Preparing for Transition

We have already made contact with each Primary School regarding your child to ensure we are informed with any additional information that may help with their transition process. Our transition portal is regularly updated with key information. 

Parents are encouraged to complete our Parent Survey which gives the opportunity to share additional information to further support your child’s transition to Miltoncross. 

Parents will also receive a ‘Parent Pack’ in the post in due course with further information we require. If you haven't received a Parent Pack by Friday 9th June, please email transition@miltoncross-tkat.org. 

Following the National Offer Day, you will shortly receive a Welcome Booklet and letter from the Headteacher, Mr Giles, and our Year 7 Team following your allocation to Miltoncross Academy by Portsmouth City Council. 

Our Year 7 Transition Experience Days will run over 2 days on Monday 30th June and Tuesday 1st July 2025 for all prospective Miltoncross students.

All information regarding the Transition Days will be given to  parents at our Transition Information Evening on Wednesday 25th June 2025.

Our school day will be running a little differently in September 2025.

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

• 08:30am - Main Gates Open

• 08:40am - 09:20am - Roll Call / Tutor / Reading

• 09:20am - 10:35am - Period One

• 10:35am - 11:50am - Period Two

• 11:50am - 12:15pm - Break One

• 12:15pm - 01:30pm - Period Three

• 01:30pm - 01:55pm - Break Two

• 01:55pm - 03:10pm - Period Four 

Tuesday

• 08:30am - Main Gates Open

• 08:40am - 08:45am - Roll Call

• 08:45am - 09:55am - Period One

• 09:55am - 11:10am - Period Two

• 11:10am - 11:30am - Break One

• 11:30am - 12:45pm - Period Three

• 12:45pm - 01:05pm - Break Two

• 01:05pm - 02:20pm - Period Four 

There is a main gate to the right side of the building that you can enter school from where you will be greeted by members of the Senior Leadership Team each morning as you arrive. 

Pedestrians cannot use the vehicular entrance.

You can ride your bike to school. There are bike stands and a bike shed to put them in but the school will not accept responsibility for your bike. Cycle helmets must be worn when cycling to and from school. We highly recommend using a bike lock and having lights on your bike. 

All lessons are 75 minutes long. 

You can also ‘Click here’ for more information about what your school day will look like.

There are four lessons in each day, Miltoncross Academy has a two-week timetable so you might not have the same lessons both days in the cycle but you will get used to the timetable. You will receive a timetable from your Tutor on your first day with us. 

Due to not getting your timetable until the first day with us, you will not be required to bring your PE Kit. However if you would like to bring trainers in your bag to change into to ensure you can take part in all activities to the extent you wish to, I recommend bringing them. 

Click here to find out more about Uniform.

When starting at the school all young people are given a map and timetable, however you will find very quickly that you start to remember your way around. Please take a look at our Year 6/7 Transition Virtual Tour which will guide you around the school. You will notice we have different colour doors for each subject to help our students make their way around the school building.

Many of the lessons that you’ve had at primary school will be continued, such as Maths, English and Science. You will also do Humanities, which is Geography, History and Religious Studies. You will do Physical Education, Art, Drama, Music, Computer Science and Technology - all students also study a language, which is Spanish. 

Click here to find out more about our Curriculum.

Many of our older students are very supportive of our younger students and will approach to help them find their way.  A number of older students are Senior Students who are our ambassadors for the school who will always be able to help you, they are identified wearing a black tie, however any member of the school community will be happy to help you.

Click here to find out what our current Year 7 students think.

Students have two 25 minute breaks during the day.

1st break is at 11.50am and 2nd break is at 1.30pm. Year 7 will be given time to learn how to access the school canteen so they know how to use the system. More information will be sent to parents regarding our online paying system. 

If you asked many students they will say that the best thing about Miltoncross Academy is the food. Our canteen serves a wide variety of food catering for everyone, including pizzas, paninis and pasta bowls, and there is also a salad bar, baguettes, sandwiches, a daily main meal and many desserts such as muffins and biscuits. We have two Canteens to ensure all students have the time to buy and eat their lunch. 

