Moving to King’s Juniors

Every year, The King’s Junior School welcomes a number of new pupils into our Year 3 classes and we watch them flourish as they move through the school.

Whilst every family has its own reasons for moving to a new school for Year 3, the natural break between KS1 and KS2 makes it an obvious time to think about a change.

Deputy Head Academic at King’s Juniors, Katy Morris-Yousaf, talked to us about the benefits of a new school at this stage, and how, at King’s Juniors, we help new children settle in quickly and seamlessly.

She said: “At this stage, children really start to benefit from specialist teaching in subjects such as science, art, drama and sport; it helps them develop skills they never knew they had, and fosters a love of learning as they expand their horizons. We also see children begin to develop passions that often stay with them for life.”

Smaller class sizes are another benefit of King’s Juniors, where classes are limited to 24 pupils who are taught by a specialist teacher with support from a year-group teaching assistant.

Katy Morris-Yousaf again: “As well as the smaller class sizes, our entrance assessments mean that the academic range within each class is smaller.

“This makes it easier for our teachers to provide the support – and stretch – that each child needs.

“The benefits of this are undeniable as it means that we can offer a more individual approach to each child’s learning.”

Another reason for choosing to move to the Junior School at King’s is that, assuming behaviour and academic progress remain in line with expectations, pupils enjoy automatic entry into the Senior School.

However, as Mrs Morris-Yousaf says, there are more advantages to this than simply not having to take the entrance exam.

She said: “The introduction of homework – albeit minimal to begin with – and encouragement towards self-organisation are two key shifts in Year 3 at King’s Juniors.

“Senior School may seem a long way off but there is no doubt that getting into early habits of organising their own work, meeting homework deadlines and becoming increasingly independent really help to prepare them for that next step.”

Changing schools is a big decision and some families worry that their child will find it difficult to make friends in an established year group, or that they will be at a disadvantage because the teachers don’t know them.

Mrs Morris-Yousaf is reassuring in her assertion that this is not the case: “One of the great things about starting new in King’s Juniors is that, in many ways, it is also a new experience for our existing pupils as they move to a new building, and we add a third class to the year group.

“This means that pupils are mixed in to new class groups, encouraging new friendships and allowing children to form fresh bonds with their peers.

“In fact, our Year 3 teachers often say that after just a few days, someone visiting the class for the first time would not be able to tell which pupils are new and which have been at the school since Reception.”

In addition, a number of steps are taken to ensure that new children settle in quickly.

Transition events in the summer term give children another opportunity to visit the school, and to meet their new teacher and classmates for the first time. In the first week, children are buddied up so that they always have someone to sit with at lunch and play with in the playground.

Mrs Morris-Yousaf is keen to point out that it isn’t just the children who get the support when they join King’s Juniors: “We know that moving schools can feel challenging for parents as well.

“Our Year 3 teachers encourage open communication between home and school as it helps them get to know the child and their family better and, crucially, means that any issues can be nipped in the bud quickly and effectively.  

“Also, our parents are fabulously welcoming.

“The KSPA (our parents’ association) coffee morning at the beginning of term is a great opportunity to meet other parents but the likelihood is that new families have already met up with classmates and their parents over the summer after meeting at the new parents evening before the summer holidays.”

 If you are interested in The King’s Junior School for your child, please contact our Admissions Manager, Erica Sears, on 01244 689553 to arrange a visit to the school and ask about our admissions process.