Year 6 to 7 Transition September 2025
The transition from primary to secondary school is an important milestone in the lives of children and their families. At Hinchingbrooke School, we pride ourselves on providing our new students, parents, and carers with a smooth and extensive transition program where students arrive on their first day in September excited about the next chapter of their education, rather than feeling apprehensive.
We want all students who choose Hinchingbrooke school to develop new friendships, improve their confidence, and get used to their new routines, new timetable, and school organisation with great ease. We aim to enrich students’ learning experience by providing them with opportunities and challenges, along with the practical skills and knowledge to be confident well qualified individuals, ready for employment, training, or the next steps in their education.
The Transition Team
Transition Manager and Head of Year 7 - Dan Milner
dmilner@hbk.acesmat.uk or telephone: 01480 375700 extension 5766
Transition and Year 7 Student Support Officer - Jo Redmond
jredmond@hbk.acesmat.uk or telephone: 01480 375700 extension 5826
Transition and KS3 Administrator - Caroline Pittock
transition@hbk.acesmat.uk or telephone: direct dial 01480 420522
SENDCo - Tracey Webb
twebb@hbk.acesmat.uk or telephone: (direct dial) 01480
Assistant SENDco Year 7 - Simon Parker
sparker@hbk.acesmat.uk or telephone: 01480 375700 extension 5763
If you have any questions please email transition@hbk.acesmat.uk or telephone 01480 420522 and leave a message, you will receive a response within 24 hours
Key Dates
Applications can be made online via Cambridgeshire County Council Admissions from 11 September 2024 the application deadline is 31 October 2024
Thursday 10 October 2024, 5.00 - 7.30pm - Year 6 Open Evening (for students looking to join us in September 2025)
Option A: Tour first and talk second
5 pm at the Food Court to collect your Welcome Tour Guide and commence your tour until 6 pm.
Then a talk in the PAC (Performing Arts Centre) at 6.30 pm by the Principal, Head Students, and the Head of Year 7.
or
Option B: Talk first and tour second
5 pm at the Food Court and then make your way to the PAC (Performing Arts Centre) for a talk at 5.30 pm by the Principal, Head Students, and the Head of Year 7. Then to the Food Court at 6.00 pm to collect your Welcome Tour Guide and commence your tour.
If you prefer to make your way around the site independently, then you are free to do so.
You do not need to book a space to attend.
Please click here to watch a copy of our Open Evening Video
1 March 2025 - Offer letters/emails sent by the LEA. If you applied online, you will be able to view your child's school offer by using the online facility on this date.
It is important that you accept your child's place by logging onto the citizen portal, this needs to be done within 15 days.
If you do not wish to accept the school place offered, you must ensure you inform the local authority. This can be done by completing the refusal slip attached to the offer letter and returning it to the Admissions Team, or via the citizen portal, they will need to know the school that your child will be going to instead.
Admissions Team
OCT1221
The Octagon
Castle Hill
Cambridge
CB3 0AP
Email: admissions@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or Telephone: 0345 045 1370
May 2025 - A Welcome letter and link to our online Admission form are emailed home. Please note this form needs to be completed as a final confirmation of taking up your child's place for September, this needs to be completed before the Taster days. If you require a paper copy instead please contact us.
If you would like your child to be placed in the same house as their siblings, please make us aware of this via the online admission form. We must have this information no later than the beginning of May. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee this matter and requests received after this date cannot be considered.
March-May 2025 - The Transition and Learning Support Teams visits your child’s primary school, as we work very closely with your child's Year 6 teacher to ensure that we receive all the required information to support your child’s academic progress and pastoral needs. During these visits, we give your child the opportunity to hear more about life at Hinchingbrooke School and to answer any questions in which they may have to dispel any worries.
End of June 2025 - Email to parent/carer with detailed information regarding the Taster days, Information evening, including form group and house allocation, and the school handbook.
Important information regarding the allocation of tutor groups and houses
Allocating students to tutor groups is a complex process. House allocation is no longer determined by siblings, although this can be accommodated upon request in advance (see above). Good working groups are taken into account wherever possible, however, the overriding criterion is academic balance across the year group. We do not accept friendship requests from parents.
The forms are created with an equal balance of gender, ability, and special educational needs across the 12 tutor groups. We have, of course, had to consider how children from different schools would mix together. We collate information based on discussions with the Year 6 teachers.
Tutor groups are only for form time, and not the curriculum groups students will be in for lessons.
24 June 2025 - Pre Taster sessions (by invitation only)
1, 2 and 3 July 2025 - Taster Days for Year 6 pupils
2 July 2025 - Information Evening for Parent/Carers of Year 6 pupils
The year 7 Tie for September 2023 is a black stripe
If your child is travelling on a school bus next year, you must apply to Education Transport to get their pass. You can apply at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/education/transport
Education Transport Team
Box No. SH1013
Shire Hall
Cambridge
CB3 0AP
Email: educationtransportteam@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or Telephone: 0345 045 5208