Year 6 Transition
Dear Prendergast Ladywell Parent / Carer
We are looking forward to welcoming you to Prendergast Ladywell School at the start of the next academic year. The transition to Secondary School represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter for all students, with the promise of many enjoyable and successful school years ahead.
The transition from primary school to secondary school may seem like a massive step, but it represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter for all students. The start of this new chapter promises many enjoyable and successful school years ahead with multiple opportunities for you all to learn, grow and to be part of a community. Throughout your school journey you will be given many opportunities to allow you to meet new people and be able to develop your confidence throughout the years. We understand that it is a huge transition from primary school, but we are here to guide you and make you feel welcomed in our school.
In our school, we work hard to ensure students are demonstrating CARES values every day. We believe all students can Achieve Excellence; it is the motto written on the badge of every student.
Please keep checking this page for important information and updates. If you do have any questions, please feel free to email me at rsmithers.pl@lsfed.com
I look forward to meeting you.
Ms R Smithers - Transition Lead
Please see here for our Y6 PE Gallery:
PE Video Gallery/207/video-gallery/cat/15/y6-transition
Important information (Welcome Pack)
Please read our Welcome Booklet from 2024, which is full of important information about joining PLS.
You will also find the following documents useful:
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FSM Letter from PLS and the FSM Letter from Lewisham with details on how to apply for Free School Meals.
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Please see the Uniform page for further details on the uniform and where you can buy it.
Important diary dates for September 2025 entry: the PLS timeline
The transition from primary school to secondary school is a significant milestone, which can be daunting for some young people. We want to make this process as simple and easy as possible by providing plenty of opportunity for our future pupils to familiarise themselves with their new environment as soon as they can.
Every year, we deliver a varied programme of events to aid with the transition to Prendergast Ladywell School. Below is an outline of how the process works for students joining us; we generally have similar dates each year.
We currently use an online system to collect enrolment forms and supporting documents, followed by a face to face meeting to complete the process.
We use ParentMail to communicate with our incoming Year 7s, who may also check out this page for more information specific to their joining in September.
National Offer Day |
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Monday 17 March |
Deadline for accepting your place (please return your reply form to us at PLS and reply to any offer received via eadmissions) |
w/c Monday 22 April TBC |
We will invite families to join ParentMail |
w/c Monday 22 April TBC |
We will invite families to complete the online enrolment form |
Sunday 4 May |
Deadline to complete online enrolment form |
w/c Tuesday 6 May TBC | We email an appointment slot to families who have completed their enrolment forms (At the moment these are proposed to be held on Monday 19 May, or Monday 2 June) |
Monday 19 May TBC |
We use a combination of online enrolment forms and a face-to-face meeting |
Monday 2 June TBC |
We use a combination of online enrolment forms and a face-to-face meeting |
Tuesday 1 July |
Student familiarisation: Induction Day (8.45am - 12.30pm) |
w/c Tuesday 26 August TBC |
Summer School for new Year 7s. Tuesday - Friday, mornings only. |
Tuesday 2 September |
Year 7 starts school (Head start day, am only) |
Wednesday 3 September |
School starts for all year groups |
Enrolment
We use ParentMail to keep in regular contact with families, and a combination of the online enrolment form via Applicca and a face to face meeting.
In keeping with our usual schedule, following the Easter holiday, we invite successful applicants to submit the completed forms and upload images of the child's original passport and / or birth certificate, their latest school report and any medical / SEN notes as necessary. If you need to discuss this please get in touch.
We are oversubscribed and always have a long waiting list of people who wish to enrol at PLS. Please be aware that if you do not complete our enrolment process and do not get in touch with us, we will remove you from our admissions process so that we can offer the place to the person at the top of the waiting list.
Free school lunches
At Prendergast Ladywell School, a hot healthy lunch costs £2.75 per day (£13.75 per week). If your family receives certain benefits, your child may be entitled to free school meals, which could save you over £400 a year! This money is credited directly to your child's account daily at 12noon, so no one knows who receives free school meals.
In addition to free school meals, PLS will receive extra money (pupil premium) to benefit your child’s education.
Apply online at www.lewisham.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals - or click to read more information on free school meals.
Don’t miss out – apply today.
Contact
If you are stuck with anything, please contact Mechelle Paterson (Office and Admissions Manager) on SecAdmissions@Prendergast-Ladywell.com or call 020 8690 1114 and select option 2.
Why choose Prendergast Ladywell School?
Whatever you're into, we have something to interest you, check out this video and see for yourself:
PLS Induction Day
We normally welcome families to our Induction Day on the first Tuesday of July every year, which is the pan-London agreed induction date. The next Induction Day is scheduled to be Tuesday 1 July 2025. Please see below for an outline of events to get an idea of what to expect..
Students arrive at Prendergast Ladywell School, (using the Secondary School entrance, which is off Ladywell Fields) and report to the main reception desk at 8.45am in their current primary school uniform for the induction day, where students will signed in. At this point parents say goodbye to their child in the reception area.
Parents who requested to look around the School met with our Prefects once all of the students had gone downstairs to their Welcome Assembly, and were taken on a tour.
The format of the Induction Day is as follows:
8.45 - 9.00 | Arrival – students to be brought to reception and will sign in then go to the Assembly Hall for a range of activities |
10.45 - 11.00 | Break time: refreshments are provided |
12.30 | End of the Induction Day |
Parents / carers may collect students from the Park gate (Ladywell Fields) at the end of the day.
First day for Y7s: Tuesday 2 September 2025 (morning only)
We hold a morning session only for our new Year 7s at the beginning of September, so they have the opportunity to get used to the building before the rest of the school returns the following school day. This is a very important day for our new starters, and we delay the rest of the school starting until the next day so that we can dedicate this time exclusively to our Y7s.
Outline of the day:
08:20am |
Students arrive at School |
08:30 - 09:00am |
Year 7 meet in KS3 playground in Tutor Groups |
09:00 - 09:50am |
Tutor Time session: student organisation |
09:50 - 10:50am |
Orientation tour of the school |
10:50 - 11:10am |
Break |
11:10 - 12:30pm |
Tutor Group induction activities |
Open Events in September 2025
Our Open Events follow the same pattern every year, but have not yet been confirmed for September 2026 entry. Mr Hand, Headteacher, introduces key members of staff and gives a deeper insight into Prendergast Ladywell School.
You are invited to explore our website, or get in touch with any questions you may have.
The dates for the last programe of events is below, so you can see the pattern we follow. They will be updated in spring 2025.
The programme began with an Open Evening on Tuesday 10 September from 6pm to 8pm.
The dates for our Open Mornings were as follows, running from 9.15am to 10.30am:
Thursday 12 September
Tuesday 17 September
Thursday 19 September
Tuesday 24 September
We also scheduled a Virtual Open Evening on Thursday 19 September from 6pm to 8pm, with no limits on numbers! This online event was hosted by Mr Hand, where he delivers his presentation and answers questions posted on the forum.
Please read the FAQs from September 2020 or the more recent FAQs from September 2022 for more information on the school.
Here are some comments from past events:
I really enjoyed all of the different facilities that I was shown… you are doing very well. I am looking forward to coming here. I was very excited and looking forward to seeing the school after checking the website. I was even more impressed! My child will be coming in September. Thank you. I have enjoyed my time here. I think I will have a good education here next year.
You are welcome to view these recordings of previous Open Events: