phase provides grounding in a broad range of subjects to develop confidence in a wide
range of study skills in preparation for the exam years in the next phase of education from
S3 to S6.
Transition is very much a year of two halves. In the first half, the emphasis is very much on
the pupils getting used to the new routine following the Senior School Timetable and there
is much support at hand for this. In the second half of the year, as the pupils have gained
confidence, we encourage greater independence in managing their routine so that when
they enter S1, they are confident with the style of learning, know who to talk to if there are
problems and are beginning to actively seek out extra-curricular activities and roles of
responsibility.
Having 3 years of broad general education at this level means that when it comes to subject
choice in S2 for exam courses – the pupils have a proper knowledge of what the key
educational disciplines involve and can make an educated choice. This phase of education
leads towards the first formal school exams which the pupils sit in January in the S2 year.
While the pupils will be used to regular spelling tests and times table tests in Junior School,
they will have tests in a wide variety of subject areas in Transition and, learning how to
prepare for these, as they progress through the TR-S2 phase, should stand them in good
stead for the exam years beyond.
Curriculum
The curriculum in the Transition year offers 13 subjects. Progressing from the broad areas of
study in Junior School, pupils will now start to focus on individual disciplines such as History,
Geography and IT in greater depth. There are some similarities in that they continue with
General Science in Transition before this splits to Physics, Chemistry and Biology in S1. As
the pupils have been taught by subject specialists throughout Junior School in PE, Music,
Drama, Art, Science and Modern Languages, they will already be used to moving around the
campus to these classrooms and will be familiar with these subjects.
The main developments in studying these subjects are that the pupils will now be given a
text book and start to work through a formal course which introduces the rudimentary skills
of the subject. The text book is an important source of reference and support to the pupils’
studies. For example, in Modern Languages in the Junior School, the emphasis is on songs
and games through listening and speaking to learn the vocabulary, whereas in Transition
reading and writing in the language will now be introduced as well as the expectation to
learn the spellings of the vocabulary and start to learn the grammar.
In Music, while class work may have been mainly teacher lead with whole class singing, the
pupils will start learning to read music and given the opportunity to learn some chords on
the guitar or to play a simple tune on the keyboard independently. In Drama, pupils begin
explore and build on the foundations of creating and performing drama - areas of study
include mime, characterisation, role-play, devising and the introduction of production areas,
such as lighting and sound. In IT, the pupils develop their use and knowledge of the many
features of a variety of industry standard software (MS Office) and then ultimately in Trans
design and prepare their own website using HTML (Hypertext Markup language); this code
is used by professional web designers. The pupils’ web pages are never uploaded to the
Internet.
The emphasis therefore is very much on gradually moving to the application of the
information being taught and towards a more independent style of learning. However, it is
important to emphasize that this is the only the first step in the process towards
independence and in Transition, there is much support available as the pupils all develop
these skills in different timescales.
Below is an example of a TR timetable:
BEACONHURST
Tr TIMETABLE
Period
Time
SCHOOL
Name:
MONDAY
SESSION 2011-2012
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
1
8.50- 9.30
Maths
Rm 2
TUESDAY
English
Rm 61
German
Rm 20
History
Rm 60
Inf. Skills
Rm 11
FRIDAY
2
9.30-10.10
Maths
Rm 2
English
Rm 61
French
Rm 21
Maths
Rm 2
Geography
Rm 74
3
10.10-10.50
Science
Rm 23
French
Rm 21
Drama
Rm 70
English
Rm 61
RE
Rm 2
Break
4
11.05-11.45
Science
Rm 23
Maths
Rm 2
Drama
Rm 70
English
Rm 61
English
Rm 61
5
11.45-12.25
Music
Rm 71
IT
Rm 62
Geography
Rm 3
Science
Rm 23
PE
Sports Hall
6
12.25-1.05
German
Rm 20
IT
Rm 62
English
Rm 61
Science
Rm 23
PE
Sports Hall
Lunch
9
2.15-2.55
Art
Rm 72
Games
Sports Hall
Maths
Rm 2
French
Rm 75
Technology
Rm 2
10
2.55-3.35
History
Rm 60
Games
Sports Hall
Maths
Rm 2
Music
Rm 71
German
Rm 20
Homework
In Transition, a homework timetable is provided to help the pupils get into a sensible
routine with their studies. The purpose of homework usually is for pupils to put into practice
independently what they have been taught in class and this is used to assess whether pupils
have understood the course work or need some extra help with it. While you will wish to
support your child with difficult homework, try to do this is a way which still encourages
them to apply key problem- solving skills. For example, if you notice that words have been
spelled incorrectly in a piece of writing, encourage your child to use a dictionary to check
these spellings. Or, if your child is unsure how to answer the questions in History –
encourage them to read through the chapter they have been working on in the text book.
