A day in the life of a year 7 student

ThiNK Cares

Here at North Kesteven Academy, we understand
the challenge that transition from primary school to secondary school can be
for students, and it is for that reason that we constantly work to forge strong
relationships with our feeder schools.  We firmly believe that the more
familiar a setting, the more confident students will feel when they start
secondary school, and if there are members of staff they already know, that
confidence further increases.

There are many stages to our work with our feeder
schools which are outlined below:

Stage 1: Students of a variety of year groups are invited in to NK for a
variety of activities such as sporting activities, performances (Peter Pan and
Mary Poppins gave us an excellent opportunity to invite lots of primary
children in to our school).  We also hold specific Year Five days in the
summer term to give Year Five students a chance to experience a day in the life
of a secondary school, whilst also enriching their curriculum according to what
the primary teachers have requested.

An additional part of Stage 1 is that many of
our staff go out to feeder schools to teach a subject requested by primary
staff.  Recent examples of this have been Space using the Virtual Reality
headsets, and MFL from a subject specialist with primary experience.

Stage 2: Open Evenings and Open Mornings.  These give both
parents/carers and students the opportunity to see what we do here at NK. 
The open evenings give a quick snapshot of all departments, and the open
mornings give a very clear, open view of NK.  Students and their
parents/carers get a tour of the school including many Key Stage Three lessons
to see what life is really like in the classroom.

Stage 3: All parents/carers are sent all the information they need about
NK including a letter offering them a chance to come in and speak to a member
of staff about their child to give us information in addition to that which we
request to help us form tutor groups.  This can be in the form of a face
to face meeting, a phone conversation or even just an email – we will
accommodate the needs of the student and their parent/carer.  These
meetings are an excellent opportunity for us to find out anything about the
students that we may need to know.

Stage 4: Once students have opted to join the academy, we send members of
staff out to feeder schools to visit those coming up to us in the
September.  This happens in summer term for many of our students, but can
be requested if there is a school that does not automatically form part of our
list.

Stage 5: Induction.  Students are invited in for an induction day
which gives them the opportunity to meet their form tutor and fellow
tutees.  They also have some taster lessons, have a tour of the school,
lunch in the restaurant and an enrichment activity of their choice.  We
also run a session for parents/carers with the opportunity to put faces to
names and to ask questions if they so wish.

If you wish to discuss any part of the transition
process, please do not hesitate to contact Leanne Parker, Primary and Community
Liaison by emailing transition@nkacademy.co.uk.

If you are thinking about a secondary school
place for September 2024, why come and have a look round and see what we have
to offer. Ring us on 01522 881010 to book a tour.