Supporting St Joseph’s Families

We understand that school closure can be unsettling for children and families. Our priority is to ensure continuity of education, stability, and emotional support. We are committed to making the transition as smooth and positive as possible for every pupil. 

We are fully committed to supporting your child throughout their transition and ensuring they feel safe, confident, and well-settled in their new environment. This support includes a strong focus on pastoral care, where your child’s emotional wellbeing is prioritised at all stages. We also offer a buddy system, pairing your child with a peer who can help them navigate daily routines and build friendships. In addition, structured transition sessions are provided to familiarise your child with their new surroundings, routines, and expectations. To ensure ongoing support, we carry out regular check-ins, allowing us to monitor your child’s progress, address any concerns promptly, and ensure they continue to feel supported and included. 

We assess each pupil’s starting point and provide tailored support where needed. Our teachers ensure a smooth transition by identifying any gaps and helping pupils quickly feel confident and engaged in their learning.

We recognise that maintaining friendships and familiar social connections is an important part of helping children feel secure and confident during a period of change. Wherever possible, we will take great care to place children alongside familiar peers from their current school, helping to provide reassurance and continuity as they transition into a new environment. 

During the admissions process, parents are very welcome to share any friendship requests, and we will do our best to take these into account when organising classes. In addition, all new pupils are supported through our buddy system, where they are paired with a current student who can help them settle in, navigate daily routines, and form new friendships. 

Our aim is to ensure that every child feels both supported by existing friendships and confident in building new relationships within the Crosfields community. 

We are committed to ensuring that every child feels confident, prepared, and supported before and during their move to Crosfields. A range of carefully planned transition activities will be provided to help pupils become familiar with their new environment, routines, and community. 

These will include school tours and familiarisation visits, giving children and parents the opportunity to explore the campus, see key areas such as classrooms and playgrounds, and begin to feel comfortable in their new surroundings. Where appropriate, taster sessions will be offered, allowing pupils to spend time in a classroom setting, meet peers, and experience a typical school day. 

We will also provide opportunities for pupils and parents to meet teachers and key staff ahead of joining, helping to build early relationships and provide reassurance. Induction events will take place prior to starting, offering important information, introductions, and a chance for children to connect with others joining at the same time. 

Where possible, we will support a gradual transition into school life, recognising that each child may adjust differently. This may include staggered starts or additional settling-in opportunities, ensuring that every pupil feels secure, welcomed, and ready to thrive from their very first day. 

We offer a wide-ranging and enriching programme of extracurricular activities designed to support your child’s development beyond the classroom. This includes a variety of sports, creative arts, clubs, and enrichment opportunities that cater to different interests and abilities. Participation in these activities not only helps pupils to explore new skills and build confidence, but also plays a key role in helping them settle into school life more quickly. Through shared experiences and teamwork, pupils are able to form friendships, feel a sense of belonging, and become actively involved in the wider school community.

Yes, we offer wraparound care to support busy families and provide a seamless start and end to the school day. Our provision is designed to be flexible, reliable, and welcoming for all children. 

Typically, this may include a breakfast club, where children can arrive early in a calm and friendly environment, enjoy a nutritious breakfast, and take part in light activities before lessons begin. After school, we may offer an after-school club, giving children the opportunity to unwind, socialise, and engage in a range of supervised activities such as crafts, games, or outdoor play until parents or carers are able to collect them. 

Our wraparound care aims to create a safe, enjoyable and supportive setting outside of standard school hours, helping to balance family and work commitments while ensuring children are well cared for throughout the day. 

Crosfields’ teaching approach focuses on high challenge combined with strong support. Staff aim to teach to the top while scaffolding learning, ensuring all pupils are stretched but also able to access the ambitious curriculum. 

Pupils are encouraged to develop: 

• Independence 
• Critical thinking 
• Resilience 

Through high expectations and tailored guidance, pupils build confidence and acquire the skills needed for GCSE study and beyond. The approach is designed so that every pupil feels both challenged and capable, gradually taking on more demanding academic work. 

