Year 7 Transition & Curriculum
From Primary School to Secondary School
Transition Process
The transition from primary school to secondary school is an exciting time for students. The introduction to the secondary setting at the College is filled with many experiences new to the girls and their families. The transition program planned for incoming Year 7 students begins during the year preceding their entry to Loreto College and extends well into their first year at Loreto College. Our experienced Year 7 Transition Team head the transition process and base programs and processes on the principles of middle school best practice.
During Term 4, the orientation process begins. For some students, additional transition experiences are specifically planned. The Transition Team at Loreto College recognises that some students will benefit from attending Making Connections Day held during November each year. On this occasion, selected students, including those coming from rural or distant primary schools are given the opportunity to spend an introductory day meeting students coming from similar circumstances prior to the day when all new Year 7 students attend.
All enrolled students are invited to attend Orientation Day; a carefully planned and structured introduction to the secondary experience conducted in early December.
Loreto College values the involvement of families in the education of their students. As the transition experience is new to all, a Parent Information Night is held early in November. At this introductory session, parents are provided with a snapshot of the Loreto Year 7 education, including information about getting started at Loreto, the pastoral care system, the curriculum and the co-curricular program offered at the College.
Once the students have excitedly begun Year 7, further transition activities are planned during the first semester, these include the Year 7 Camp and a Year 7 Parent Picnic in the evening.
The staff at Loreto College recognise that transition to the next stage of education is a vitally important experience and they endeavour to make this time welcoming and informative for both students and their families.
To further cater for the diverse literacy and numeracy needs of students, support programs have been developed.
Anecdotal information about each student’s learning strengths and challenges is sought from both parents and primary schools during the year prior to enrolment (Grade 6). Where necessary, additional assessments will be conducted for selected students. Personal Learning Plans are written and implemented for students identified. Modifications and adjustments will be made to assist all students to access curriculum appropriate to their needs. A variety of additional support structures within classrooms are provided and some students are invited to join small group intensive instruction programs.
Teachers also develop extension activities for students and are supported by the Academic Extension Teacher in developing programs tailored to the needs of students in Year 7.
Year 7 Classes
Each year there are six Year 7 classes, each with 26 students. All Year 7 classes are mixed ability groups. Teachers develop units of work and associated learning strategies in the knowledge that each class will have students of all ability levels.
Year 7 Camp
An Orientation Camp is held in Term One. The Camp allows students in the same class to have a shared experience with the other new Year 7 students and many of their Year 7 teachers. The activities during the Camp are used to introduce Year 7 students to each other and to build House identity. The Camp runs over two days and includes one night away. The purpose of the camp is:
- To help the girls feel more readily part of the Loreto Community that they have recently joined
- To provide an opportunity for them to get to know their many fellow Year 7 students
- To reflect on attitudes that will allow them to gain and give their most during their years at Loreto
- To consider the responsibility they have as Christians to care for each other
- To introduce aspects of the Felicitous Life Program in relation to their personal character strengths.
For further information on getting started at Loreto, please refer to the Year 7 & 8 Curriculum Handbook below.
Year 7 Curriculum
At Loreto, Year 7 students undertake ten subjects with six periods a day (50 minutes periods) across a fortnightly timetable. The 60-period fortnight also includes two periods of Mentor Group, one per week.
- Religious Education (5 periods a fortnight)
- Arts
- Art (3 periods a fortnight)*
- Drama (3 periods a fortnight)*
- Music (3 periods a fortnight)*
- English (8 periods a fortnight)
- Health and Physical Education (6 periods a fortnight)
- Languages (6 periods a fortnight)
- French or Japanese*
- Mathematics (8 periods a fortnight)
- Science (7 periods a fortnight)
- Humanities (7 periods a fortnight)
- Technology
- Food Technology (3 periods a fortnight)*
- Materials Technology (3 periods a fortnight)*
- Digital Technology (1 period a fortnight)
- Felicitous Life - Positive Education (1 period a fortnight)
*You will note that some studies within the Arts and Technology Faculties are semesterised. Students currently complete a full year of Music in Year 7, Drama in Year 8 and Art in Year 9. Materials and Food Technologies remain semesterised for both Year 8 and Year 9.