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Year 7
Welcome to the Year 7 Hub
This page contains all the essential information, updates, and resources needed to support your child's journey into Year 7.
The Transition Timeline
Please make sure these key dates are in your diary. They are designed to help students get familiar with the campus, meet their new form tutors, and make friends before September.
First Day of Autumn Term
Tuesday 1st September 2026
Year 7 will have the school entirely to themselves for the morning to settle in quietly, set up their planners, and get their timetables before the older year groups return.
Practical Preparation Checklist
To make the summer completely stress-free, here is everything you need to organise before the first day of term:
| Category | What You Need to Do | Where to Find It |
|---|---|---|
| Uniform | Purchase the mandatory blazer, tie, and PE kit. Ensure footwear adheres to our plain black leather shoe policy. | Available via our official supplier, Graduates Schoolwear |
| Equipment | Pack a pencil case with black/blue pens, HB pencils, a ruler, a sharpener, an eraser, a glue stick, and a scientific calculator (we recommend the Casio fx-83GTX). | Standard stationery stores |
| Catering | Set up your online school dinner account. We use a biometric cashless system; instructions to link your bank account will be in your June pack. | ParentPay |
| Transport | Discuss the journey to school. If using public buses, apply for student travel passes early to avoid August processing delays. |
Times of the Day
To help your child practice time management over the summer, here is how a standard day is structured:
- 08:20 – 08:45 | Gates Open
- 08:45 – 08:50 | Line-Ups
- 08:50 – 09:05 | Form Time / Assembly
- 09:05 – 10:20 | Period 1
- 10:20 – 11:35 | Period 2
- 11:35 – 11:55 | Break
- 11:55 – 12:00 | Line-Ups
- 12:00 - 13:15 | Period 3
- 13:15 - 13:45 | Lunch
- 13:45 - 13:50 | Line-Ups
- 13:50 - 15:05 | Period 4
Line Ups
Transition times - the five minutes when hundreds of students move between classrooms - are the highest-energy moments of the school day. Without structure, crowded corridors can quickly lead to accidental bumps, running, lateness, or anxiety for quieter students. To ensure our school remains a safe, calm, and predictable environment, we use a mandatory Line-Up Routine across all year groups.
By establishing calm before students step into the room, we maximise learning time and eliminate behavioural friction during transitions.
How It Works: The Step-by-Step Routine
We explicitly teach and practice this routine with our Year 7 students during their first week, so it becomes an automatic habit.
- Travel with Purpose: When the bell rings at 8:45 am, students should be at the basketball courts.
- Form a Single, Quiet Line: Students line up in a neat, single-file line by their teacher at Voice Level 0.
- The 'Ready to Learn' Check: Before entering, students must be in full, correct uniform (blazer and tie on, shirts tucked in) and silent. This is also when students have their planner and equipment ready in hand whilst the teacher takes the register.
- Orderly Entry: Once the line is perfectly calm and the register complete, at 8:50 am the teacher will walk the students to their classroom. Students enter and sit down quietly and place their equipment on the table.
Year 7 is a time of new friendships, new opportunities and growing independence, and our dedicated staff are committed to ensuring every student feels safe, supported and confident as they begin their journey with us.
Key Staff
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Miss C Akers | Point of Contact |
| Mrs H Doran | Medical Needs Officer |
| Mrs S Murphy | Safeguarding Officer |
| Mrs K Brenson | SENDCO |
| Miss N Alexiou | EAL Lead |
| Miss E Edwards | Reading Lead |
| Miss C Douglas | Young Carers Lead |
Letters HomeSafeguarding - If You Are WorriedUniform & Equipment
Form Tutors
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Mrs K Rayfield & Miss V Samson Mebrahtu | 7 Bridges Tutor |
| Mr R Aslam | 7 Darwin Tutor |
| Mr J Kelly | 7 Lovelace Tutor |
| Mrs V Morris | KS3 ARC Dickens Tutor |
Homework
Key Dates For The Diary 2026-27
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 1 September | First Day of School |
| Thursday 24 September | School Photos - All Years |
| Friday 27 November | INSET Day |
| Thursday 8 October | Meet and Greet Tutors Evening |
| Monday 7 December | Flu Vaccinations |
| Monday 4 January | INSET Day |
| Monday 12 April | INSET Day |
| Tuesday 27 April | KS3 Parents Evening |
Please note that these dates are subject to change. Should any adjustments be made, we will notify all parents immediately.
