Student Guide 2025 | Kimberleyschool

Student Guide

Welcome

I am delighted that you have chosen The Kimberley School as your new school from September. My name is Mr. Park and I am the Headteacher. I have worked at The Kimberley School for twenty years and I know you have chosen well. If you want to have exciting experiences and lessons that inspire you and make you want to do your very best, then you are coming to the right school. I am really looking forward to meeting you in September as you begin your secondary school journey. The other teachers and staff at school are equally keen to welcome you into our school community.

We work hard to make sure you get to know everybody quickly and are able to find your way around the school. At this school we look to help each other and we follow The Kimberley Way to make this a school where everyone can do their best; we respect each other, we take pride in our work and environment and we celebrate our success and the success of others.
Our first opportunity to meet you will be the Induction days in July. You will find out a lot more about the school, meet your new classmates and have some fun at the same time.
I really hope you are looking forward to next year as much as I am.

Head Teacher

Andy Park

Hello Year 7s!

Firstly I would like to welcome all of you to the Kimberley School. I and the Year 7 team are thoroughly excited to meet all of you both on our transition days and your first day in September.

There is no doubt that the transition between Primary School and Secondary school can be a daunting experience for students and parents/carers. However my role as the Year Performance Leader aims to support you through this time, hoping to alleviate any concerns or worries that can occur. My overall aim is that every child has the best possible opportunity to succeed and achieve in their academic life. This includes working closely with teachers and tutors to help ensure progress can be made.

Upon your arrival at the Kimberley School, all students will be assigned to a tutor group, whereby you will stay with this teacher until the end of Year 11. Students will meet and register every morning allowing you to build positive relationships within your tutor, as well as establishing a positive relationship with your one consistent member of staff. They will be there to guide you through your academic life at the Kimberley School. The tutor will look to assist you in any way that they can. Tutor time will also consist of tasks to complete, PHSE lessons, equipment and uniform checks and looking at the day ahead. Once a week, an assembly will be delivered my myself where we look at topics on current affairs and how previous weeks have gone.

My role as Year Performance Leader is to ensure you all have the tools necessary to be able to progress academically, socially and emotionally. With this, my expectations are to work with all of the staff members in the school and your Y7 team to ensure that no matter what, you try your hardest, always give your best and work with this to ensure you have every opportunity to succeed.

We are very much looking forward to meeting you in July for our transition days and in September when you start your next chapter in your academic lives.

Year 7 Performance Leader

Matt Bacon

Year 7 Testimonials

I have really enjoyed year 7. All the teachers are really nice abd have been helpful throughout the year. My advice is to not be stressed out and be excited to come up for year 7 and enjoy it!

Jovan Sadhu

Coming up to Kimberley has been so fun; I have made new friends and experience things that I haven’t done before. I would advise that you have a go at everything!

Adwoa Oppong

Don’t be stressed! Although you may find it scary at first, you’ll soon adapt into it. Also, put yourself out there! Don’t be afraid to put your hand up and say what you think the answer is and try and build friendships. If you do this, no doubt you’ll succeed at the Kimberley School!

Charlie McHugh

When I first joined Kimberley it was strange because you meet a lot of people that you didn’t know before or older people that you migh feel scared of, but there is nothing to worry about!

Bernice Wong

I was nervous and a bit scared because of all the new teachers and people, but now that I am nearly year 8, I’m much more confident and have made new friends. My advice is to try hard at everything you do and to not be afraid to make new friends as it will work out for you.

Annabelle Crehan

WELCOME

How will the first day start?

How will the first day start? You will need to arrive at school before 8.40am when a bell will ring, at which point you need to make your way to Hall 1; there will be plenty of staff who will help you find your way. You will sit with your tutor group and the year team with the senior leadership team will welcome you. You will spend the rest of the morning with your tutor and tutor group where you will be given your timetable. Your tutor will spend time with you explaining the school’s expectations in line with The Kimberley Way, as well as what makes a perfect Kimberley School student. You will also have time to ask questions and meet new friends.

