Transition
Transition (primary to secondary)
We are delighted to welcome our new Year 7s to King’s Oak Academy and are looking forward to welcoming them in September 2026! To those staying with us from our current Year 6 cohort, we are delighted to keep you on your journey with us.
Transition Day
Our Big Step Up Day is Wednesday 1st July 2026. This is a great opportunity for children to get to know their new school environment, meet their fellow students, be introduced to some of their teachers and begin to understand the expectations of being a Year 7.
We will share more communication ahead of this day including what to wear, bring and expect. We really look forward to welcoming our new Year 7s to King’s Oak.
Transition Evening
We are pleased to say we will be holding a Transition Information Evening which all parents/carers are invited to. This is an opportunity to meet some key adults that will be involved in your child’s Year 7 journey, as well as learn about the expectations of our academy, approaches to learning, uniform and more!
Transition Summer School
From Wednesday 22nd July – Friday 24th July 2026, new year 7 students are invited to join us for up to three days of exciting activities where they can continue to develop relationships with staff and students, build confidence and become more familiar with their school environment.
We will be releasing more information about this nearer the time, including how to book and what opportunities will be available across the 3 days.
For now, please SAVE THE DATE!
September Start
School begins on Monday 7th September 2026, which will be a ‘soft start’ for our Year 7s (alongside year 11s) to ensure there is dedicated time to settle in and have further opportunities to build confidence around school site.
Information for Parents and Carers
We will be sending out an ‘Information for Families’ booklet which will contain information on attendance, behaviour, equipment, uniform and further details that will be useful to know ahead of your child starting in September.
We will be using this section of the website, along with communication from the school office and helpful posts on social media, to keep you updated with everything during the transition process.
From now until September, we will work closely with your child’s primary school to ensure we have relevant information on your child. This will enable us to ensure transition opportunities support their needs as best as possible.
We appreciate that starting secondary school is a big step for both students and their families. To support this, coffee mornings, additional tours, enhanced transition opportunities and information evenings will be offered so that families can spend time engaging with us and asking questions as they arise.
Year 7 Subjects Overview
For more information about the curriculum, please see our Middle School Curriculum on the Learning section of our website
Year 7/8 Curriculum – Kings Oak Academy
FAQs
Will my child get to visit King’s Oak Academy before they start in September?
Yes! We have a few opportunities for them to visit including a transition day, summer school and enhanced transition visits, where necessary. We want children to have plenty of opportunities to feel familiar in their new environment and build relationships with new peers.
Will my child be in the same tutor group as their friends?
We want to ensure the transition period for students is as smooth as possible. We will try to ensure that students have a familiar face or friend within their tutor, however, we also recognise that this brings an exciting opportunity for students to make new friendships. Within the first year, students attend lessons with their tutor group, giving them plenty of opportunity to build relationships with those around them – new and old peers!
What equipment will my child need?
This will be covered in the ‘Information for Families’ booklet, however students will need:
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Are mobile phones permitted in school?
We understand that your child might be making their own way to school for the first time therefore you want to be able to communicate with them as part of their journey, however once on school site, phones are not permitted. If a student is seen in possession of or using a mobile phone or headphones by a member of staff at any time, the device will be confiscated. If you need to get hold of your child in an emergency, this can be done through contacting reception.
Are there extra-curricular activities for my child to be involved with?
Absolutely – we encourage all our students to take up some of the many enriching activities that we offer. There are extra-curricular opportunities in Music, ICT, Drama, Art, Dance and Sport. We are very proud of the success of our school sports teams, our outstanding music and our high-quality productions, such as the Christmas Concert. We also offer a wide range of day and residential visits, including geography field trips, visits to local businesses and universities, theatre visits and foreign language visits.
We will add more FAQs if similar queries are being raised.
Helpful Links
Please explore the following links for additional support/advice during the transition process:
Best children’s books – Y6 Transition (Some useful books for children to read – voluntary!)
Bitesize – Starting secondary school – BBC Parents’ Toolkit – BBC Bitesize
Compass – Secondary School Transition Booklet Compass
Places 2 Be – Transition to secondary school – Place2Be
Barnardo’s – Year 6 Transition Guide – Stepping into Secondary School
Anxiety support – How to tackle anxiety with Dr Anna Colton – BBC Bitesize