2026 Flu Vaccination Session
Main Date: Monday 7 December
Catch-Ups: Any catch-ups will be done at a Community Clinic by appointment only
The link for the electronic form and information about the vaccination will be found here closer to the date.
The Arbor Parent Portal & App
We will use the Arbor Parent App to help you track your child's attendance, view report cards, manage payments, and sign up for clubs or trips. Your login details will be sent to you automatically via email at the start of the September term.
How to Get Ready & Sign Up
To ensure a smooth setup when your welcome email arrives, please follow these steps:
- Check your contact details: Make sure the school has your current, correct email address on file. This email address acts as your secure username. If you share an email address with another guardian or a staff member, please provide the school office with a unique one to avoid login conflicts.
- Look for your welcome email: At the start of term, you will receive a welcome email from the school containing a unique activation link. (If you cannot find it, please check your spam folder).
- Set your password via a web browser: Click the link in your welcome email using a laptop, tablet, or phone web browser (Google Chrome is highly recommended). You cannot set your password for the first time inside the mobile app. Follow the prompts to create your password and accept the terms.
- Verify your child's identity: As a security precaution, the system will ask you to input the date of birth of one of your children. Once verified, your account is fully active.
- Download the Arbor App: Search for "Arbor" in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Download the app, log in using your newly created password, and enable Face ID/biometrics for quick future access.
Have children at multiple schools? As long as all schools use Arbor and have the exact same email address on file for you, you will be able to seamlessly switch between your children's profiles within the single app dashboard without needing multiple accounts.
The Classcharts App
Class Charts is an online platform used by schools to track student behaviour, homework, and attendance in real time. For parents, it acts as a direct window into the school day, showing everything from positive praise points to set detentions.
| Feature | What You Can See |
|---|---|
| Behaviour Timeline | A live feed of Positive Points (e.g., excellent effort, teamwork) and Negative Points (e.g., missing equipment, off-task behaviour). |
| Attendance | A colour-coded calendar showing lesson-by-lesson attendance, alongside their child’s daily subject schedule. |
| Detentions & Announcements | Real-time notifications if a detention has been issued (including date, time, and reason), alongside general school notices. |
How To Sign Up and Log In
To log in, you will need a Parent Access Code, which is unique to them and generated securely by the school.
Step 1: Get your access code: The school will issue you a unique Parent Access Code (usually a mixture of letters and numbers, sent via email or letter).
Step 2: Download or open the platform: Download the Class Charts Parents app from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store, or visit:
Step 3: Select 'I don't have an account yet': If using the platform for the first time, click the sign-up option. Enter your unique Access Code, your name, your email address, and choose a secure password.
Step 4: Log in in future: Once registered, you will no longer need that initial access code. You will simply log in using your email address and password.
Tip for families with multiple children: Parents do not need separate accounts for each child. Once logged into the parent portal, they can simply click "Add Pupil" and enter the unique access code for their other children to view all of them from a single dashboard.
Year 7 Accelerated Reading Quizzes
Below is the link for the Year 7 Accelerated Reading Quizzes:
Renaissance Accelerated Reading Quizzes
The Username & Password for these quizzes can be found in the student's planner.
You can also find free age-appropriate audiobooks on YouTube.
