Transition to Secondary School

How exciting that your children are moving from Primary to Secondary education! To ensure that ESH Primary students and parents are supported throughout their transition to secondary school, we have developed a thorough transition programme.

Handover meetings between P5 and S1 teachers ensure that pedagogical continuity and continued support are provided to your children as they transition to ESH Secondary.

Timeline

December

Beginning of December: Parents will receive an invitation to register via OpenApply from the Admissions Department.

Mid-December: Deadline for ESH Primary parents to submit registration for their P5 child to attend ESH Secondary. Please note that Category III families who are currently already enrolled in ESH Primary do not need to pay the application fee for ESH Secondary.

January/February

March

Beginning of March: P5 students will visit ESH Secondary and join lessons with the Secondary teachers, to give them a taste of what to expect at Secondary school. Students will also participate in a school tour to familiarise themselves with the campus and facilities such as sports halls, ICT lab, canteen, reception etc. Students will also visit the Library where they will meet the Librarian, and learn about the resources available to support their learning.

April

Mid-April: S1 Secondary students host a sports day for the P5 students at the Secondary campus. The activities provide the P5 students with the chance to make new friends, so that they already feel part of the Secondary community when they begin their new school year. The sports day is a mix of both competitive and fun activities and is a highlight of the year for both P5 and S1 students.

June

July/September

Final information is provided to students and parents with instructions for their first week at Secondary school. A welcome event will be held for parents to meet management, learn more about the school, such as our policies, online learning and communications platforms. Parents will also be able to ask any questions they might still have. A Mentor Meeting and Curriculum Market will also be held for parents to meet their child's Mentor, and subject teachers.

Languages

The curriculum is tailored to meet the language needs of each student. In principle, students continue in the same language section they are in at ESH Primary. In addition to studying their European mother tongue, students also study in one of the vehicular languages of the European Union, and have the option to study a third or fourth language. Partway through their journey at ESH Secondary, students switch to studying humanities subjects in their second language, meaning they are truly bilingual upon graduation.

The Admissions Department can give you more information on how your child’s schooling might look, based on the languages your family speaks.

Language sections: English, French, Dutch or German

Language 1: European mother tongue

Language 2: English, French or German

Languages 3 and 4: English, French, Dutch, German, Spanish, Latin and Italian

Curriculum

The European Baccalaureate is the leaving qualification for the European Schools. The certificate awarded is recognised in all countries of the European Union, and in many other countries further abroad. ESH participated in its first European Baccalaureate programme in 2019, and our graduates are now attending universities around the world. Their success in the European Baccalaureate has allowed them to pursue degrees in a variety of fields including: Engineering, Law, Business, Fine Art, Psychology, and Science.

Find out more: European Baccalaureate

Culture

Travel

Being part of the European School system provides many opportunities for students to take part in cultural trips and exchanges throughout Europe. This is particularly important for students who are learning new languages, as immersion in language and culture provides the opportunity to put what has been learnt into practice. Many of the experiences that students have on trips and exchange extend beyond the scope of what is taught in classroom settings, making the tripsvaluable learning experiences and a memorable part of their secondary schooling.

Travelling abroad is a key part of our curriculum, find out more about our Residential Trips and Student Mobility Programme.

Academic Enrichment

ESH's programme of extracurricular activities offers a range of different activities to suit various interests, incluidng music, magic, drama, science, maths, sports and more.

Support

Supporting our students throughout their journey at ESH is critical to their success. Each student has a mentor teacher who is the first point of contact for parents and other teachers. Students attend a lesson with their mentor each week to support their social, academic and emotional development.

ESH Secondary also has a rich Support Department, made up of specialist support teachers who are able to arrange additional lessons for students who might need a little extra help. In addition, there is a homework support programme which students can attend after school. The Support Department also offers the support of psychologists to provide social and emotional support as needed.

Our Gifted and Talented programme and state-of-the-art Learning and Innovation Hub provide opportunities for students to expand their learning beyond the scope of the curriculum and focus on the topics they are passionate about.

Find out more: Support at ESH Secondary

Community

We are proud of our multicultural community and value the cultural diversity that each family brings to our school. Not only do we celebrate community within the school, we also provide opportunities for students to play an active role in their local and global communities.

When S1 students arrive on their first day of Secondary school, they are welcomed and supported by a fun and friendly group of Student Mentors from S5, who look after them and introduced them to life at ESH Secondary. Throughout the year, the S5 Student Mentors are involved in several activities with our S1 students to support them through their first year of secondary school.

The role of the Student Mentor encompasses tasks such as taking part in P5-S1 transition activities, being present at the S1 induction days, attending S1 mentor lessons and assemblies, and joining in activities such as the mentor Christmas lunch and sing-along. During mentor lessons, the Student Mentors help out with things like social climate, study skills and planning, discussing the use of social media, and helping Class Representatives prepare for Student Council meetings. Student mentors may also be asked to attend or participate in information evenings, information mornings, parent evenings, etc. 

The Student Mentor programme complements the Citizenship Actions for All Programme (CAAP) and provides students with opportunities to complete acts of service and develop their leadership skills. In general, CAAP requires students to participate in activities in which they make a positive contribution to their community such as volunteering with a community organisation, tutoring, coaching, organising charity events, helping a neighbor, etc. The project aims to give our students an opportunity to help others in kind, while embracing the school's values of positivity and respect.

As out partners in education, we also value our active parent community at Secondary and encourage all parents to become involved in the Secondary school community.

Find out more: Parents at ESH