Find out more on our Seniors web pages >

We value a breadth of study at key stage 3 and offer; English, Mathematics, Science, Languages (French and Spanish), Arts, Humanities (Geography, History and RS), Physical Education, Design Technology and Computing. In Year 7 pupils also have XFP lessons, where they learn study skills and follow a UCL accredited entrepreneurship course. 

This ensures a breadth of curriculum that is ambitious, and balanced. 

Find out more on our Key Stage 3 web pages >

All Crosfields staff are alert to signs that a pupil may be struggling with their mental health. We have a referral system in school which alerts pastoral and safeguarding leadership to any concerns that are raised and each case is triaged and assigned to a level of in-house support, from our highly qualified and experienced Mental Health Practitioner, to our Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs), to our therapy dog.  

Understanding what each pupil needs from us when they are struggling is an incredibly important element for implementing the right intervention for that child. That is achieved through open communication with families and listening to the child themselves about how they are feeling, what has happened, and what they need. 

Crosfields has a dedicated, experienced and highly-skilled team of practitioners working with and supporting our pupils with a range of additional needs. This may be in the classroom, 1:1 working, group working or tailored intervention. 

If your child has a diagnosed additional need or is presenting with traits of an additional need and you would like to discuss what support would look like for them at Crosfields, please contact our SENDCo directly at IantheKingTaylor@crosfields.com 

Please visit the transport links section of our website for full information Transport Links. The image below highlights our current School Bus routes, but if you need the transport to stop somewhere close to these routes, we will do everything we can to accommodate. If you have any queries about travel to and from school, please contact office@crosfields.com  

We believe strongly in formalised, consistent and informative reporting, so you can track your child’s progress throughout their academic journey at Crosfields. 

Pupils in Years 7 to 11 are reported on each half term through BOPA grades (behaviour, organisation, progress, attainment), which are sent to parents. 

Pupils also have two, in person Parents’ Evenings each year and one full written report. 

Pupils in Years 7 to 9 have assessments within their scheduled lessons at a time appropriate to each department. These assessments are reported through the BOPA grades each term. At the end of the academic year, pupils have end of year assessments – these provide a summative assessment of the pupil’s work and provide important academic indicators. 

Pupils in Year 10 sit mock GCSE examinations in the summer term, in the sports hall under public examination conditions. 

In Year 11 pupils sit further mock GCSE examinations in January.

Start of the Day:

Optional Breakfast Club from 7:30am 

Morning registration and tutor time (may include assembly “Collect”, singing, or House meetings). Lessons begin at 9:00am 

Morning Lessons:

Typically, two 1-hour lessons before break 

Break at 11:00am 

Lessons resume 11:30am until lunchtime 

Lunch from 13:00 

Years 10–11 have a slightly later lunch (13:30) due to a staggered timetable 

Afternoon:

Afternoon sessions restart at:  

14:00 (Years 7 to 9) 

14:30 (Years 10 to 11) 

Two further lessons (academic or sport) 

End of Day 

Years 7 to 9 finish at 16:00pm 

Years 10 to 11 finish at 16:30 

 After School 

Pupils have the option to stay for:  

Prep (homework) club 

Clubs and activities until 17:30 

Library open until 18:00 

At GCSE level, pupils study core subjects of English Literature, Language, Maths and Dual Award Science. They then choose four subjects from the following options. In addition to these options, there is the offer of Astronomy, Additional Maths and RS Short Course to be taken outside of normal timetabled lessons. 

Option Blocks – Year 10 into 11 

We are conscious that for current Year 10 pupils, they may study subjects that we do not habitually offer. Please discuss this further with our Deputy Head Academic. At this stage, we have some exam boards that match perfectly those at St Joseph’s and those that do not. The Heads of Department have worked on looking at compatibility between Crosfield and St Joseph’s specifications and in all cases, there are feasible approaches that would enable this transfer. 

Option Blocks – Year 9 into 10 

Please note that this is a free choice for pupils, based on their aptitudes and interests. 

Crosfields’ examination results are excellent. Last year our GCSE results placed us in the top 10% of schools nationally in terms of value added. 

100% of pupils gained entry to their first choice Sixth Form place. 

Read more about our GCSE results here >