Year 6 to Year 7 at The Ruth Gorse Academy

Ms R Gully
Assistant Principal

Welcome to everything you need to know about the transition process from primary school to The Ruth Gorse Academy. Whether you are a student or Parent/Carer this page will provide you with all the key information you need.

As the Transition Leads at The Ruth Gorse Academy, we work closely with our feeder primary schools to promote our core values to their students and to also allow for a smooth transition from Year 6 to Year 7. The journey to becoming a Ruth Gorse Academy student is an exciting one that starts in Key Stage 2 with a structured transition plan that allows for Year 5 students to visit our academy and take part in exciting and engaging lessons and activities.

Our Open Day takes place annually in October and this is an amazing opportunity to visit our academy to explore our exceptional building. Once your child has accepted a place at The Ruth Gorse Academy, we start the personalised Transition programme with your primary school and the family.
The Transition programme does not stop there as we offer a Transition evening and Transition days for all our prospective Year 7 students in half term 6.

Choosing a secondary school for your child is an important moment in the life of any family. You can be assured that The Ruth Gorse Academy is well supported within the wider community and allows all students to leave with the ‘Gift of Choice’.

We hope that you find this webpage useful for helping your child to prepare for their start in September, both in terms of getting to know the staff that they will work with but also becoming familiar with how the academy works. We are committed in ensuring our students ‘dare to achieve beyond what you are today’ and will support your child throughout their time with us to ensure that they develop into ambitious, kind, and resilient young adults.

Our Open Day takes place annually in October and this is an amazing opportunity to visit our academy to explore our exceptional building. Once your child has accepted a place at The Ruth Gorse Academy, we start the personalised Transition programme with your primary school and the family.
The Transition programme does not stop there as we offer a Transition evening and Transition days for all our prospective Year 7 students in half term 6.

Choosing a secondary school for your child is an important moment in the life of any family. You can be assured that The Ruth Gorse Academy is well supported within the wider community and allows all students to leave with the ‘Gift of Choice’.

We hope that you find this webpage useful for helping your child to prepare for their start in September, both in terms of getting to know the staff that they will work with but also becoming familiar with how the academy works. We are committed in ensuring our students ‘dare to achieve beyond what you are today’ and will support your child throughout their time with us to ensure that they develop into ambitious, kind, and resilient young adults.

Open Day – Saturday 17 October 2026

We are delighted to invite you to our Open Day on Saturday 17 October 2026. Please see below some frequently asked questions:

Open Day – Frequently Asked Questions

What day is Open Day? Our Open Day is taking place on Saturday 17 October 2026 from 10.30am to 1.30pm.
Do I need to book? You do not need to book on – simply turn up on the day.
Is there parking? There is limited parking available via our Chadwick Street Entrance.
Our family/child has special educational needs or accessibility needs – are there any adjustments for them? Absolutely – the academy prides itself on ensuring that all students feel comfortable in attending our key events. If your family or child has any specific needs, please do not hesitate to email the transition account and we will ensure that all needs can be accommodated. We are also running an ‘Accessible Open Day’ for families or students who may require a quieter, more bespoke experience. If you feel this would be beneficial to you, please get in touch at: [email protected]
I have a further question – how can I contact the academy? Please email our Transition Account: [email protected]

Key Transition Dates 2026 – 2027
Saturday 17 October 2026	Open Day 10.30am-1.30pm
Saturday 31 October 2026	Deadline date for applications for Year 7 places in September 2027
Monday 1 March 2027	National Offers Day
Monday 15 March 2027	Deadline for accepting offers and first cut off for appeal forms
May to July 2027 Within 5 working days from date of hearing wherever possible	Appeals held by independent appeal panels Appeal decision letters to be sent Any communication about appeals and appeal decision will be sent to you by Leeds City Council and not the academy.
Thursday 10 June 2027	Transition Evening An opportunity to meet your Principal, Year Team and Form Tutor and ask questions. 4.00pm – 7.00pm in 2 sessions.
Tuesday 30 June	Transition Day All incoming Year 7 students to attend. Activities planned to support transition to The Ruth Gorse Academy.

For more information email [email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions

What equipment will my child need?

Planner – provided by the academy
2 x black pens
2 x pencils
2 x purple pens
1 x green pen
1 x black non-permanent whiteboard pen
1 x rubber
1 x ruler
1 x scientific calculator (Recommended: CASIO FX-83GTX & FX-85GTX)
1 x glue stick
1 x reading book for the Positive Discipline lesson

How does my child buy food and drink whilst at school?

Students will be issued with a catering card that they can use to buy food and drink. You will need to credit your child’s account through ParentPay. To do this click on this link: https://www.parentpay.com/. Students are also able to bring a packed lunch to school. We strongly encourage all students to bring a bottle of water with them that can be re-filled throughout the day.

How can I see how my child is doing at school?

The student planner is central for understanding how your child is doing at The Ruth Gorse Academy. Each week your son/ daughter will collect stamps in their planner from their subject teachers and form tutor. Any negative behaviour will be recorded in the negative comments section; there is room for staff to write comments to explain these. At the back of the student planner, there are the Assessment Point pages which detail how your child is performing in each of their subjects. It is expected that you will check your child’s planner daily and sign this at the end of each week to show that it has been checked.

Can I use my mobile phone at school?

The Ruth Gorse Academy operates a no mobile phone policy. If a phone rings in school, is visible, i.e., seen through a trouser pocket, or is out around school, it will be confiscated and stored securely for 48 hours and a negative comment issued. Students can bring a mobile phone to school providing that it is switched off and kept in the student’s school bag.

How will I be supported at school?

Each year group has a dedicated pastoral team. These members of staff include: a Head of Year, a Pastoral Officer, a Safeguarding Officer, and an Attendance Officer. If there are issues arising throughout the day, the pastoral staff are on hand to be able to deal with these. Your child will also have a form tutor that they will see every morning and during the Positive Discipline lesson. The form tutor is the key person for your child to speak to if they have any issues.

What extra-curricular opportunities are available?

The Ruth Gorse Academy is proud to offer a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities and clubs for students. This includes in PE, Music, Drama, Art and Science, amongst many others! We strongly encourage all students to take part in as many activities as possible as this is a great way to make friends and develop students’ skills and abilities outside of the classroom. A timetable of activities can be found at https://www.ruthgorse.leeds.sch.uk/academy-life/extra-curricular-activities/

How will my child be challenged within lessons?

During each lesson, the teacher will set a Purple Zone; this is the most challenging part of the lesson. Purple Zone tasks are designed to build students’ resilience and prepare them for the rigour of examinations. All students are expected to complete Purple Zone tasks to the best of their ability.