Life in the Lower School at JCG begins with Year 5 Experience Days and continues throughout Year 7 and 8.

Our two Transition Days, held in July of Year 6, give our new students the opportunity to experience the academic and extra-curricular life of the College, meet their new Form Tutor as well as senior students in their House and make new friends.

The start of Year 7 is a very exciting time but we do recognise it is a period of change and there are a lot of things to get used in a new school environment. We understand that students are still finding their feet during the first few weeks and getting to know new places and new faces. So, with this in mind, during the first week, students will leave lessons a few minutes early to give them time to navigate their way to their next lesson or lunch… so they get to be front of the queue!

The students will finish their first week with a trip to the Zoo with their Form Tutors and the Pastoral Team, which is a lovely way to bond and finish the week on a high.

At JCG, we recognise that transition is a process and for this reason, we view Year 7 in its entirety as a transition year.

In the Lower School, we encourage a culture of belonging, where every student feels valued.

Supporting belonging

The Form Tutor is a key link between home and school and usually follows the students throughout their time at College, forging strong relationships. The Tutor, supported by the Head of School, their Assistant and the School Counsellors all work collaboratively with the students and their parents to monitor academic progress and look after the wellbeing of the students. Tutors encourage their tutees to reflect on their progress and seek continuous improvement through the mentoring programme.

All Lower School students will be sorted into “Buddy Families” with other Year 7 students and Sixth Form students from their House. During the first half-term of Year 7, the “Buddy Families" will meet every week during form time. Together, the “Buddy Families" also share numerous experiences - they get together in the Autumn term to create sustainable Christmas decorations for “Buddy Baubles”, compete with other Houses in “Buddy Baking” in the Spring term, and with “Buddy Miles”, the annual charity walk in July, marking their final Buddy event in Year 7. In Year 8, there are further opportunities for Buddy activities.

The Head of School and Tutor team are supported by two Lower School Prefects who are appointed at Easter each year from Year 12. The Lower School Prefects are a very valuable extension to the team and support with events including the Year 5 Experience and Year 6 Transition Days. They are also proactive in providing support to the Lower School students.

The Lower School Prefects are supported by a team of Junior Prefects in Year 12 who are each allocated to a different House and support the Tutors in facilitating fun opportunities for the students to meet up and bond during form time. The Junior Prefects also help to organise some events throughout the year including Lower School Discos, karaokes and movie screenings.

Each year, a team of Peer Mentors are appointed from our Year 12 cohort. They receive training from the College Counsellors after which they are prepared to help support students with everyday issues. Students find it reassuring to be able to talk to an older peer who can share their own experience.