Year 6 Transition Event Strengthens Pathway to Senior School at Stamford Junior School

At Stamford Junior School, we see transition to Senior School as a structured journey rather than a single moment. Beginning in Year 5 and increasing in pace and depth through Year 6, our transition programme is designed to build confidence, familiarity, and readiness well before pupils start Year 7.

As part of this programme, we were pleased to welcome Mr Regis, Head of Lower School at the Senior School, to the Junior School, accompanied by a group of current Year 7 students who previously attended Stamford Junior School. Hearing directly from pupils who have recently made the move is an invaluable part of the process. They spoke openly about life at Senior School, including navigating the site, teachers and lessons, Yondr pouches, lunch, clubs, behaviour points, and the wider expectations of Year 7. Our Year 6 pupils engaged thoughtfully, asking a wide range of questions and responding with clear enthusiasm.

This event sits alongside a broader programme of transition experiences that begin in Year 5 and intensify during Year 6. These include a range of academic, pastoral, and co-curricular opportunities designed to ensure pupils feel secure and well prepared. In Year 6, pupils spend a week at the Senior School, take part in performance opportunities, and appear in the Drama Spotlight performance, giving them valuable experience of Senior School facilities, staff, and expectations in a supportive and familiar context.

We place real importance on this graduated approach. A smooth transition is critical to pupil wellbeing and academic success, and our programme is designed to remove uncertainty, build independence, and maintain continuity between the Junior and Senior Schools.

It was also a pleasure to see former Junior School pupils reconnecting with their Year 6 teachers and reflecting on how confidently they had settled into Senior School. These conversations reinforce the strength of the Stamford pathway and the value of investing time and care into transition.

Our pupils move on feeling informed, reassured, and excited about the next stage of their Stamford education, ready to thrive from their first day in Year 7.