Below is an example of a typical TR homework timetable:
Tr Homework Timetable
Mon
Tues
Wed
Maths
Maths
Maths
Hist
German
Drama
Science
English Reading
French
Th
Fr
Maths
English Writing
Geog
Art/General revision
& research
Approximate times
15 mins
30mins
1hour
Learning to manage the homework timetable successfully may require some help from
school and home, particularly if your child is taking part in clubs and activities outside
school, however, these are important lessons in prioritizing and time management. The
homework planner, which your child will be issued with at the start of the year, forms a key
part of the communication between home and school. Tutors check the planners at regular
intervals to see that the pupils are using them effectively. Parents are also asked to check
and sign the planners on a weekly basis. Parents may write comments in the planner to
highlight areas of difficulty to a member of staff, however, depending on the situation; it
might be wise to make the tutor aware of a concern with an e-mail (copied to the
Housemaster/mistress).
Projects: In Transition, your child will be given some homework tasks with longer deadlines,
such as projects. It is important that the pupils learn to break larger tasks down into smaller
chunks and don’t leave all the work until the last minute. Whereas in Junior School, time to
do a project is typically 2 weeks and there is no other homework set, this is different in
Senior School as the deadline could be set a month in advance or over a holiday period.
Homework in other subjects is not suspended during the project period and, therefore,
good time management skills are required. However, the general format of research,
reading around the subject, presenting information in your own words and images with an
introduction, contents page and conclusion, followed by a bibliography, is the same. Typical
projects in Transition are: a science project on Space and/or a practical recycling project, a
history project on Castles, an English presentation on a Scottish myth/legend.
Literacy: It is expected that your child will continue to read regularly at an appropriate level
to him/her throughout his/her time at school. This fundamental skill underpins everything
studied at each level of a pupil’s educational progress and facilitates his/her understanding
of all subject areas. To this end, a Yellow Reading Log is provided for each pupil in Transition
to record the amount of time spent reading - this is required to be signed off by parents so
that home and school can work together to support pupils to adopt a regular routine which
will benefit them significantly later in their studies.
While there are no specifically designated spelling tests in English in Transition, pupils are
asked to keep a log of the new words, which they encounter while reading, in their reading
log.
Numeracy: Maths is typically taught on 4 days out of the 5 in the school week and
homework is set according to the theory that little and often builds this skill most
effectively. Pupils should expect regular tests in maths – these are completed in a specific
maths test jotter which parents are required to sign so that they are aware of their child’s
performance and can seek assistance if there are concerns. Pupils are encouraged to
purchase a calculator from the school as specified by the school at this stage. Pupils will
have the opportunity to take part in the Scottish and UK Maths Challenges to test their
skills.
Health and Well-being : Healthy routines are promoted through the Personal and Social
Health programme delivered in Year Group. Sodexho provide healthy balanced lunches
every day. The Pastoral Care system is designed to promote positive mental health in the
school community by providing support and advice to pupils as required. Physical exercise
forms a key part of the balanced curriculum – the PE programme offers 6 week blocks
focusing on different skills throughout the year. These include our Beacon sports of
Triathlon, Golf, Tennis and our team participation sport, Hockey, alongside a range of
activities such as badminton, gymnastics, table tennis, volleyball, tennis, swimming, cross
country, touch rugby and athletics.