All students are given a pin number which they use in the Canteen. Our canteen is a cashless outlet and students can either bring money into school or put it on their account via the two machines that we have. Letters will be distributed to parents within the first 2 weeks of your child starting at Miltoncross to guide you on how to do this with account details.

When you get up to the till you choose your food, enter your pin or thumb print. Both areas are sanitised each time it is used by a student/staff. The amount is then deducted from your account. 

Organising the groups is a very complex job but we hope to let you know who your tutor is as soon as we have this information. However, we endeavour to inform students in their Transition Experience Days prior to starting with us in September. 

On your first day at Miltoncross Academy you will spend time with the other people in your tutor group. You will also meet with your tutor and spend time getting to know them. 

The only jewellery permitted at Miltoncross Academy is a watch and one earring in the bottom lobe of each ear. These must be small and discreet studs only. One discreet/plain ring per hand is permitted (i.e. no large stones etc.) 

You may wear your hair down at Miltoncross Academy but you must always have a hair tie with you for when you have practical lessons such as PE, Technology and Science. 

Our uniform Miltoncross Academy is unisex and therefore girls can choose to wear trousers or our school skirt which can be seen here.

For further information regarding uniform concerns, please click here.

On your first day you will need to bring equipment from the equipment list and packed lunch or money to buy food at the canteen. You will NOT need your PE kit on the first day. 

Click here to find our more about equipment. 

Just ask someone. Whether that is a student or member of staff there are always many people to ask- They will help you. All staff can be identified by their Miltoncross Academy lanyard that they wear around their neck. Students can go to the Year Team office to ask for support. There are also members of the Senior Leadership team who are positioned in the corridors during lesson change over, who can be identified wearing a yellow lanyard. 

In the unlikely event of a member of our community behaving in an inappropriate way towards you, it is really important that you tell somebody, whether that is a friend, parents/carers, your tutor, the Medical team, your Pastoral and Welfare Officer or your Head of Year.

If you start to feel unwell during the School day, it may pass. Ask your teacher politely (and raising your hand) if you can remove your blazer, have a drink and to have a window open.

If it doesn't go away, speak to your class teacher and they will ask Ms Romain, our Student Health Lead, to see you. They may call your parents/guardians.

The medical room is open at break times for headaches, stomach-aches and any non-emergencies.

You must not carry your own medication on you unless permission has already been given by the school. It should be handed into Reception at the beginning of the day.

The Pastoral and Welfare Office is a central point in our school and you can go there if you need any help.

In your year group there will be approximately 180 students. There are around 900 students across the school in Years 7 – 11. 

At Miltoncross Academy we believe in rewarding those who work hard and behave respectfully as well as having consequences for those who choose to break the rules. We have a commitment to developing and building an inclusive school and to ensuring that the values of our school are based on equal opportunities for all. We have fair rules and we believe that every member of our learning community has a part to play in making sure that they are adhered to. 

Please click here for our Behaviour policy. This is a working document which lays out the different parts of the policy. We are aware that its success depends on students, parents, and staff working together to achieve the behaviour we all want from all of our children. 

Yes, we have ‘achievement points’ which students gain through being a positive member of the Miltoncross Community both inside and outside of school. These points add up to prizes throughout the school year given by their Year Team. Parents will be able to track their child’s points system as well as attendance and homework on Insight once they have received their log in details from Miltoncross. 

You can see what homework has been assigned to you on Arbor and Sparx.

At Miltoncross Academy, we believe it's important for students to learn how to study independently. That’s why we introduce regular as soon as students join us. Year 7 will receive 1½ hours each week, which will be 30-minutes for each core subject. We use one online platform for the three core subjects - Sparx Reader, Sparx Maths and Sparx Science - to help students build strong skills in reading, maths and science. Each task is expected to take around 30-minutes and students are supported to complete it to the best of their ability.

Sparx Reader helps students become stronger readers. After a short initial on-screen test to find their reading level, they are given fun and interesting books that match their ability. The platform includes helpful tools like smart word definitions and reading support. Students complete their reading online and they must get 100% correct for the work to count as complete. Teachers check each student's progress and offer support, while parents can keep track using the Parent Portal and get email reminders before homework is due.

