Junior School

Transition into Secondary School

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Students in Year 6 are prepared throughout the year for the exciting transition into Secondary School.

Students become familiar with the layout of Secondary School through their classes that use shared facilities for Visual Arts, Science, PDHPE and Music. This is the first vital part of the adjustment process in the lead-up to Year 7.

This process is taken one step further in Semester 2, when students transition to storing books in lockers. Personal organisation skills are encouraged and required, to ensure that they are prepared for each lesson.

Co-curricular commitments are encouraged, as coupled with the rigour of the Year 6 Curriculum, this helps build academic resilience to the increased workload in future years. Initiative and responsibility for their own learning is embraced, and ultimately expected in the whole school community.

Ravenswood takes a community approach to the transition, providing various structured programs to help facilitate networks and friendships with older students in Secondary School.

Year 7 students are encouraged to visit Junior School at lunchtime, to talk about their transition and first year of Secondary School. They are also invited to a Q&A style reflection forum with Year 6, to discuss their experiences and answer questions. This forum provides a positive experience for all involved, and helps open dialog to proactively address any fears or concerns.

Year 9 students conduct team building activities and Circle Time with Year 6 on a regular basis. These collaborations also contribute to opening the gateway into the middle years, and helps break down any barriers.

School Captains and Prefects are assigned to each Year 6 class, and visit fortnightly to conduct meaningful conversations, in an informal atmosphere, about the middle and senior years.

New Students Starting Year 7

New students enrolling into Year 7 make up half of the Year Group’s cohort.

There are two Orientation Days for students, one held in October the year prior to commencement, and one held the day before the start of Term 1.

The first two weeks of Year 7 are focused on assisting all students to settle into the new environment and providing opportunities to network through Year Group and Mentor Group meetings.

Year 7 Camp is scheduled early in the first term, to assist in the process of forging new friendships and fostering teamwork and collaboration.