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Passport to High School

This week, our Year 6 students had a full day of High School activities as part of Passport to High School, giving them a taste of what’s to come when they arrive as Year 7 students next year. The program included rotations through Science, Visual Arts, Drama, Spanish and the Bibliothèque, followed by the IGS Discovery Trail led by Stephen Pace Head of Year 10 and a group of Year 10 students, concluding with a pizza lunch in the Hall.

Students also met several High School teachers along the way. Rather than a general reassurance, students were given specific experiences – a science lesson, a drama activity, a walk around the campus – that replaced assumption with information.

 

Three children wearing white lab coats and blue lanyards stand together, smiling in a brightly lit secondary school classroom or laboratory setting with science posters and red signs visible in the background, as if proudly displaying their passport to scientific discovery.
Three children wearing white lab coats and safety goggles stand in a science laboratory, smiling at the camera. A red curtain and shelves with equipment are visible in the background, creating an inspiring setting for this Secondary School Programme that lets students experience science as their passport to discovery.
Two secondary school students stand at a lectern labelled IGS International Grammar School, with one student speaking into a microphone while the other looks on. They are on a stage with a dark background, symbolising how education at IGS can be a passport to new opportunities.
A man in a white lab coat gestures while speaking to a secondary school audience in a bright classroom with blue chairs and large images of colourful test tubes on the wall.
A smiling boy with light brown hair and a navy shirt raises his fist in excitement, perhaps celebrating a milestone in his secondary school programme. A man stands blurred in the background. The setting appears to be indoors, possibly a classroom or an activity space.
A large group of people sit in rows facing a stage in a gymnasium, listening to a speaker at a lectern. Colourful banners and a GURA banner are visible in the foreground, suggesting this may be an event for a secondary school programme.
A man in a white lab coat speaks to a group of seated students in a classroom, introducing them to the Passport to High School programme. One student raises their hand as science posters and laboratory equipment are visible in the background.
A person wearing glasses and a green jacket selects a book from a library shelf filled with novels, perhaps searching for the perfect passport to secondary school. Other books and someone in the background are also visible.
A woman in a white lab coat and glasses instructs two students on using microscopes in a science laboratory, providing them with valuable practical experience as part of their secondary school programme.
Two young people in white lab coats and safety glasses work in a laboratory, as part of their sixth form induction. One holds up a clear container, examining it closely, while scientific equipment and shelves are visible in the background.
A teacher in a grey suit helps students in white lab coats conduct a science experiment at a classroom table as part of a secondary school programme, with red curtains and windows in the background.
Two children in lab coats use a microscope in a bright classroom, participating in an engaging secondary school programme. One child looks through the lens while adjusting the focus, and the other watches attentively. Safety goggles are on the table.
A man in a grey suit and glasses serves pizza slices to a young girl with long blonde hair at a table with pizza boxes and plates, creating a welcoming atmosphere that feels like a Passport to High School event.
A group of diverse students sit closely together indoors, wearing lanyards and sports kits as part of the Passport to High School programme. One boy in front smiles brightly while turning towards the camera, and others look engaged in conversation.
A woman with blonde hair stands at a lectern, smiling as she speaks into a microphone about the Secondary School Programme. She is wearing a navy blue jumper over a striped shirt and has one hand on her hip. The background is dark and plain.
Two girls in dark hoodies sit on chairs indoors, smiling and talking to each other during a secondary school programme. Other people are seated nearby. A blurred blue and white banner hangs in the background.

 

What Students Enjoyed Most
Science and Drama were the standout activities, with Visual Arts, Spanish, the Bibliothèque and the Discovery Trail also mentioned frequently. In Science, students worked on forensic DNA analysis and fingerprint dusting. Henry said the lesson left him “really excited for High School science.” Zara pointed to a different benefit of the day, noting it was “nice to meet some of the High School teachers in advance” as well as getting a sense of what Year 7 will involve.

The pizza lunch also came up repeatedly in feedback – a reminder that shared informal moments matter alongside the structured activities.

Feedback From Students Leaving IGS
Several students who will not be continuing to High School at IGS took part in the day and wrote in afterwards. Phoebe said, “this school has been wonderful and so have you and all other teachers.” Roman described the day as “a wonderful experience” and said he had “learnt so much from this day.”

Students left the day less anxious about High School and more excited, confident and ready for the transition ahead.

Aqeel summed up the shift plainly, saying, “I realise it’s not as scary as it sounds.” Marlowe described a similar change, describing how she “felt the freedom that high schoolers get” and said she was “so excited now for all the new opportunities.”

Maddie’s comment captures the outcome the day was aiming for: “Today was such a meaningful experience and I think it has prepared me so well for high school.”

Thank you to everyone who helped make Passport to High School such a wonderful experience for our Year 6 students. Whether you prepared an activity, supervised students, helped with transitions, organised resources, supported catering or simply made our Year 6 students feel welcome, you contributed to what was clearly a very special day for them.

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