As Gordano School prepares to welcome its new Year 7 cohort in September, the school is placing a strong emphasis on its extensive and carefully designed Transition Programme, one that goes far beyond a single event and instead offers sustained support for children and families over many months. 

Recognising that the move from primary to secondary school is a significant milestone, Gordano School has developed a programme that prioritises confidence, familiarity, and a sense of belonging from the very start. Through a wide range of opportunities, prospective students are able to engage with the school community well in advance of their first day. 

The transition journey begins in the Autumn with an impressive open evening, giving families an initial insight into school life, followed by a series of open mornings during the school day. A dedicated Parent Welcome Meeting in March provides further reassurance and information, while additional meetings between March and July ensure that every family feels informed and supported throughout the process. 

For children, a Transition Day in the summer term plays a key role in building confidence, offering time within the school environment to meet peers, experience lessons, and become familiar with routines. Alongside this, Gordano School staff, including the Pastoral Team, Library and Reading Mentors Team and Head of Year 7, visit primary schools to establish early connections and provide continuity of care. 

Gordano School has also enhanced its Year 7 provision through the transformation of the Elliot Hall into a Hogwarts-inspired haven, created thanks to generous parent donations and a strong student-led vision.

The redesigned space has been carefully developed to feel welcoming, imaginative, and calming, offering Year 7 students a distinctive environment where they can relax, socialise, and feel at home as they begin secondary school life.

Beyond the school environment, the programme continues to engage children over the summer period with a reading challenge which encourages curiosity and independent learning, while the House Event held at Portishead Youth Centre offers relaxed, social opportunities for children to begin forming friendships and feel part of the wider school community. 

Through the Primary Legacies Festival Programme, participating primary schools bring children from Years 4 to 6 to take part in a wide range of sporting and enrichment activities, helping to build confidence in a new and unfamiliar environment. 

Children develop a strong sense of familiarity with the school, form connections with staff and peers, and begin to feel part of the community. This repeated exposure helps to ease anxieties and replace uncertainty with excitement, ensuring that when students join Gordano, they feel confident, prepared, and ready for the next stage of their education. 

This comprehensive approach reflects Gordano School’s commitment to ensuring that every child arrives in September feeling prepared, supported, and ready to thrive.

By focusing on the whole transition experience, academic, social, and emotional, the school continues to set a strong example of how to make this important step a positive and successful one. 

Gordano School’s Welcome Video can be viewed here: Gordano School - A Video Introduction to our School 

More Transition information can be found here: Gordano School - Transition from Year 6 

More about the Year 7 Elliot Hall Transformation can be found here: Gordano School - Gordano School Year 7 Elliot Hall Transformed into Hogwarts-Inspired Haven Thanks to Parent Donations and Student-Led Vision