1. Which class will I be in?
There isn’t a simple answer to this one! You probably already know that secondary school you will be in different classes during the day depending on what lesson you have. So in English in the morning you might be with one group of students and then later on in PE you will be with a different group. It is likely that you will be with some of the same students in some classes. What it does mean is that you get the chance to work with (and hopefully become friends with) lots of different people!
You are always in the same tutor time – so you will see the same students in this class every day! There is more about this in question 13.
2. Will I be in classes with some of my friends from my primary school?
For some classes you will probably be with someone you know, depending on how many students have come from your primary school. In your lessons you will be seating plans anyway with plenty of learning to keep you busy. Catching up with friends happens during break time and lunchtime, and at after school clubs.
3. What will it be like if I am coming to Newbold if I don’t know anyone at all?
Firstly don’t worry, you won’t be the only one. Every year we have some students joining us from primary schools by themselves. They always do amazingly well at settling in and we make sure they get extra support from their Learning Manager (see below for more about Learning Managers).
4. Who looks after Year 7?
Every year group has a Learning Manager. This is a member of staff whose job is to make sure that the students in their year are OK – whether that is in the academy or at home. They don’t teach any lessons so they are around when you need them. For our new year 7s in September 2022 your Learning Manager is Mrs Sheldon. You will get to know Mrs Sheldon very well, as she will be your Learning Manager all the way through to Year 11!
5. What happens if I get lost?
This must be one of the biggest worries of all new students going to secondary school. Most secondary schools are much bigger than primary schools and you will move around throughout the day to go to different lessons. In your first few weeks you will probably get lost a lot! But there will be 180 other new Year 7s getting lost too so don’t worry too much about it! You will be given a map and there are lots of older students around who will help you. Staff are always on the corridors when lessons change to point you in the right direction too. And while you are getting used to where everything is we understand that you might be a few minutes late to lessons if you have gone the wrong way.
6. What lessons will we have?
In Year 7 you will have lots of lessons such as:
English
Maths
Science
Computer Science
Modern foreign languages: Spanish and German
History
Geography
PE
Art
Drama
RE
Music
Design Technology
Life lessons
There will be plenty to learn!
7. How many lessons do we have each day?
You will have 5 lessons each day of one hour each. We call each lesson a ‘period’ – so each day you will have 5 periods.
8. What time does the academy day start and finish?
Your first lesson will start at 8.25am – this is period 1. It is a good idea to be in the academy by 8.15am to make sure you are ready to start to learn at 8.25am. We don’t have registration time first, all students go straight to their first lesson of the day. The day finishes at 2.30pm but there are after school clubs most days until 3.30pm.
9. What happens if I am late to the academy?
When you first start you will be shown where the ‘Student Information Desk’ is. This is where you have to go if you are late. There will be a member of staff there to sign you in and make sure you get to your lesson as quickly as you can.
10. What happens if I forget something?
If it is a piece of equipment then tell your teacher straight away so it doesn’t stop you from learning. If you forget your PE kit you will be expected to borrow a clean one so you can still take part in the lesson. If you forget lunch money or something else you need tell your Learning Manager.
11. What happens if I lose something?
Lost property is kept at the ‘Student Information Desk’ so check there first. If you can’t find something and you are particularly worried tell your Learning Manager.
12. If I feel ill in school what should I do?
Tell your class teacher. It is important to drink plenty throughout the day and get some fresh air at break and lunch if you can. Starting a new school is a tiring time so make sure you are getting plenty of sleep and eating well. Looking after yourself should help you stay fit and healthy. If you have a specific medical condition then we will need to know about this from your parents/carers and then we will be able to provide support.
13. What happens at lunch time?
The most important question! All of Year 7 will go for lunch together between 12.30pm and 1pm. You can bring a packed lunch or buy something from the academy cafeteria. Everyone eats in the cafeteria. If you want to buy food you have to use a fingerprint scanner rather than cash. It is quite simple, when you get to the front of the queue you scan your fingerprint and this tells the lunchtime staff how much money you have in your account to spend. They then take off the value of the items you have bought. To add money to your account then you can do this on the machines in the cafeteria during your free time.
14. Can I bring my mobile phone to the academy?
The rules on phones are very simple. You can bring your phone to the academy (at your own risk) but it needs to be switched off and put away during the whole of the school day including break and lunchtimes. If your phone is seen or heard it will be taken from you by a member of staff and kept at the ‘Student Information Desk’. A parent/carer will then have to come and collect it at the end of the day.
15. When can I go to the toilet?
Try to get in the habit of going to the toilet during your free time, at breaks and lunchtimes. You shouldn’t need to leave the classroom regularly to go to the toilet. Any student that has a medical reason for going more regularly will be given a toilet pass which they can show to a teacher in order to leave the classroom quietly.
17. What after school clubs are there?
Too many to mention! We call after school clubs ‘Enrichments’. In Year 7 there are lots of different clubs you can try – everything from gymnastics to Chess. The clubs change each term. You can choose how many clubs you go to and you don’t have to stay every day after school but lots of students do!
18. What uniform do we need to wear?
Parents/carers will be given details of uniform and how to get your first uniform free. There is lots of information on our website on our uniform rules with examples.
19. What do I need to bring to the academy each day?
In the uniform section you can also find information on what equipment you will need. All students will need a pen, pencil, ruler and rubber. A scientific calculator might be useful too. You can use any pencil case and any type of school bag, as long as this is suitable to carry A4 size books.
20. Can I wear earrings to the academy?
Students are not allowed to wear earrings or any jewellery in school apart from a wrist watch and medic alert type bracelet.
21. What are the rules on hairstyles and make up?
Again there is a lot more information on the website in the uniform section. But basically hair styles need to be sensible and make up needs to be discreet – this means we shouldn’t notice it.
22. What other rules are there at Newbold?
We have high standards of behaviour in our academy. We expect our students to learn to manage their own behaviour and take responsibility for their actions. During your first few weeks we will make sure that everyone understands what we expect and the consequences for unacceptable behaviour. We also think it is really important to reward good behaviour and there are lots of opportunities to be rewarded including ‘Star student of the week’!
23. What will happen on our first day?
It will be a busy day! You will have an assembly first where you will meet everyone else in Year 7 and then be sorted into classes. We will be given your planner, which is like a diary to help you stay organised and a timetable of your lessons. You’ll meet your Learning Manager and tutor. You will then go to lessons and start learning! There won’t be any after school enrichments in the first week or so while you settle in.