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"Castle School Education Trust is committed to high quality education across the primary, secondary and sixth form key stages. Our schools cover the South Gloucestershire area. We encourage independence within each school within a strong framework of values."

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Downend

Year 6 Transition

The transition day for students starting with us in September 2025 will be Tuesday 8 July 2025

We are very much looking forward to welcoming Year 6 students in school for a  transition day on Tuesday 8th July. The purpose of this day will be for your child to meet with others in their tutor group and with their tutor.  There will be lots of activities throughout the day designed to help them to start to get to know other students and familiarise themselves with the school and our routines. They will also take part in two taster lessons with their tutor group.

Arrival: 8.20-8.40am through main school reception

Your child will need to bring a packed lunch and drinks for the day
They should wear their primary school uniform
Your child will need a pen or pencil
If the day is sunny, please send your child with suncream and if the day is rainy they will need a coat

Departure: students will leave school through main reception at 2.50pm

If you are not happy for your child to be allowed to leave on their own, but wish to come into reception at 2.50pm to collect them, then please let us know by emailing: cas-enquiries.tcs@cset.co.uk by Friday 4th July.

Please state who will be picking your child up.
Please note that we cannot supervise students later than 2.50pm

Tutor Group allocation

We are currently visiting all our feeder primary schools and finding out as much as possible about our new students. I am sure that you appreciate what a complex job it is to use this information to create eight balanced tutor groups. We are not able to take requests to keep friendship groups together, and in our experience we have found that it is not usually beneficial to do so. Although it is natural for your child to feel anxious about meeting new people, please encourage your child to see joining The Castle School as an opportunity to make lots of new friends in addition to those they already have from primary school, and remind them that everyone is in the same situation. We are planning lots of activities on the transition day and in September to support students in getting to know each other and making new friends. Your child will be allocated a tutor group when they arrive at school on the 8th July and they will be given a letter to bring home to confirm the tutor group they will be joining. If your child is unable to attend the Transition Day and you are unable to pick the letter up at the Parents’ Information Evening (see below), then we will post it home to you.

Parents Information Evening 8th July 2025 at 6.00 pm

On the evening of  Tuesday 8 July there will be an information evening for parents and carers of all students joining the school in September.  We would ask everyone to arrive in good time for a presentation in the main hall at 6pm. We are unable to provide parking on site, but there is street parking in the roads surrounding the school.  Please be aware that the school is in a residential area and be considerate to our neighbours. If you have a blue badge, please email cas-enquiries.tcs@cset.co.uk to arrange a parking space on the school site. 

Space is tight in the hall so if at all possible we would be grateful if you would leave your child at home.  Students will already have had a busy day in school and all information shared with parents will already have been shared with them throughout the day.  If for any reason you do need to bring them, or younger siblings, then of course they will be welcome.

The aim of the evening is to give you all the information you need to ensure a smooth transition for your child to The Castle School. We will share information about our school routines, uniform and behaviour expectations. We will also give you a summary of the extra curricular activities on offer.  There will be opportunities for questions and the chance to discuss your concerns individually with the relevant person.  Staff will be available before and after the main presentation to discuss special educational needs or medical needs.

After the evening, we will email you a booklet of information for each family, which you can read at your leisure. This will also be published on our website. If you are unable to access the booklet electronically, please email cas-enquiries.tcs@cset.co.uk to request a paper copy. 
 
We will be holding a nearly new uniform sale on Tuesday 15th July from 2-3pm on the lawn at the front of the school. Funds raised will go directly towards supporting disadvantaged students in various ways.

Start of Term arrangements for September

Monday 1st September - Inset Day.
Tuesday 2nd September - Year 7 and Year 12 Induction Day.  All other year groups will start on 3rd September.

Inset Days
1. Monday 1st September
2. Monday 3rd November
3. Monday 5th January
4. Thursday 2nd April
5. Friday 12 June

I hope you will be able to join us on 8th July and I look forward to seeing you then. If you have any questions in advance please email cas-enquiries.tcs@cset.co.uk.

We are very much looking forward to welcoming all your children to The Castle School in September, whether this is your first child at the school or a younger sibling.  We are fully committed to making sure that their time at The Castle is happy, stimulating and fulfilling.

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