Digimaps
Kemnal Technology College Login Details
Username: DA145AA5
Password: vothed4362
If you have any issues with logging in or queries please email Mrs Luff at:
Our End of Year Assessments for students in Years 7-9 (KS3) will take place from June to July. To help support students in preparing for these assessments, we have included revision materials for the following subjects:
English
There are two end-of-year tests for English: an online reading and SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) test and a writing test. The reading test will assess your reading skills using an extract from a fiction text you have not studied this year and will be completed online. The test will involve:
- Reading an extract from a fiction text
- Answering comprehension questions
- Adding or correcting punctuation and capital letters
- Choosing correct words to complete sentences using correct grammar.
There is also a writing test which will last 45 mins. This test will assess your ability to write a descriptive or narrative piece of writing using an image or an opening line as a stimulus. This test will assess:
- Your ability to present ideas in a clear, articulate and engaging way.
- Your ability to use interesting language and language devices to interest your reader e.g. descriptive language, metaphors or other figurative language.
- Your ability to structure the text to interest the reader.
- Your ability to use accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation.
You can prepare for these tests by:
- Reading lots of different genres of fiction.
- Discussing books you have read, thinking about the language the writer has used and how they have organised their ideas - what did you think of the book? Why?
- Practising writing openings to stories and descriptions of different characters and settings.
- Developing your vocabulary by creating word clouds- choose a word e.g. tree and list all the different words that describe this thing; use a thesaurus to use interesting and unusual words.
- Practising writing different types of sentences using punctuation accurately to create different effects.
- BBC Bitesize has material ideal for preparing for these tests:
Maths
Progress Test in Maths - End of Year Assessment
Students take this test online in school over two lessons.
There are two sections:
- Section A - Mental Arithmetic
- Section B - Assessing Students’ Mathematical Knowledge and Understanding
These tests measure students' mathematical skills and knowledge in Number, Shape, Data Handling and Algebra, as well as their mathematical reasoning and problem solving.
The results from these tests are used to understand current levels of attainment and identify gaps in knowledge.
Year 7, 8 and 9 complete these tests at the end of each academic year (Term 6). In addition, Year 7 complete a baseline assessment at the start of Term 1.
Important Topics to Revise
| Number & Calculations Place value (including decimals) Ordering and comparing numbers Mental and written methods (+, −, ×, ÷) Factors, multiples, primes Powers BIDMAS |
Fractions, Decimals and Percentages Equivalent fractions Simplifying fractions Converting between FDP Adding/subtracting fractions Finding fractions of amounts Percentages of amounts |
Algebra Simplifying expressions Solving linear equations (1–2 steps) Substitution into formulas Sequences |
| Measure Units of length, mass, capacity Converting between units Time Money problems Reading scales |
Statistics Interpreting graphs Drawing simple graphs Averages (mean, median, mode, range) Comparing data |
Ratio and Proportion Simplifying ratios Sharing in a ratio Direct proportion (basic) |
| Geometry Angle facts Angles in triangles and quadrilaterals Properties of 2D shapes Perimeter and area (rectangles, triangles, compound shapes) Volume (basic: cubes/cuboids) Coordinates (plotting, reading) |
Problem Solving and Reasoning You should practise:
|
|
Science
This assessment is one 60-minute paper testing the taught Year 7 curriculum for terms 1-5. It is designed to test your knowledge as well as your skills in Maths and Extended Writing. The paper will be on topics linked to the knowledge organisers below. You will find the following helpful for your revision.
KS3 Knowledge Organisers Year 7
Strategies used in class are directly applicable to questions. Results will be used as part of the setting process.
Geography
You will complete one 60-minute assessment of 50 marks on topics you have learnt so far in Year 7. The assessment resources include a Question-and-Answer Booklet, a Resource Booklet, a separate OS map document to be included in the Resource Booklet and a separate double-sided Map Legend.
