Year 6 Transition

Welcome

Dear Year 6 Parents and Carers,

We are delighted that you are considering AGFS as an option for your child's secondary school journey. This Year 6 transition web page will be updated regularly and provides Year 6 parents with a 'one stop shop' containing all the information you will need to ensure your child's transition to secondary school is as smooth as possible.

Please do not hesitate to contact us by email at admissions@arkgreenwich.org or by telephone at 020 8319 3692, should you require further assistance.

We look forward to meeting you,

AGFS

The AGFS DNA (what we live and breathe)

Our Values: Ambition, Growth, Fellowship and Scholarship

No Nonsense Culture

How
AGFS is renowned for its sky-high standards and no-nonsense culture. This means interventions may be used and we are a strict no mobile phone school. Scholars are expected to be kind, organised, and to try their best every day.

Why
Good order and discipline help to create a safe learning environment where children can flourish. Mobile phones are an unwanted distraction and, alongside gaming and social media, tend to be the root cause of most stress for children.

Grammar School Ethos

How
We offer a highly academic curriculum. 95% of our scholars enter the academically rigorous EBACC set of qualifications, most take triple science, and all study an MFL. We pitch teaching to the top and support everyone to reach this standard.

Why
We know that a stretching academic curriculum best prepares our scholars to stand shoulder to shoulder with their peers across the education sector. Most of our scholars achieve outcomes that enable them to access grammar school sixth form provision and academic outcomes are amongst the highest in the UK.

Innovative Classrooms

How
An AGFS classroom looks and feels different to other classrooms. Teachers engage 100% of scholars in the learning process by ensuring there are no hiding places. Everyone has an important contribution to make, and this should be delivered ‘loud and proud’. Teachers systematically check for understanding before moving on. Lessons are pitched at a high level and support is scaffolded to ensure everyone reaches this bar. A primacy is placed on the acquisition of the most important knowledge and skills across the curriculum. Assessment is frequent, cumulative and builds in complexity over time.

Why
Maintaining traditional values is central to our approach, but we also pay close attention to research in the field of education. We are committed to remaining at the forefront of best practice by utilising techniques for teaching, learning, curriculum design and assessment that lead to rapid and sustained academic progress. We don’t believe in gimmicks or flashy one-off lessons. Rather, we believe exponential progress happens when provision is consistently strong every single day.

Character Development

How
We place a primacy on the development of life enabling characteristics including independence, resilience, kindness, and self-belief. Scholars practice these skills all the time including through public speaking and SCHOLAR.

Why
Great examination results alone are not enough. We know scholars will also need to develop these softer skills if they are to hold their own in an increasingly competitive world. Young people who display these characteristics are highly employable and more likely to secure a place at an elite university.

Enrichment and Rewards

How
We invest heavily in rewarding scholars who always do the right thing. Our golden ticket reward system, Wednesday afternoon enrichment programme, extra-curricular provision, and range of 12 drop down day excursions per year are highly valued by scholars.

Why
Access to culturally enriching opportunities through school trips and extra-curricular activities help to ensure children become well-rounded individuals – it’s also great fun to spend time with teachers and friends outside of lessons. Rewarding scholars who always do the right thing is an important way of recognising their hard work.