Your Community School

Who can come?

The Westwood School has a designated 'catchment area', drawn up by the Local Education Authority, as do all Coventry Secondary Schools. A place is reserved at The Westwood School for all children living within our catchment area. However, any parents living in Coventry can request a place for their child at our school, and their request will be given the fullest consideration by the Education Authority:

Our Feeder Primary Schools include:

Cannon Park
Earlsdon
Hearsall Community
Leigh Church of England
St. Christopher
Templars
The Charter School
Whoberley Hall

Most of our students have attended one of these Primary Schools. In addition some children living in our catchment area have attended other local Primary Schools (e.g. St. John's and Stivichall). We have strong links with our family of schools. Staff from The Westwood School visit them and teach in them on a regular basis. These curriculum links are reinforced by regular meetings between the Headteachers of the schools concerned and by joint in-service training events for the teachers at the schools. This level of co-operation is very important when it comes to ensuring that children move smoothly between Primary and Secondary School and that we at The Westwood School can build on the progress your child has made in Years 1 to 6.

Joining us at The Westwood School

During your child's final year at Primary School you will receive an invitation to The Westwood School's Open Evening. You are welcome to visit our school at any time,but during the Summer and Autumn Term all parents of Year 5 pupils in our feeder Primary Schools receive personal invitations to specific events such as the Open Evening or a coffee morning. On Open Evening, you will have the chance to meet the Leadership Team and Governors. During Open Evening you can also meet teaching staff and discuss aspects of the curriculum, which interest you. You can visit all the school's excellent facilities,and,of course,you can see many examples of our students' work.

On Open Evening, school students are available to show you round and to tell you about the school. In the Autumn term you will receive official transfer documents from the Local Authority (LA) inviting you to select your preferred Secondary School. Your child's Primary School will also organise meetings to discuss transfer to Secondary School. Obviously,we hope that you will feel confident about entrusting your child's secondary education to us. We care for every child as an individual and strive to meet children's needs so that they achieve the highest possible academic standards that they are capable of. The LA informs the Secondary School of its prospective students in the Spring Term, and we then keep in close contact with our new parents for the rest of Year 6. Our Leadership Team, Director of Transition and Director of Social Inclusion visit your child's Primary School. They meet the children and begin to get to know them. They talk to their teachers about the progress each child has made and what their particular needs are. Our programme of teaching lessons within the primary school continues. In this way your child comes to know a number of our teaching staff before they join us in September. Discussions take place with Primary School teachers to decide your child's tutor group at The Westwood School, so that the decisions made are in the best interests of your child.

Groups of Year 6 children from our partner Primary Schools are invited to The Westwood School for lessons, enabling the children to begin to become familiar with a new school. During the summer term, those Year 6 children who have chosen to come to The Westwood School the following September spend a whole 'Induction Day' in the school,getting to know staff and students in their new school. During this day they meet their Pastoral Director, Form Tutor and Peer Mentor. They follow a timetable of lessons and are told about the school's Code of Conduct. They receive a copy of the “Home School Agreement”,which outlines the partnership between students,parents and the school. In this way they not only learn to find their way around the school but begin to learn what is required of them as a student at The Westwood School. On the same evening all parents who have chosen The Westwood School as their child's secondary school are invited to a 'New Parents' Evening' to meet the school staff. You will be welcomed by members of the Parent Teacher Association and the School Governors. You will be introduced to your child's Form Tutor and can spend time discussing your child's needs. The Head,Leadership Team and Director of Transition discuss curriculum matters and the school's vision for the future.