Foundations First
Giving Every Year 7 Student a Strong Start
Starting secondary school is an exciting step, but we understand that it can also feel like a big change. Students join Meridian from a wide range of primary schools, bringing different experiences, strengths and learning needs.
Our Foundation First Curriculum is a carefully designed 12-week transition programme that gives every Year 7 student the strongest possible start to secondary school. It provides dedicated time during the first term to develop the essential knowledge, skills and confidence students need to succeed across the curriculum.
The Four Foundations for Success
During Foundation First, students follow a carefully planned programme focused on four key areas:
- Reading: Developing fluency, vocabulary and comprehension so students can confidently understand texts across different subjects.
- Writing and spelling: Strengthening handwriting, spelling, sentence construction and the ability to communicate ideas clearly in writing.
- Speaking and listening: Building students’ confidence to express their ideas, listen carefully, contribute to discussions and speak clearly to different audiences.
- Numeracy: Securing essential mathematical knowledge and developing the confidence to use number skills across the curriculum.
These skills support learning in every subject. By strengthening them early in Year 7, we help students become more confident, successful and independent learners in the future.
Throughout the 12 weeks, students complete a range of assessments. These are designed to help us understand what each student can already do and identify any areas where they may need further support or challenge moving forward.
We do not make decisions based on one test. Instead, we consider a range of information. Bringing this information together allows us to build a detailed and balanced picture of each child. It helps teachers understand how students learn best and ensures that support is based on individual need.
Providing the Right Support and Challenge
The information gathered through Foundation First is used by teachers across the school. It helps them plan lessons that provide the right level of support, remove possible barriers and challenge students appropriately from the beginning of Year 7 and as the students move into the Meridian curriculum from January.
Some students may benefit from additional scaffolding or targeted teaching in a particular area. Others may need greater stretch, more complex tasks or opportunities to work with increasing independence.
Where appropriate, students may also access a focused intervention to strengthen a particular skill, such as phonics, reading fluency, spelling, handwriting, communication or numeracy. These interventions are reviewed regularly so that support can be adapted as students make progress.
This does not mean that a student has failed or fallen behind. It simply allows us to respond early and give every student the specific help they need to move forward confidently.
Building Confidence for the Future
Foundation First is not simply an assessment programme. It is an opportunity for students to settle into secondary school, experience success and build positive relationships with staff and other students.
Our ambition is simple: by investing time in the foundations of learning and the essential skills, every Year 7 student will develop the literacy, numeracy, communication skills and confidence needed to access the full curriculum, achieve their potential and make a successful transition into life at Meridian High School.
