Our Family of Schools & Transition
We are very fortunate to have fantastic relationships with our family of schools, who, like us, are committed to supporting pupils throughout their entire educational journey. We are an oversubscribed school and take applicants from a wide range of primary schools, of which the following are also part of the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust:
- Corpus Christi, Gateshead
- Sacred Heart, Byermoor
- St Agnes, Crawcrook
- St Josephs, Blaydon
- St Josephs, Highfield
- St Marys, Whickham
- St Mary and St Thomas Aquinas, Stella
- St Matthews, Prudhoe
- St Philip Neri, Dunston
A key part of our work with our school cluster is the creation of a comprehensive Primary to Secondary Transition Programme, designed to support all learners from an early stage. We are extremely proud of this programme, which begins in Year 5, giving pupils the opportunity to meet staff and visit our school site well before they start Year 7.
The programme includes a range of whole-cohort activities as well as bespoke opportunities tailored to individual needs, ensuring every pupil receives the support they require. Families consistently report that they feel well supported throughout the transition period, and they value the strong, trusting relationships we have developed with our family of schools.
A real highlight in Year 5 is our Big Sing event, where pupils prepare and perform a series of songs for family members. Families are invited to attend, and are taken on a tour of the school during the day — a fantastic opportunity to see our school community in action.
Year 6 highlights include our Fun Day, typically a murder mystery event, and our two-day formal induction in the summer term. Pupils and families report that these induction days work extremely well at putting pupils at ease before the summer break, helping them to feel confident and prepared for the transition to secondary school
We are equally proud of the relationships we maintain with wider primary schools outside of our immediate cluster. These pupils and schools are valued and actively involved in all aspects of our transition activities.
A copy of our current Transition Programme is linked below for your reference. Please note that the programme is reviewed annually and may vary slightly for each cohort of pupils.
