Year 4 to Year 5 transition plans for September 2025 Intake
Welcome
As a school, we recognise the importance of transition from first school to middle school and that it is a big step full of emotions; some sadness at leaving first school but also excitement at the opportunities that middle school brings, from making new friends to new clubs and experiences. We look forward to working with you to ensure your child thrives during their time at Valley Gardens.Â
There will also be two transition days on the 1st & 2nd July where the children meet their new form teacher and classmates and get to know their new surroundings over the two days. We are determined to make your child’s transition to Valley Gardens Middle School as informative and supportive as possible so that your child can meet their new teacher and answer any questions they may have so they can spend their summer having a well-deserved break and getting excited about their next step.Â
Virtual Tour
We have created a virtual tour of our building so that the children can get a mental picture of the place, and for the parents, we will post all of our transition info on this page along with any forms that you will need to download and print off.Â
(Please note – much of the videoing was done whilst the school was only partially open to the children of Key Workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Some classroom and corridors may have tables and chairs in them, and classrooms may well be arranged to enable social distancing.)
A video introduction to Valley Gardens Middle School:
The School Day
Children to be at school by 8.40 a.m. or 1.00 p.m.
8:35 am: Pupils come into school from the yard and go to their form class.
8:40 am: Pupils are registered in their form classes. If pupils have a mobile phone they must give this to their form teacher who will lock it in a secure area for pupils to collect at the end of the day.
8:50 am: Lesson one begins. Pupils go to the classroom they have their first lesson in.
9:50 am: Lesson two begins. Pupils go to the classroom they have their second lesson in.
10:50 am: Morning break. Pupils go to the designated area for each year group for their break. In the event of bad weather, pupils will spend indoor breaks sitting down inside their form classroom.
11:05 am: Lesson three begins. Pupils make their way to the relevant classroom.
12:05 pm: Lunchtime starts. Pupils go onto the yard and are then called for in year group order to have their lunch. If pupils have a packed lunch they bring this with them out onto the yard at the start of lunchtime, and then take it into the hall when they are called in.
1:00 pm – Afternoon registration. Pupils go to their form classes for afternoon registration. Whole year group assemblies in the school hall will normally take place during this time, with each year group having a different day for their assembly. Other activities that take place include singing, thought for the week and handwriting practice. Every four weeks, pupils will have a headteacher’s assembly. This is a celebration of pupils’ achievements over the previous four weeks, and parents of two children per form class are invited to attend to celebrate their child’s success.
1:25 pm – Lesson four begins. Pupils go to their timetabled classroom.
2:25 pm – Lesson five begins. Pupils go to their timetabled classroom.
3:25 pm – The bell rings for the ends of the school day. If pupils need to collect their mobile phones, they return to their form classes. Pupils without mobile phones are free to make their way home via their designated exit.
Our total school time for a typical week is 33 hours and 45 mins.
Extra-curricular activities:Â These activities take place before and after school, as well as at lunchtimes. A full timetable can be found here.
The School Timetable
Pupils at Valley Gardens follow a two week timetable. This means that their timetables will vary slightly between week A and week B. Pupils’ planners include a schedule of which week corresponds to which date.
Please see below an example of a typical Y5 student’s timetable:
A video tour of our school:
Some of the people you will meet:
