Transition Days
For the Transition Days occurring on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th of July, Y6 students will enter the Academy via the north entrance on Kirk Balk street. Students can arrive from 8.45am and are expected to be inside the Academy by 9.00am. They will be leaving the site at 2.00pm, also via the north entrance. please arrange their collection for this time, or ensure your child knows how to make their own way home.
Please see the map below for clarification;
This is a reminder that students must attend in their primary school uniform and not in Kirk Balk Academy uniform. The students will follow an amended school day which runs from 9.00am until 2.00pm. Students are advised not to attend until 8.45am and not to return to their primary school at the end of the school day.
Students are expected to bring the basic school equipment of a school bag, pen, pencil and ruler; any other equipment required for lessons or activities will be provided at school. On each day of the Transition days, students will be met at the north entrance (see map included in this letter) by members of our pastoral team, senior leadership team and student voice. Students will have full access to our catering facilities and will not be charged for any food or drinks at break or lunchtime. Students are also welcome to bring a packed lunch if they prefer but they will not be allowed to leave the school site at lunch time. Whilst students are allowed to bring mobile phones to the academy during Transition days, they must not be used either in lessons or during social times.
Year 6 Parental Information Evening
We would also like to welcome parents to attend our Year 6 Parent Induction Evening on Thursday 9th July. The school will be open to all prospective parents and students from 4.30-5.30pm and 6.00- 7.00pm. During the evening there will be the opportunity to meet staff and attend an induction presentation. Parents / carers and students are welcome to attend whichever presentation is the most convenient. In order to book your place for the presentation, please follow the link; https://forms.gle/XSu2xwXWkPZV4qfG8
Should you be unable to attend the Parent Induction Evening but would like to visit the school, we will gladly arrange a tour at a time that is convenient for you. You can arrange this by contacting Mr Gates at [email protected].
Academy Uniform and New PE Kit
Parents and carers wishing to purchase new uniform for their child should do so directly from our uniform provider Vortex at https://www.vortexschoolwear.co.uk or Unit 2/3, Grange Lane Industrial Estate, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S71 5AS. For further information and for full guidance on our uniform please visit our Academy website; https://kba.northerneducationtrust.org
Contact Information
Thank you to all parents / carers who have returned the Kirk Balk Academy admission and medical forms. If there have been any changes in your contact details or medical conditions please contact our reception so that we can amend our records. We look forward to meeting you at the Induction Evening.
If you have any queries or require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me by emailing: [email protected]
Please view the attached letter for further details regarding the transition process;
Transition
We are delighted that you have chosen Kirk Balk Academy for your child’s secondary education. We cannot wait to welcome the class of 2031 into our building where they will begin the next stage of their academic journey. I am excited about the potential of this year’s group to make outstanding progress and achieve great success.
Our students are the most important people at Kirk Balk and they deserve to achieve the very best grades that they are capable of. We believe that this is the whole point of running a great school and we are exceedingly proud that we achieve this by taking a truly child centred approach. The most recent Ofsted report rated Kirk Balk Academy as continuing to be a ‘Good’ school in all categories and praised the Academy for how ‘teachers expect pupils to achieve high standards’ and how ‘teachers and leaders enjoy celebrating pupils׳ successes’.
I am aware that the transition from primary to secondary can be a daunting as well as an exciting journey. In order to support students and families through this process we aim to offer a variety of Transition experiences. During this Transition Period, we hope that Year 6 students will attend Kirk Balk Academy, meet their fellow students, meet teachers, attend lessons and take part in a range of exciting activities. We are very excited about the Transition activities that we have planned, as this is when we begin the process of forging up to 270 young people from a plethora of different primary schools into the Kirk Balk Academy Class of 2031!
Further details about the Transition Period will be provided nearer the time.
A data collection and admission from including a stamped addressed envelope will be distributed to you shortly. Please fully complete both forms and return them using the stamped addressed envelope provided by Friday 27th March.
We will continue to liaise closely with all primary schools to ensure we are ready and able to meet the needs of each individual student. I would like to thank you once again for choosing to join Kirk Balk Academy. In the meantime, if you have any queries or require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me ([email protected]).
Transition Presentation and Timeline
I would like to invite you to view the Class of 2031 Welcome Video in which our Transition lead and Assistant Principal Mr Gates will outline the Kirk Balk Academy Transition Timeline;