There are 5 Mandatory topics in Year 7:
- Introduction to Geography
- Geographical Skills
- Ecosystems
- Weather and climate
You will be assessed using a variety of different question types, with one 4-mark 'Describe' and one 4-mark 'Explain' question using a Case Study you have been taught in the Weather and Climate Topic.
Your Geography Teacher will provide you with a special Knowledge Organiser and Revision Booklet to use for your revision. You can also use Seneca and your class notebook to create flashcards, diagrams and mind maps about each topic.
History
Students will sit one 60-minute exam in which they will answer the following types of questions:
- Section A - Core knowledge recall
- Section B - Chronology task - Students are to place various historical events into chronological order.
- Section C - Source & Interpretation skills. Students will be given a source in which they need to identify key details linked to the focus of the question and then add an inference. Students will be given two historical interpretations, where they have to identify what the historian is saying about the focus of the question.
- Section D - Extended writing task - students have to pick one question to answer from a choice of questions.
Main topics to be covered in the exam:
- Battle of Hastings & Norman England
- Medieval Life
- The power of Kings
- The Tudors
Resources to help students revise and prepare:
- Student class book
- Revision resources made for the topics listed above when studied within the academic year
- Any new resources/homework that have been set to help the students prepare.
MFL
Students will sit one 60-minute exam in which they will be assessed on the following skills:
- Listening Test: Vocabulary on the modules studied so far. Spanish: Students have to link the pictures to a short listening fragment and have to pick out 6 correct statements from a text. French: Students need to match pictures to short fragments and will also need to select the correct answer, choosing from 3 possible answers.
- Grammar: Students are to apply and recognise grammar. Spanish: adjectives and verbs, into activities. These are multiple-choice answers where there will be 3 possible answers given to choose from. French: Adjectives and possessive adjectives. Adjectives will have boxes to choose from and the possessive adjectives will be open questions where students need to write the correct answer.
- Translation: Students will be given sentences that are in Spanish/French and will be asked to translate into English. The sentences vary in length.
- Reading: Spanish: the reading tasks are composed of a gap-filling activity and an activity where students have to choose the best answer out of three. French: the activities consist of 2 gap-fill activities where students need to extract the correct answer and a True/False activity.
- Writing: Students have to write 50 words addressing the 5 bullet points that will be given to them.
Main topics to be covered in the exam:
- Vocabulary and grammar in Modules 1-4 and some content from Module 5.
Resources to help students revise and prepare:
- Student class book and vocabulary lists, including grammar in the Modules
- Revision resources made for the topics listed above when studied within this academic year
- Any new resources/homework that have been set to help the students prepare.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The school site is much larger than primary school, and getting turned around is totally normal. Line-Ups mean that students are walked to their current classroom by their Teacher. Also Teachers will stand outside their classroom doors between periods, and would be happy to help direct any lost students.
If your child has misplaced an item, please ask them to check with Reception first to see if it is in lost property. While we can lend spare uniform items for the day if needed, a permanent replacement should be purchased as soon as possible. Replacement student planners must be bought directly from the school; payments can be made quickly via ParentPay.
We operate a completely cashless cafeteria system. Students will have their biometric fingerprint scanned when they first join us. Parents must link their bank accounts to our ParentPay portal to top up dinner money balances online. We also have a top-up machine in the canteen for students bringing in cash.
To ensure an environment focused on learning, phones must be turned off and kept out of sight in students' school bags from the moment students enter the school gates until the end of the day. If a phone is seen or heard, it will be confiscated and kept in the main office for students to collect on their first offence a term and then any further confiscations will have to be parent collection.
From 1 September 2026, we will be implementing the use of phone pouches at Kemnal Technology College. This is a common approach in schools and one that is widely used throughout the Trust, in other local schools and nationally.
How the Pouch Works
Each student will be assigned a “Yondr” pouch — a secure, lockable case for storing personal devices. Students are responsible for bringing their pouch to and from school each day and keeping it in good condition.