Top tips for success






Establish a quiet, comfortable space to do your homework free from the distractions
of unnecessary technology/television and distracting siblings.
Use your planner to record homework tasks every time as you may not remember
the instructions when you get home. Seeing all the entries for the week will help you
to plan your week. Tick off the entries as you work through them so that you can
keep track of what you have done
If you haven’t understood the instructions, consult the teacher before leaving the
class and ask for help
If you are taking much longer than the recommended times to complete a
homework task, stop and see the teacher about this as soon as possible. There will
be a revision class in that subject which could help you get past the difficulties you
are having. Consult the times of lunch time and after school revision classes which
are posted up in each department.
If your homework is only taking 5 minutes (!) – it is likely that you have not included
the right amount of detail for the task. You can always spend any time left over
revising your notes regularly, checking to see if there are any gaps in your notes or
reading around the subject in greater depth.
Revising for tests: reading through notes or vocabulary a couple of times is rarely
effective as this is a passive experience. A few techniques for effective, active
revision are:
a) Copy out your notes, or make a note of the key points from your class
notes over and over until you can write them out without looking at
them.
b) Type your notes into a computer, enlarge or highlight the key words so
that you have a clear visual memory of the key points
c) Read your notes out loud, record them into a phone and then listen back
to them regularly
d) Ask a parent, older sibling to test you once you have done one of the
above forms of revision
Extra-curricular Opportunities and Trips
A full list of extra-curricular activities is published in a booklet which is updated regularly
and can be viewed on the school website ( www.beaconhurst.com/outside-the-classroomextra-curricular-activities ). Many elements of the extensive Sports, Outdoor Education and
Expressive Arts pathways begin in the Nursery and continue through Junior School up to
Senior School, so that your child will be able to continue and build their skills further in the
activities that they have enjoyed lower down the school.
This list provides the details of which clubs are available to Transition and a brief description
of what they involve. There is something for everyone and we encourage pupils to have a go
and see what they enjoy. Extra-curricular activities can be a great way for pupils to meet
like- minded people in other year groups and can play a significant part in pupils gaining
confidence in themselves and their abilities.
All Beaconhurst pupils receive free University of Stirling Sports’ Centre Membership
Thursday after school 4 – 5pm and Saturday Mornings: Transition pupils play hockey in the
Games session throughout the Autumn and Spring terms. There are additional practices
after school on Thursdays and on Saturday mornings. In the Spring term, Transition pupils
are then selected to play alongside the S1 pupils in matches against other schools.
In the summer term, the Games session is used for athletics and orienteering. On Thursday
afternoons, the pupils are invited to sign up for the activity of their choice : mountain biking,
football, tennis, canoeing, golf are some of the activities on offer
As an extension to the curriculum, pupils will go on day trips, for example to Dynamic Earth
as part of their Science curriculum or on a Geography Field Trip in the local area.
In June, the Transition and S1 year groups take part in Outdoor Education week. This
involves 2 days of cultural visits in the local area followed by a 3 day residential visit to an
Outdoor Education centre. The emphasis on team work, making new friends and meeting
new challenges during the course of the week helps pupils to discover the strengths they
didn’t know they possessed and to set targets for the future as part of a highly enjoyable
and supported experience.
Opportunities to take responsibility and develop leadership skills: As in Junior School,
Transition pupils are invited to put themselves forward to be elected as the TR
representatives for either the Eco Committee ( 2 reps) or for the School Council ( 2 reps).
Transition pupils can also volunteer to be Library Monitors.
Pastoral Care and PSHE
Moving from Junior School to Senior School is a key point in your child’s development as the
pupils are not only getting to grips with new routines, but are also going through puberty,
which can affect children in a variety of ways.
