Transition
Headteacher Message
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our school community. As a parent myself, I am very aware of the challenges and worries parents and students may have when starting at a new school.
We also recognise that for many parents the journey to get into a special school isn’t always straight forward and for those parents and extended family who have young children with additional needs it is often a time in life when you are learning about your child’s strengths and areas of difficulty.
Our staff are extremely skilled at supporting students who start with us and we aim to ensure that leading up to and including their start date is as smooth as possible. The more informed you are the less anxious you will feel.
Our Wellbeing Team who work with schools, parents and students who start with us. Chloe Bowness and Holly Strachan will prepare a bespoke transition package that meets the needs of your son/daughter. This can include a variety of activities including home visits or visiting your child in their current school, attending annual reviews prior to your child starting with us, meeting with teachers and teaching assistants who know your child well, creating resources to support transition and support your child in visits to the school.
For those students who are starting in our EYFS class will be supported by our EYFS teacher.
In addition we work with portage and other professionals to ensure that we are as informed as we can be regarding each new student.
Once your son/daughter has been allocated a class, the class teacher will also make contact with parents/carers, the student (where appropriate) and their current setting to ensure that the learning is pitched to the student’s needs and interests.
Once the initial transition work has begun we make sure that the first day is not the last day we support them in settling. Where appropriate we provide students with a student buddy who has a similar interest as your son/daughter and closely monitor for the first few months.
We hope you find this transition page on our website useful as it provides you with the necessary information including photos that you can share with your child to regularly familiarise them to the environment.
I am confident that your son/daughter will have a wonderful experience here, making fantastic progress not only academically but socially and emotionally as well.
At any point leading up to or during your time at St Christopher’s, we always have an open door policy and you are welcome to pop in for a chat or give us a call.
Admissions
You can only apply for a place at a special school if your child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan.
If your child is joining us from another setting
We will work with you and your child’s current setting to create a transition package that will ensure that your child is supported as they start their journey at St Christophers. This can include a variety of activities including home visits or visiting your child in their current school, attending annual reviews prior to your child starting with us, meeting with teachers and teaching assistants who know your child well, creating resources to support transition and support your child in visits to the school.
If your child is moving to another school
We will liaise with your child’s new school to ensure that the transition runs smoothly ,we will ensure that the new setting has all your child’s key information before starting and we will actively use transition supports in school to ensure that your child is prepared for the move.
When moving classes in school
In the term before students change classes, they have an opportunity to spend time with their new classmates and staff in their new classroom. Our students really benefit from time spent in their ‘new world’ and this experience helps to relieve any anxiety about new beginnings.
Transition to adulthood
In our post 16 centre we focus on preparing our students for adult life beyond St Christophers. Our emphasis for our students is on community connection, preparing for adulthood, careers and independent living skills.
Our Provisions
Primary School
Skellingthorpe Road
Lincoln
LN6 7QZ
Secondary School
Hykeham Road
Lincoln
LN6 8AR
School Values
To ensure that every young person is equipped and empowered to become the best version of themselves and able to demonstrate the St Christopher’s school values:
Always show Kindness to others
Just have Positivity in everything you do
Own your Creativity
Understand your Responsibility to yourself and others.
Respect each other
Never give up, show Determination
Embrace Equality
Your Honesty is valued.
We believe that success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important that the outcome. As a school we personalise our provision to ensure every child accesses the right curriculum pathway to achieve their full potential.
Our patron saint is St Christopher who we ask to protect us on our travels, wherever we may roam; keep us safe and guide us, always safely home.
Key Information
Curriculum Pathway
At St Christopher's School we have an Early Years provision. 4 phases from Year 1 - 11 and a Post 16 provision. Please click on a pathway to read more about our curriculum.
Communication
ParentMail allows parents to read school messages, view school letters, make payments for trips and dinners or complete forms and permissions slips using either a desktop PC or their mobile phone.
Tapestry is a secure online Learning Journal to record photos, observations and comments, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage or Stages curriculum, to build up a record of your child's experiences during their time with us.
You can download either ParentMail or Tapestry on both Android and IOS.
Alternatively you go visit the websites on pmx.parentmail.co.uk and www.tapestryjournal.com
Useful contacts...
| Children's Therapy Services | Website Link | |
| School Nursing Service | ||
| Family Services Directory: Local Offer | ||
| Liaise (SEND information, support and advice Lincolnshire) | ||
| ESCO (Early Support Care Co-Ordination) Lincolnshire | ||
| Carer's Assessment and Eligibility, Lincolnshire | ||
| Children with Disabilities Social Care - Assessment of Need |