In the afternoon, you will have lessons so please bring a pen, pencil, ruler and rubber with you. You should also bring your trainers just in case you have PE.

The rest of the first day

· A good large, strong bag for carrying belongings

· Pen, pencil, ruler and rubber

· Bus fare if you catch a bus to and from school

· Trainers just in case you have PE

· A water bottle and a packed lunch if you are bringing food from home. You may also wish to bring some food for morning break.

What will I need on the first day?

A good large strong bag for carrying your equipment Bus fare if you need it Books and equipment that you will need for your lessons - check your timetable every night to see what equipment you need for the following day.

What to bring after the first day

The Journey to School

If you walk or cycle to school, give yourself plenty of time to travel safely, take care when crossing roads and always use zebra or pelican crossings where you can. Don’t travel home at night or in quiet empty areas on your own and never speak to someone you don’t know.

If you cycle, make sure your bike is roadworthy and that you wear a helmet and brightly coloured clothing. You will not be allowed to ride a bike to school if you do not wear a helmet. You will also need a lock to secure your bike at school.

Many students travel by bus. You do not have an automatic right to travel by bus and the bus company can ban you from travelling with them if your behaviour is not acceptable so you should demonstrate The Kimberley Way at all times.

Basic School Equipment

· Pens (blue/black ink)

· Pencils/coloured pencils

· Ruler

· Pencil sharpener

· Scientific calculator

YOUR FIRST DAY

Uniform Guidelines

Please visit the uniform page for the most up-to-date guidance. Here you'll find what items are approved and what is not allowed.

What is a 'smart card'?

A smart card is a pocket sized card that all students carry (usually in their blazer pocket) that will be marked by teachers if student's are not dressed correctly or do not mantain a good presentable appearance. Find out more here.

Does it need the school logo on it?

Yes, like most schools, our uniform contains a number of items that are 'branded' with our school logo. The places to get branded items (such as ties, blazers and P.E. kit) are listed at the bottom of the unifrom page here.

UNIFORM

School Gates Close

Registration

Period 1

Period 2

Morning Break

Period 3

Lunch

Period 4

Period 5

End of School

8.40am

8:45am - 9:00am

9:05am - 10:05am

10:10am - 11:10am

11:10am - 11:25am

11:30am - 12:30pm

12:30pm - 1:10pm

1:10pm - 2:10pm

2:15pm - 3:15pm

3:15pm

Timetable

Lateness

We expect you to be in school before 8.40am and in your tutor room ready for registration at 8:45am every morning. We also provide 5 minutes of change over time between lessons to ensure that you are always punctual.
We shut the school gate at 8:40am every morning; which is signalled by a bell. If you are late 3 times in a week you will be issued a detention.

Break / Lunchtimes

All students must stay on the school premises at lunchtime and have a school lunch or bring sandwiches from home.

The school canteen serves a range of hot and cold food at breakfast, break and lunchtimes. This includes:

We have a panini bar with at least 3 different fillings each day (e.g. beans and cheese, BBQ chilli beef and chicken tikka).
We have a cold bar where we offer pasta salads, sandwiches, salad pots and wraps.
These can be upgraded to a ‘meal deal’ with a drink, bag of crisps or fruit.
We have a ‘Love Joes’ counter where we offer a different chicken dish each day (e.g. curry, wrap, burger, flatbread, burrito etc.) in over 20 different flavours.
We have a pizza bar where we serve margarita and pepperoni slices.
If you want a healthy option, we also have a jacket potato bar where we offer a range of hot and cold fillings, served with freshly prepared salad.
We are able to cater for dietary requirements such as gluten‐free, vegan, dairy free if you ask in advance.
If you want to bring in sandwiches from home, there is a room where you and your friends can eat them indoors at lunch time.

The School Day

The Kimberley Way

At the Kimberley School we model our values and ethos around having respect, taking pride and understanding how to succeed.