The strength of our Pastoral Care system at Beaconhurst (judged “excellent” by the HMIE) is
founded on the vertical and horizontal approaches. By vertical, we mean that Transition
pupils will join a mixed age (TR – S6) group of about 14 pupils for registration with their
tutor on a daily basis. The tutor will get to know you and your child over the years and will
keep an eye on their general progress. Tutors will review this progress with your child
through tutor interviews (a 15 minute conversation about academic progress, extracurricular involvement and personal and social development). Concerns can be discussed at
these interviews and a tutor interview can be requested either by the pupils or by the tutor
at any time if there are specific concerns to address. Pupils who have been or will be absent
should hand in the letter explaining their absence to their tutor.
Your child’s tutor group is one of four tutor groups in each House Group. The whole House
group meets once a week on Wednesday from 1.45 – 2.15pm to take part in a range of
activities together. Again this provides the opportunity to get to know pupils from different
year groups – the Transition pupils will see their S4 mentors during House Group. House
group provides a platform for pupils to get involved and start to take on responsibilities.
The Housemaster/mistress has overall responsibility for all the pupils in his/her House
Group and works closely with the tutors. If you would like to contact the school to discuss
your child, please contact the Housemaster/mistress by e-mail or through the school office.
You may wish to copy in your child’s tutor to an e-mail as they see your child on a daily
basis.
The vertical system is below:
PASTORAL CARE AT BEACONHURST
HEADMASTER : MR J. OWEN
HOUSEMISTRESS
BROWN
HOUSEMISTRESS
CAMERON
MRS F. CASEY
MRS M. BANKS
f.casey@beaconhurst. m.banks@beaconhurs
stirling.sch.uk
t.stirling.sch.uk
TUTORS
TUTORS
MR I. MCKENNA
MR P. BEESON
MRS R. VEKIC
MRS H. CAMERON
MR S. RAMSAY
MR K. MILLIGAN
MR J. FINDLAY
MRS BOOTH
HOUSEMASTER
MORTON
HOUSEMISTRESS
PLANT
MR S. NASH
MRS V. TIERNEY
s.nash@beaconhurst v.tierney@beaconhurst
.stirling.sch.uk
.stirling.sch.uk
TUTORS
TUTORS
MISS M. CROSSE
MR D. BAIN
MR M. GRAY
MRS J. BEVERIDGE
MRS E. MELDRUM
MISS J. SUTHERLAND
MISS J.WRIGHT
MRS BRAUN-MACKLE
ADDITIONAL ROLES
HEAD OF CAREERS: MR G NORCROSS
HEAD OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING : MRS D. HAUGHTON
HEAD OF PSHE : MRS E. MELDRUM
SENIOR TUTOR FOR ACADEMIC SCHOLARS: MR C. WRIGHT
The horizontal system consists of the information and discussion sessions which are called
Year Group and happen on Mondays between 1.45 – 2.15pm. As the name suggests, Year
Group is a time when all the Transitions are all together with the Year Group Tutors: Miss
Holmes, Mrs Braun-Mackle and Mr McKenna. The purpose of these sessions is to inform
pupils about age and stage relevant information and give them an opportunity to ask
questions and seek advice. In Transition, the topics covered are:






Settling In
Trust and Friendship
Bullying and Peer Pressure
Puberty
Health and Hygiene
Healthy Living
S4 Mentors
In order to prepare for the move to Transition, J6 pupils are paired with a Mentor from the
S3 year group who is in the same House group as the J6 pupil. The mentoring programme
begins in May while the pupils are still in J6 and S3 and continues into the following
academic year as the pupils become TR and S4 pupils. However, experience tells us that the
friendships and support often remain through to the point at which the Mentors leave in S6.
The role of the mentor is to get to know the younger pupil and offer support and advice as
they accompany them to their first Senior School assembly, or first House Group session and
meet them on the first day of the Autumn term to help them settle in. The mentors receive
training from the Head of Health and Well-being so that they know what to do if a Transition
pupil is particularly anxious or upset about something and can get the right support quickly.
