Hi, I’m Tyler (Year 9), and I travel by bus from Ripon to school every day. In the first few days, you just have to show the Bus Driver your bus pass. After a few days of showing them your bus pass, they will start to recognise you and you won’t have to show them it unless they ask you or a staff member asks you to.

In Ripon the bus picks students up from four places. Sharow, Lead Lane (at the bus shelter on the Harrogate Road heading north into Town), town centre (at Stand 3 where you’ll see lots of students wearing the Nidderdale uniform), and Outwood.

Hi, I’m Isaac (Year 7) and I get the bus to school from Greenhow. It’s really easy getting the bus to and from school. You will apply for a bus pass and when you get that, it will have the name of your bus on and the letter with the pass will tell you where the bus will pick you up from in the morning. At the end of your first day your teachers will help you find your bus in the school car park and after that they tend to park in the same spot, so once you’ve found it the first time, you’ll never need to look again. You finish lessons 10 minutes early for your first week at school, which means you always have lots of time to get to your bus.

It's super easy to buy lunch as when you arrive at Nidd you're able to set up a fingerprint scan or a pin which is how you'll pay for food. You get 45 minutes for lunch, but for your first week in year 7, you will have a full hour and leave your period 3 lesson 15 minutes early with your teachers, who will answer any questions you have.

Rosie (Year 11)

When you first come to Nidd, for the first week you come out of class a little earlier so that you can find your way to the diner hall. After the first week you would either put your bags in the white lockers at the back of the hall (if you’re not sure where these are just ask someone) or in your own wooden locker or lockable locker. Then you would line up at the entrance to the hall until the teacher at the door lets you in.

Lunch break is 45 minutes long. It may seem a bit short but there is plenty of time to eat your lunch and even maybe go do some activities in the P.E room.

Milly (Year 9)

You're allowed to sit on any tables or on any of the benches outside. In the summer you can also sit on the field. You’ll find more details in our Senior Student Powerpoint “A Student Guide to…”

Hope this helped,

Rosie (Year 11)

You might get lost in the first few weeks but you’ll know your way round after a while. If you get lost just ask an older student or a teacher where to go and they should help you. If you get lost on the way to a lesson ask someone for help and when you get to the lesson just explain where you were to the teacher.

Alice (Year 11)

The simple answer is, no. this is because they are a distraction and have no purpose being used in lessons. I would suggest using your phone for the bus to listen to music or contact family, however as soon as you get onto school turn it totally off. This way, you won’t be worried that it will make noises in class and therefore not worried that you will get in trouble. Don’t worry about contacting home - if there is an emergency you can ring home at break times and if home rings school, then you will be told immediately.

Lucy (Year 11)

In my class there are about 24 people, and classes are normally between 24 and 30 students. When you make your choices for GCSE subjects, your classes will be a bit smaller.

Summer (Year 7)

If you come from a large primary school there will probably be a few other people from your school in your class, but there will also be lots of people who have come from a small primary school and don’t know anyone. My primary school was very small and when I joined year 7 I didn’t know anyone at all, but I liked it that way because it meant I could make friends with everyone and I still had my other friends to see at the weekends. On my transition day, I sat next to two strangers, whom when I started school actually became my best friends. I then started socialising and joining clubs whilst talking to people in my class. By the time I knew it, I was in a large group of friends and we ate together at lunch. Making friends at our school is really easy because usually there are classmates who you will share a lot if lessons with. Also, a lot of children who sit in the lunch hall so you will make friends there too.

Lucy (Year 11)

Hi, I'm Connie (Year 9),

I was nervous on my first day. I felt like I was the only one feeling this way, but I wasn't. You must remember everyone is nervous and this is because you’ve taken your next leap in life and entering the unknown. Once you get into the school hall in the morning all your nerves

will disappear because you will be with friends, new and old and everything will feel familiarised.

People will be there for you to help you on your first day and In the future, but I can promise when you go home you will be buzzing and excited for the next day 🙂🙂

Bullying is very rare at Nidderdale so it is unlikely to happen to you. However, if you feel like you are being bullied or are in anyway unhappy you can talk to any of your teachers and especially the pastoral team. You could also talk to one of the student mentors.

Hattie (Year 11)

In PE we play rugby, football, tennis, badminton, rounders, cricket, and netball. We also play fun sports games, like capture the flag among many other activities. There are lots of after school clubs like cycling and gymnastics. Our PE teachers arrange competitions with sporting teams from other schools as well, which are normally after school and involve either the other school coming and playing a game at Nidderdale or our team traveling to another school.

Tyler (Year 9)