No, you won’t get lost. Everyone feels nervous when they join a new setting (new job, new community, new club, etc) but you will soon become familiar with your new surroundings. If you do feel lost or worried, you can ask teachers or other pupils nearby, or ask at reception.

Don't forget that on your first day, year 7 will be the only year group in school and you’ll have a tour of school with your form tutor. You will also be given a map of school to help you know your way around. Remember too that you will be moving around school with pupils in your class and year group, so you are likely to always be with someone else when moving from classroom to classroom.

Honestly, after a week or two, you will know your way around school without even needing to think about it!

In year 7 you will typically get 3 pieces of homework each evening which will last for 15-20 mins each. There is a homework timetable so that you know which days subjects will set their homework. Most subjects set homework once a week, but maths will set more frequently.

All homework is set on Show My Homework so you don't need to worry about writing it all down. The tasks, deadlines and resources will all be put on Show My Homework, so it really is a great tool for keeping yourself organised. You will receive your Show My Homework login details when you start in September. Parents also receive a login so that they can keep up to date with the homework being set.

When homework is set on Show My Homework, have a look at it to ensure you understand the task. If you don’t, slowly read the task again and look at any attachments or links that have been provided to help you. If you still don't understand, you could ask an adult at home for help or guidance, or even a friend.

There is also a function on Show My Homework which allows you to send a message to the teacher, so if you are having problems you can let them know and they can then help you out.

Your set is the group you attend your lessons with. This is based on how much support you need with your learning, and can differ from subject area. There are 5 sets. Sets HA, BX and BY have approximately 30 pupils and offer a higher pace of learning. C and D sets are often smaller sets with 15 – 20 pupils to ensure a teacher/pupil ratio allowing for more support where needed.

You will find out which set you are in when you begin in September, as this information will be on your timetable. We review the sets in December and July each year and make changes accordingly to reflect progress made.

Your form group is the group that you register with each morning and afternoon, and is also determines the house that you are in throughout your time here. There are four form groups in each year, one for each house. Your form group is mixed ability and there is an equal split of male and female across the four form groups.

For the first couple of weeks you will be getting used to lots of change and you may make a few mistakes, especially when reading your timetable. We understand this as we have all been there!

However, punctuality to school and lessons is extremely important. It is a life skill and demonstrates qualities of organisation and respect. We do monitor punctuality and attendance, therefore try your best to adjust and ask for help if you are having difficulties. After a few weeks, you will have it mastered!

Some of us adjust to change quicker than others – that is perfectly normal. We are all moving from primary to secondary school with different experiences and friendship groups. A lot of our intake will be joining us on their own or maybe only knowing a few other people.

Moving to St Joseph's from your primary school setting may take many weeks, and it will take time for you to settle into your new routines at home with new staff and friends. Don't worry – this is normal!

Remember: you are never alone. We work very closely with members of staff, especially your form tutor and Director of Learning, to help and support you through this change. We also ask your parents to keep in touch to build relationships with us, as the change can be difficult and unknown to us all.

There are also lots of things that will take place in school to help you to get to know new people – form group parties and getting to know you activities are just a couple of examples. Attending extra-curricular clubs is also a good way of meeting new people.

Before you start here, we gather lots of information from your Year 6 teachers. This means that when you start with us, we are already aware of everyone’s abilities and can place you in the right sets for your subjects. These sets will help ensure that you have the appropriate level of challenge and support for your ability and speed of learning. Work will also be differentiated within lessons to make sure your needs are met.

If you are concerned about the level of work in a specific subject you can have a chat with your teacher, tutor or Year 7 Director of Learning (Mrs Marshall).

Once you know which form your child will be in, you can buy your uniform. Blazers, school ties and PE tops need to be ordered online from Buckland and Price. If you're not sure what size to get, Price & Buckland have online size guidelines that you can use. Find out more about SJCS uniform standards and where to order uniform here.

You can also buy optional SJCS-branded sports kit from Batemans Sports.

You will be rewarded with achievement points for all the positive things you do in school, for example: excellent effort in lessons, good work, good participation, helping the school community, representing the school, sporting participation, etc.
These points add up and at the end of each term we have awards assemblies where your amount of points is recognised and you'll receive bronze, silver, gold, platinum or platinum plus status!

There is also a reward trip at the end of the year for pupils who have accumulated enough achievement points – this target is set at the start of the year.

Your achievement points will also go towards the house cup, which you can track on the homepage.