- Upon arrival: Students power off all smart technology including their mobile phones and smart watches, place all devices in the pouch and lock it in front of a teacher when entering the school site.
- During the day: Students keep the locked pouch in their school bag.
- At dismissal: Students unlock pouches at designated stations to retrieve their devices. This process is quick, simple and will be supervised by staff as part of our daily routine.
Students' phones should be switched off and in bags prior to entering the school building.
If you need to speak with your child urgently, you should ring the school office and not your child. If your child needs to speak to you, they should speak to a member of staff and not ring you directly.
Please ensure that your child is aware of their after-school routine prior to leaving for school each day.
Your child's Form Tutor is always the first port of call for general queries, friendship issues, or minor worries. They see your child every single morning. For more serious academic or ongoing pastoral concerns, you can contact the Head of Year 7 or their Pastoral Lead.
If you are unsure how to contact the above, please email admin@kemnal-tkat.org, who will forward your email to the relevant members of staff.
Please contact the school attendance line via phone, email or the Arbor app by 8:30 AM on every morning of their absence. Please state your child's name, form group, and a specific reason for their absence.
More information on the Arbor app can be found here.
If the school has not been contacted, we will endeavour to phone home to find out the reason for absence, and/or a text message will be sent to parents/carers. It is the parent’s responsibility to inform the school of the reason for absence in order that it can be authorised. This must be completed each day that your child is absent, unless there is an ongoing medical condition that we are aware of.
There may be occasions where medical evidence is needed to support the reasons for your child’s absence from school, especially if their attendance has fallen below 96%. The school will not approach your doctor to obtain that evidence; it is your responsibility as a parent/carer to provide a medical certificate or doctor’s letter, as appropriate.
Please try to schedule all medical appointments outside of school hours. If an appointment during the school day is unavoidable, please forward the medical appointment letter or card to our attendance team so they can update your child's record.
Year 7 students typically receive around 30 to 45 minutes of homework per subject each week, following a structured homework timetable so they aren't overwhelmed on a single night.
Sparx Reading & Numeracy homework is set each week, with the following structure:
- Start: Every Wednesday
- Deadline: The Following Wednesday
- Target: Earn 300 Sparx Reader Points (SRP) each week / 100% completion
- Estimated Time: Around 30 minutes
Homework assignments can be accessed online via Google Classroom, Sparx Reader, and Sparx Maths. If your child experiences any login issues or trouble accessing their work, please contact their class teacher directly for assistance. Additionally, we run homework clubs in school to support students.
Please send an email to admin@kemnal-tkat.org. Our admin team will forward your request to the IT Support Department, who will be happy to assist you.
We understand that transitioning to secondary school can be a challenging time for both you and your child. In addition to the opportunities and support we provide at school, there are several excellent organisations offering resources to help make this process smoother.
BBC Bitesize - Parents' Toolkit
The Top 10 Tips for Parents guide provides simple, effective strategies to support your son emotionally and academically during this transition.
The Top 10 Tips for Parents Guide
For guidance on supporting homework at home, the ParentKind website offers practical tips to help you get involved in their learning journey.
If you're concerned about your son’s mental health, the Anna Freud Centre provides expert advice on discussing emotional well-being with young people.
This transition workbook has been produced by Islington CAMHS to help parents support conversations around transition. This helpful resource is designed to allow Year 6 children to think about both the practicalities and their emotions around moving to secondary school.
Transitions Activities Handout Bromely Wellbeing
We hope these resources, combined with our efforts, will help you feel more confident in supporting your child during this exciting new chapter.
It can feel overwhelming at first, but each app serves a specific purpose to keep data secure:
- Arbor: Your master student record (updates your address, tracks attendance, consents).
- ClassCharts: Your daily window (tracks daily behaviour points and detentions).
- ParentPay: Your digital wallet (pay for lunch top-ups, house badges and school trips).
Y7 Resources
KS3 Resources