The step from Junior School to Senior School is more than a change of buildings, classmates and teachers, it is a significant step in both academic and personal growth. This moment is part of a wonderful yet challenging journey, not dwelling on what they leave behind in juniors but more about how their path is shaped by experience, resilience, and the growing confidence with which they begin to navigate what lies ahead.

This stage of the journey feels like a moment to pause, reflect and truly listen, prompting us to ask pupils to share their thoughts and feelings following their Senior School Experience Day. As both a parent and teacher, it was incredibly reassuring to hear feedback that was so positive, reflecting their growing excitement and confidence as they look ahead to what comes next. Though a few playfully mentioned that there were far more stairs than they had expected!

Throughout the day, pupils had the opportunity to participate in lessons exploring a wide range of subjects including ICT, maths, English, science, history, DT, RE, art, geography and drama; split into four different teaching groups for the day. Pupils spoke with great enthusiasm about all the different lessons, reliving fond memories as they discussed their day as a year group.

Science was a hit with the practical exploration of acids and alkalines. This hands-on activity was described as ‘fun’ and ‘interactive’ with pupils excitedly recounting how they had the chance to ‘explore different chemicals and mix them together’ and how ‘it was cool finding out what has acids and alkalines and what didn’t’.

‘Really cool!’ was how U3 summed up the ICT lesson, they were very enthusiastic about their programming of mini robots. They were equally enthused with their exploration of maps and the use of atlases in geography.

Apologies to those who came home slightly messy, the art lesson involved the use of charcoal pencils which, according to one pupil, ‘made weird marks which they could smudge on the page!’ The pupils enjoyed experimenting with a new material for their observational drawings, and it was heartwarming to hear from a parent that their artwork has been framed and displayed at home.

From a parent’s perspective, I know these subjects can be difficult for some pupils, which made it all the more heartening to hear such enthusiastic and positive feedback about maths and English. The subject matter of Harry Potter in the English lesson was discussed at great length by U3, who connected wholeheartedly with the topic and had great admiration for the English teachers. Maths was another highlight, with pupils giving positive feedback and especially enjoying the Christmas-themed problems and the maths relay.

Aware that this article could end up being very long, this is just a small collection of subject reflections from the pupils and they could have gone on chatting about their day far longer if we did not have to stop. I am sure that they will have come home and talked about all they experienced!

It wasn’t just the lessons that U3 discussed, many liked that they could walk up and down the road to the different buildings and one in particular said that ‘it made me feel like I was a bit more trusted’. When asked what their favourite part of the day was, through the noise of many responses, I managed to ascertain finally a resounding conclusion that they ‘loved all of it’.

The Senior School Experience Day was clearly a success, easing pupils’ nerves and helping them feel more confident about the next stage of their journey. One child said, “I was a bit scared and nervous at first, but doing the experience day made me feel less nervous.” As a parent, it was incredibly reassuring to see how each teacher and member of staff (colleagues with whom I am grateful to work) made such a positive impact in just one day. Welcoming, supporting and inspiring the pupils so they could approach this new chapter with excitement and confidence. (Of course I was also pleased and relieved to hear many enjoyed my
art lesson!)