STEWARDS Academy was delighted to host its very first Year 7 Settling In ‘Welcome’ Evening on Thursday 11th September – a brand-new event introduced this year as part of the school’s ambitious and thoughtfully curated Transition Programme. This warm and informal occasion was the latest in a series of unique initiatives designed to ensure a smooth, stress-free and supportive transition from primary to secondary school for every child and their family.

 
Held just a week and a half into the start of the new academic year, this special evening welcomed our newest families into the heart of the Stewards community. The event offered Year 7 pupils the opportunity to proudly guide their parents and carers around the school, showcasing the exciting work they have already begun in their lessons and introducing the key areas of the school that are quickly becoming their second home.
 
The evening was designed to be a relaxed drop-in event where families could:
 
Take an informal tour of the school building with their child.
Visit classrooms and view pupils’ early work.
Engage in friendly, informal conversations with teaching staff about what students have been learning so far.
 
In addition to classroom visits, a wide range of informative stalls were available in the main hall, providing guidance on key systems and services that support students throughout their time at Stewards Academy. These included:
 
Arbor (school communication and data system)
Homework platforms such as Bedrock, MathsWatch, Seneca and Kerboodle
Attendance and Safeguarding Teams
Place2Be and the Talk Team for mental health and wellbeing support
Student Services, Medical, and SEND Departments
Thinking & Reading Team
An overview of the Academy’s Rewards System
 
There were no formal appointments required, encouraging families to move freely between stalls, ask questions, and engage in helpful discussions at their own pace.
 
This latest event, led by Mrs Bartlett and the Transition Team,  is one of many, that form part of Stewards Academy’s new, comprehensive Transition Programme, introduced earlier this year, to ensure every new student feels known, valued and supported from the moment they are offered a place at the Academy.
 
In the half-term leading up to the summer break, the school also delivered an impressive array of initiatives, including:
 
An afternoon Welcome Tea for parents
Primary School visits by Stewards staff
Six after-school Twilight Induction Sessions for pupils
A Parent Information Evening
A Year 6 Taster Day
A Year 6 Disco
Personalised Parent-Tutor Meetings
A Family BBQ and Rounders Event
A three-day Summer School
A creative Summer Transition Project
 
Each of these events were carefully designed to build confidence, familiarity, and a sense of belonging among students and their families well before the September start. The Year 7 Settling In ‘Welcome’ Evening was the final piece in this extensive transition journey—aimed at fostering strong partnerships between home and school and laying the foundations for open communication and long-lasting relationships.
 
Headteacher Mr Drew reflected on the evening’s success:
 
“We are incredibly proud of the extensive transition programme we’ve introduced at Stewards Academy. The Settling In Evening was a joyful celebration of our new Year 7s and a real demonstration of the strong partnerships we are building with our families. Seeing our pupils guide their families with such confidence and pride reminded us of how important these early moments are—and how powerful it is when students and parents feel truly at home from day one.”
 
The feedback from parents and carers has been overwhelmingly positive, reflecting the genuine care and commitment behind every detail of the new transition programme at Stewards:
 
“We just wanted to say how truly grateful we are for the care and thought that’s gone into our son’s transition to Stewards. From the very beginning, he’s been made to feel welcome, understood, and supported. He’s had the chance to meet many of his future teachers, and it’s made a huge difference to his confidence. He’s already made new friends—some his age and some older—and it’s so reassuring to know he feels comfortable and excited about what’s ahead. He now knows exactly who to turn to if he ever needs help, which gives us great peace of mind as parents. The communication from the school has been outstanding—warm, personal, and consistent. We honestly couldn’t ask for a better start to this next chapter. Stewards have gone above and beyond! Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.”
 
The success of this event and the array of new transition opportunities facilitated before the summer holidays highlights Stewards Academy’s unwavering commitment to ensuring every child—and their family—feels not only welcomed, but truly part of the Stewards family from the very beginning of their secondary school journey.