Throughout the year, children join Clifton in every year group. Some children transfer from another school locally or elsewhere in the UK, while others may be new to England and joining an English school for the first time.

We know that starting a new school can feel exciting but also a little daunting, particularly when everything – the school, the local area and sometimes even the language – is new. At Clifton, we want every new child and their family to feel welcomed, supported and part of our community from the very beginning.

Helping Children Settle In

When a child joins Clifton, we take time to get to know them and understand their previous experiences, strengths and individual needs.

Children are introduced to their new classroom, routines and the important people and places around the school. Classmates play an important part in helping new pupils feel welcome, make friends and become familiar with everyday life at Clifton.

We understand that settling into a new school takes time. Staff will check how children are adjusting, help them build relationships and provide additional support where it is needed.

New to English

Many children join Clifton speaking more than one language, and some arrive with little or no English.

We see children's home languages as a strength and recognise that learning English takes time. Children are supported to access classroom learning while developing their confidence in understanding and using English.

Teachers use a range of strategies and adaptations to make learning accessible, and additional language support may be provided according to a child's individual starting point and needs.

Most importantly, children do not need to be able to speak English before they can belong, make friends and take an active part in school life.

Supporting Families

We recognise that joining Clifton may also be part of a much bigger transition for a family, particularly for those who are new to England.

We aim to make information about school as clear and accessible as possible and will work with families to help them understand our routines, expectations and the support available. Where language may be a barrier, we will consider how best to support communication between home and school.

Parents and carers are always welcome to ask questions. There is a lot to learn when joining a new school, and we do not expect families to know how everything works straight away.

Welcome to Clifton

Every child who joins us brings their own experiences, language, culture, knowledge and strengths to our school community.

Whether a child joins us in Nursery, part-way through primary school or shortly before moving on to secondary school, our aim is the same: to help them feel safe, develop a sense of belonging and have every opportunity to thrive at Clifton.

Clifton is a proudly multilingual school. Many of our children, families and staff speak more than one language, and a wide range of languages are spoken across our school community.

We recognise children's home languages as an important part of their identity, culture and learning. Being able to speak more than one language is something to celebrate, and children are encouraged to value the languages they use at home while developing their confidence and fluency in English.

Across our staff team, a number of different languages are also spoken. Where possible, this can help us to welcome new families, support communication and help children feel reassured when they first join Clifton.

Guide to Clifton

We are currently developing a new Guide to Clifton to help families prepare for starting at our school. It will bring together key information about the school day, routines and everyday life at Clifton.

Our new Guide to Clifton is coming soon.

In the meantime, you can find lots of useful information throughout our website, or contact the school office if you have any questions.

Welcome to Southall

We are also developing a new Welcome to Southall guide, particularly for families who are new to the local area or have recently arrived in the UK.

The guide will bring together useful information about the local community, services and support available to help families settle into life in Southall.

Our new Welcome to Southall guide is coming soon.

If you need any help or information in the meantime, please speak to a member of our team.

Konkani

Hindi

Urdu

Punjabi

Resources for Children and Families

Continuing to read, talk and share stories in your home language is important. Children do not need to stop using their first language while they are learning English. These resources can help families enjoy stories together and support children as they develop their English.

Stories in Your Home Language
WorldStories
A free collection of illustrated stories from around the world, available in many different languages including Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Somali, Tamil and Urdu. 

Ririro – Free Online Stories
A large collection of free children's stories, with stories available in a growing range of languages and many with audio.

Stories to Help Develop English
Stories with Symbols
Free story videos which use pictures and communication symbols to support understanding and vocabulary. They are designed to support children with speech, language and communication needs as well as children learning English as an additional language.

Translation Support
Google Translate
A useful translation tool which can help families understand unfamiliar English words and phrases and communicate across languages.