Kim way pptArtboard 1 copy 2_2x-100.webp

Bullying: A Charter of Student Rights

As a member of our school community you have the right:

Not to be bullied
To say ‘no’ firmly to anything you think is wrong
To talk to somebody if someone is making you unhappy
To protect yourself by ignoring others or by walking away

Remember, bullying is repeated negative behaviour that is intended to make others feel upset, uncomfortable or unsafe. It can be verbal, indirect or physical

If you feel bullied you should tell a member of staff as soon as you can. Staff you could approach are your tutor, a subject teacher or a member of the student support team; whoever you feel comfortable speaking to.

Last year we joined the Anti-Bullying Ambassadors programme, through the Diana Award, to provide another avenue of student to your young people.

SCHOOL CODE

Achievement

In Years 7 to 11, you can be awarded with IMPACT points. IMPACT points stand for: Inspirational, Motivated, Achievement, Caring and kind, and Tenacity. Every week you will have a celebration morning as part of tutor time to look at which tutor groups and students have the most points in your year group and every term, each year group has a special assembly in which the top 100 students are recognised for their achievements. Faculties will also award certificates and subject prizes to students who consistently perform well in lessons. We also have The Kimberley Way tokens where you may be awarded for demonstrating The Kimberley Way. We then have a prize draw at the end of each term and this year, the prizes have included a mountain bike, shopping vouchers, hampers and an Apple I-pad!

Behaviour

The vast majority of our students behave impeccably by demonstrating The Kimberley Way at all times. We take excellent behaviour in lessons and around school very seriously as we understand that you are here to learn and everyone should feel safe at all times. You should always follow the instructions of staff the first time you are asked. In lessons you should listen to the teacher, complete all the work to the best of your ability and make sure you avoid distractions. At lunchtimes, midday supervisors are around school. You should also treat them with respect at all times. You can help them by:

Following their instruction immediately
Keeping your table tidy at lunchtime
Putting any rubbish into the bin provided both in the canteen and outside.

If you fail to behave in line with our expectations, then you may be given a detention. If your behaviour does not improve or is more serious, then you could be given a more serious consequence like being excluded from your lesson and expected to work at the back of another classroom. Our higher level sanctions include pre-suspension when you work in isolation, external isolation where you go another school to work in isolation and suspension.

Out of school, locally or away with a school group, you should remember that the school’s reputation depends on the way you behave. We are very proud of our reputation and expect you to be too.

Homework will be set regularly by each of your subject teachers. The school uses a system called Show my Homework which allows you and your parents/carers to see all the homework you have been set and when it is due in on the internet or through the mobile phone app. We expect all your homework to be completed on time and to a very good standard. Your tutor will have your PIN for SMHW.

Homework

ACHIEVEMENT & BEHAVIOUR

Extra-Curricular Activities and Clubs

The school runs a number of lunchtime and after-school activities for you to get involved with.

Clubs change throughout the year and are advertised on notice boards around school as well a son Student Notices which your tutor will show you each morning.

Clubs on offer include: Table Tennis, Handball, Football, Basketball, Dodgeball, Badminton, Netball, Dance, Knit-flix, Pride Club and more!

Regular attendance may lead to you being invited on trips to exciting places, for example; the Snowdome, the theatre, Spring Lakes and others.

Learning Resource Centre (The LRC)

At The Kimberley School, you will find a big, impressive LRC full of exciting resources just waiting to be used and welcoming staff ready to help.

You will be able to use computers, read magazines, and newspapers in the LRC, and borrow books to take home (for 2 weeks). You may also take part in the Accelerated Reader programme, which means you take an online quiz each time you finish a book, competing with other students to see who can read the most words and take the most quizzes. During years 7-9 you will have some English lessons in the LRC.

LRC Opening Times

· Open until 4pm Monday – Thursday. Closed after school on Friday.

· Before school from 8.00am – 8.40am students can use the time to catch up, complete their homework etc. The enquiry counter is closed during this time.

· During lessons for classes and private study for 6th form.

· At lunchtime – where students can watch a film, use the computers, take part in craft activities (for certain annual celebrations) or sit with their friends. Eating is not allowed in the LRC though, to keep the area a safe space for students with food allergies.

Key Pages

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