The mentoring programme for summer 2014 is below:
Thursday
15th May
1345
Wednesday
28th May
1345
Monday 2nd
June
1345
Mentors meet their J6/Transition
Pupils
J6 to attend Senior School House
Groups
J6 to attend Transition Year
Group with the Head Boy and
Head Girl
Tuesday 3rd
June
1330 – 1530
Thursday
5th June
0840
Start of
Autumn Term
Mentors (now S4) to meet
Transition pupils on first
day/first House group/first
assembly. Work together in
one Year Group session
Aug 2014
Mentors to attend and assist
Junior Sports Day
J6 to attend Senior School
Assembly with Mentors
Top tips for a positive Transition year:


If you are worried or upset about something, speak to your tutor or
Housemaster/mistress or your mentor about it as they will be able to offer you some
help or advice – no problem is impossible to solve if you get the right help
Remember that, due to the physical changes of puberty, children can change their
behaviours, become more moody or feel that they are out of step with others in



their class as all children develop at different times in different ways. This can have
an effect on friendships, general confidence and behaviour both at school and at
home. As teachers, we are in a privileged position to be able to observe the whole
class dynamic as well as individual interactions between pupils and have experience
of seeing thousands of pupils going through these changes year after year. We can
help to restore relationships or increase a child’s confidence by working with
parents, pupils and school staff to monitor the situation, give advice and set targets
along the way. If you have any concerns, contact the Housemaster/mistress.
Bullying (the persistent, repeated and deliberate exclusion or taunting of a pupil by
other pupils) will not be tolerated ever. If you think that there is evidence of this
however, please inform the Head of Health and Well-being immediately so that a full
investigation can be implemented for the benefit of the whole school community as
well as for the alleged perpetrator who will also benefit from any corrective
influence.
Make the most of the range of extra-curricular activities – try something new, meet
new people and you may just discover something that you absolutely love and will
carry on long into your adult life.
Get to know your tutor group well as some of these pupils will be there at the start
of every school day for the next 7 years potentially. It is always good to start the day
with a friendly chat and to feel that there are other people there to share your
successes or commiserate if things didn’t go to plan.
General information and code of conduct
 Each Transition pupil will be provided with a locker where they can store their bags –




bags will be confiscated if they are left lying around the campus
Pupil should wear their uniform smartly at all times with their top button done up,
collar down and tie tied correctly. A uniform list is available on the school website.
The Swap Shop underneath the main house can provide various items of uniform
and orders can be handed in at the school office for the Swap Shop ladies
If a pupil has Games or PE at the end of the school day, he/she is expected to leave
school in either full school uniform or full PE kit (ie full tracksuit) but not a mixture of
both nor shorts/games skirt for travel on public transport.
Transition pupils are not allowed off site at any point during the day unless under the
supervision of a member of staff. Equally, when going to games at the university,
Transition pupils are not allowed to cross road unless supervised by a member of
staff
If it is essential for pupils to bring a mobile phone to school due to travel
arrangements, the mobile phone should be switched off at all times, otherwise the
pupil is likely to incur either a detention or a half hourly signing sheet if the phone
rings during the school day, or is used without staff permission.





Transition pupils sign an IT network agreement with the school stating that they will
not log into a computer or access a social networking site unless they are expressly
given permission and are supervised by a member of staff. Non-adherence to this
rule may result in the pupils being denied access to the school network.
Chewing gum is strictly banned from the school site due to the damage it causes to
the school buildings. Any pupil caught with chewing gum will be punished.
All pupils are expected to attend lunch in the lunch hall unless they have written
permission for other arrangements
The Senior School weekly bulletin will be e-mailed out to parents every week
detailing up and coming events at the school
All members of the school community are politely requested to uphold and promote
the Beaconhurst Values: Ambition, Integrity, Empathy, Respect and Resilience
To our new Transition pupils:
“Transition is a busy year, full of challenges and new discoveries which will help to shape
you into a strong individual who is ready to start S1 with confidence. Make the most of all
the opportunities, persevere when things are difficult and, above all, enjoy being part of
the Beaconhurst Senior School community because the adventure really does start here!”
Mrs Haughton
Head of Health and Well-being