Sparx Maths gives students weekly maths homework based on what they’ve been learning in class. Teachers choose the topics and Sparx Maths creates personalised questions for each student. Homework is completed online and students must answer all questions correctly - 100% is expected - before it’s marked as complete. This encourages careful thinking and regular practice. Teachers monitor progress and provide help and parents can follow along through the Parent Portal.

Sparx Science provides weekly science homework that fits what students are currently learning, as well as earlier topics to help with revision. Each task is tailored to each student’s level and includes questions that are both challenging and doable. Like the other Sparx platforms, students must achieve 100% accuracy to complete their homework. Support is available in the platform for tricky questions and students are encouraged to ask their teacher or attend homework club if they’re stuck.

All three Sparx programmes are designed to build knowledge, confidence and independent learning habits. By achieving 100% in every piece of homework, students give themselves the best chance to succeed in school and beyond

For homework to be successfully completed at Miltoncross, students must achieve 100% in each of Sparx Maths and Sparx Science. They are given plenty of chances to ahcieve 100% and when they get a question wrong a number of times there is a video explanation to help. Students must also achieve their weekly milestones for Sparx Reader. When you enrol at Miltoncross, parents / carers receive a weekly email from Sparx detailing your progress towards completing your homework for that week.

If you find the homework too difficult and a parent / guardian can’t help you, please contact your teacher as soon as possible - their email addresses can be found on our website.

If homework is not completed on time and with 100% then a detention will be issued. Parents /carers can see when their child has a detention by logging into the Arbor portal online or via the Arbor Parent App. This information is made available to you so that you can re-arrange events outside of the school day if your child must attend a detention.

Any student that truants their scheduled detention will receive an escalated detention. Repeat offenders will risk being placed in an SLT detention, or Reset. Parents will be notified of their child’s missed detention via Arbor.

If a student is absent when the homework is set, they are still expected to complete their homework by the expected deadline. The due date is always visible via the Sparx portal.

You should speak to the class teacher you set the homework. Or you could speak to your tutor. 

There are many different clubs and activities on offer at Miltoncross Academy, including a wide range of sports, such as Football, Rugby, Netball, Basketball, and others, such as Dodgeball and Trampolining. The Physical Education extra-curricular timetable changes each term to suite different seasonal sports. 

At Miltoncross Academy we provide enrichment activities for everyone with; after school study club, Technology Club, Art Club, Science Club, English Club, Drama Club, 5 different music clubs and 8 different sports clubs to choose from! When you eventually come towards the end of your Miltoncross journey, our Year 11 students also benefit from a wide range of enrichment and revision clubs and drop in sessions, enabling them to achieve the best possible results in their forthcoming exams. 

Mrs C Mason also runs our Connecting Forces Group which aims to provide support for Service Children and families at Miltoncross Academy during times of deployment, weekending and general military life.

Facebook:

• Main - ​https://www.facebook.com/MiltoncrossAcademy/

Twitter:

• Main - https://twitter.com/MiltoncrossAcad

• Performing Arts (Drama) - https://twitter.com/MX_DRAMA

• PE - https://twitter.com/MX_PEdept

• Art - https://twitter.com/mx_art_dept

• Careers and Post-16 - https://twitter.com/MX_Careers

• Performing Arts (Music) - https://twitter.com/MX_MusicDep

• Duke of Edinburgh - https://twitter.com/MXDofE

• Science - https://twitter.com/MX_ScienceDept

• ICT & Computer Science - https://twitter.com/MX_ICTDept

• Connecting Forces Group - https://twitter.com/MX_Forces

• Student Voice - https://twitter.com/MXStudentVoice

Instagram:

• Main - https://www.instagram.com/miltoncross_academy/

• PE - https://www.instagram.com/miltoncross_pedept/

• Art - https://www.instagram.com/miltoncross_academy_art/

• Technology - https://www.instagram.com/miltoncross_technology_dept/

• Performing Arts - https://www.instagram.com/miltoncross_performingarts/

• Cyber Ambassadors - https://www.instagram.com/mx_cyberambassadors/

• Student Voice - https://www.instagram.com/mx_studentvoice/

• Connecting Forces (Rock project) - https://www.instagram.com/mxrocks_connectingforces/

• ICT & Computer Science - https://www.instagram.com/mx_computerscience/