ORMINSTON Bolingbroke Academy (OBA) has been ‘extremely impressed’ by its 300 new students.

Students in year 7 joined the academy on Barnfield Avenue on September 2, and along with their parents/carers they started the day with a welcome breakfast and induction ceremony led by principal, Mrs Kathryn Evans.

Ties were presented as part of the assembly and while children were excited to find out which ‘house’ they had been placed in, form tutors were equally delighted to announce their smartly dressed tutees to the rest of the year group.

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Year 7 students were the only year group in the academy on the day and were joined only by year 12 on Friday 3.

This enabled staff to engage in two full days of induction with year 7 to ensure that they still experienced the full transition programme they would have had in July, had their visit days been able to go ahead as planned.

Mrs Stacey Snagg, responsible for transition at the academy said: “We are very aware that as a result of the pandemic, our new students have not had a full year of school since year 4.

“It was therefore imperative to us that our Year 7 cohort had a comprehensive and settled start to their high school journey.”

Year 6 students were invited to attend Saturday Academy sessions in their class bubbles to help familiarise them with the academy and induction appointments were replaced with virtual meetings with form tutors.

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Students identified as requiring additional support were invited in for socially distanced tours around the academy and the whole year group was encouraged to attend a week long summer school in August.

Out of a cohort of 180 students, over 130 students attended summer school and worked with specialist Maths and English teachers in the morning before having lunch together and then having a choice of recreational activities in the afternoon.

Options included, a climbing wall, trampolining, science, cooking, retro-sports, football, cricket, dance drama and even an archaeology dig.

The week ended with a trip to Tenpin Bowl in Warrington where 120 students enjoyed two games of bowling and lunch with their friends; old and new.

 Mrs Snagg added: “Summer school was an excellent success in terms of attendance and how the students conducted themselves over the course of the week.

“Staff commented on their eagerness and positivity as well as the great and inquisitive questions they posed.

“I am delighted to say that this has continued into the start of the new term.”

Following the induction ceremony last week students have spent time with their form tutors getting to know the other students in their class, they have had tours around the school building and practiced routines for break, lunch and fire drills.

They have also already taken part in their first inter-house competition where the whole year group took to the field to play a ‘carousel’ of rounders to determine the winning house..

Year 12 students joined the academy Sixth Form last Friday, September 3, and ‘impressed’ straight away with their mature attitude to their studies.

 Year 12 and 13 students retuned this term to see considerable investment made into the Sixth Form provision at OBA with a brand new study room, independent study booths and group study area’s being amongst the biggest changes.

They will now also benefit from an improved café area, gym facilities and dedicated Sixth Form Wing.

Mr Fenner, Head of Sixth Form at OBA said, “ We are really excited about the physical changes that have been made to the Sixth Form as we believe students will benefit from the increased freedom this affords.

“Students benefit from the strong pastoral care and guidance offered by a school Sixth Form whilst now still having the opportunity to experience life in a college setting.

“This year we are seeing our first ever medic students applying to university and it is exciting to watch year 12 begin the next steps towards their future goals.”