HGABR Winter Bulletin
Our new Principal's Bulletin is now available!
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Year 7 Transition
Each year we create a special area of our website to welcome Year 7 students who are joining us in September. We cannot wait for you to join our thriving academy community.
We know that you are probably feeling a mixture of emotions; nervous about moving to secondary school, excited about meeting new friends and learning new subjects but also a little apprehensive about settling in.
Please do not worry, we know that starting secondary is daunting, but we will make the transition as smooth and comfortable as possible.
Year 7 Transition Programme 2025
Monday 30th June, 10am – 2pm, Year 7 Induction Day
We are so excited to welcome you to our amazing academy. Please join us on Monday 30th June to tour our academy, try out some secondary lessons, meet your new teachers and make new friends.
Tuesday 1st July, 6pm – 7pm, Year 7 Parents' Welcome Event
Dear Parents and Carers of our incoming Year 7 for September 2025. Please join us at the academy to meet with Mr Sherwin, Head of Academy, and Mrs Halka, Assistant Principal who oversees transition, to share more details of your daughter's experience at HGABR. We are proud to work in close partnerships with our parents and families and where possible we would like this to be a parent and carer only event.
Monday 14th July, Welcome to HGABR pack
This week students will receive their ‘Welcome to HGABR’ pack, filled with information from each of the subjects you will be learning at HGABR with fun activities to try over the summer break. This is an entirely optional, fun activity and in no way intends to add burden to what should be a wonderful summer before secondary school!
Wednesday 3rd September, First Day of School! (Year 7 only Induction Day)
Your first day at the academy proudly wearing your purple blazer! On your first day we only have Year 7 students in the academy. It's really important that you get an opportunity to follow your timetable and get to know the building and our expectations without other year groups around. We can also complete important admin on this day too like getting your photograph taken and organising your ParentPay lunch account. Please bring packed lunch on this day.
Friday 3rd October, 9:00am – 10:00am, Year 7 Parent Coffee Morning
A chance for Parents and Carers to meet informally with Mr Sherwin, Mrs Halka, the Pastoral Team and other Year 7 Parents to discuss the first few weeks of term. We will also have a presentation from Bromley Y sharing strategies and support for any parents / students who want to ensure the transition to secondary school is as smooth as possible.
Faculty Team Building Trips – 16th & 17th October 2025
This is a really special opportunity for our new HGABR students to bond, have fun and connect with nature to mark the end of a wonderful first half term of secondary school with fun packed team building days in East Sussex.
The students will be accompanied on the trip by their tutors and other key members of staff to support their transition to secondary school, ensure they have a wonderful time and that they begin creating lifelong happy HGABR memories.
Due to the size of the year group and to ensure a more meaningful experience for our students will be taking two faculties on the trip at a time.
More details will be sent out to parents before the end of the academic year.
- Thursday 16th October BLUE & GREEN Faculty, Year 7 Team Building
- Friday 17th October RED & YELLOW Faculty, Year 7 Team Building
We can’t wait to meet you!
Welcome from Mr Astin, Executive Principal
I would like to say a warm welcome to all our new Year 7 students and their families.
Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley is a very special place, where we inspire our girls to become confident, ambitious and empathetic young women. We do this through outstanding teaching and learning, calm and purposeful behaviour and excellent pastoral care that is embedded in all that we do.
From your first day with us in September, you will learn that our CORE values of Commitment, Optimism, Resilience and Empathy are at the heart of the academy. You will be encouraged to be inquisitive, creative and take up the broad range of opportunities available, not only in the classroom but in our enrichment activities.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about our academy.
Mr Astin, Executive Principal
Our Academy
Our students often tell us how exciting it is to see the academy. You can see the video from our 2020 virtual events here:
Please see a virtual tour of the academy here:
You can meet some of our girls here:
Find out about some of our subjects here:
Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley Year 7 Transition – Most Asked Questions
We asked parents/carers and students via email to ask some of the questions they had about joining Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley. We have compiled the emails and you can find the answers to the most asked questions below.
If you think of anything else then please do not hesitate to contact us on info@harrisbromley.org.uk
On the first day, will we go on a tour of the academy?
Of course! We will ensure that all our pupils get the opportunity to see all of the building and get an idea of where their lessons will be taking place. We do not expect you all to learn this immediately, we know that this takes a little time and there will be lots of signs around the academy to help you find your way. Please ask any member of staff if you are unsure!
What are the start and finish times for year 7 students?
The academy is open each day from 7:45am and Year 7 students are expected to arrive no later than 8:25am Monday to Friday. They finish their day at 3:10pm.
How many lessons will year 7 have each day?
Year 7 students have 8 lessons per day. Please see The Academy Day for more information on how the day is structured.
I have not done my SATS yet. How do you know what class is right for me?
Although SATS do give us some indication on which groups and sets to put our students into, it is not the only data we use. At Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley, we use our own baseline data to determine sets and groups for our students and this is fluid throughout their time with us, responding to assessments and reviews throughout the academic year.
Do the pupils get homework every day?
Homework is an essential part of the learning process and teachers will use homework as a way of consolidating and promoting independent learning. Students will not receive homework everyday – more detail can be found on our homework policy, found here.
Regarding children who might have learning difficulties, how will the children be assessed or how do you receive the information about children that might need SENCO support? For example, dyslexia.
We have contacted all our new Year 7’s primary schools’ and requested all SEN information. We also carry out LUCID testing for all students which enables us to detect any undiagnosed special educational needs and ensure students receive the support and differentiation needed.
Will I be in the same lessons as the people in my form group?
Not necessarily, secondary school is different to primary school in lots of ways – but one of the key aspects is that you move around the building and work with different groups of students. This will mean that you may be with different students in different classes.
How do I get involved in extracurricular clubs?
We have an exciting array of extracurricular clubs at Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley and it is a fantastic way to learn new skills, meet new friends and get really involved in the academy community. All our enrichment activities are published to parents a term in advance and promoted through tutor time to give students the opportunity to decide what they would like to take part in and discuss it with their parents/carers.
What languages do students do in year 7?
We have a thriving modern languages department at Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley and we are very proud that all our Year 7 students will learn Latin, a subject that helps students to coordinate ideas, reflect on the various ways to say the same thing, and thus to write and speak better in English.
In your first year at Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley you will either learn French or Spanish and some students will learn Mandarin.
Do the children get a locker or on days where they need PE or other kit are they expected to carry it around?
We do not have lockers on site and students are expected to bring their PE kit only on the days that they are timetabled to have PE or are participating in a PE Extra Curricular Activity.
What are the options for food/drinks (bring your own or purchase at school) and is it cashless?
Students are welcome to bring their own healthy packed lunch, or we have lots of options available at our canteen, before school for breakfast and at break and lunchtime. We do not allow large bottles of fizzy drinks, large bags of crisps or boxes of biscuits / crackers at the academy. We do operate a cashless system where students use their fingerprint or a PIN number to pay from an account that is topped up online by parents/carers. Information on signing up to this will be sent out in advance
How will I know what to bring on my first day and if I have packed lunch do I have to keep it in my school bag until lunch time?
Please do not worry about what to bring on your first day just yet. We will write to all our students over the summer to advise you on what equipment to bring. If you do bring a packed lunch, then yes you will need to carry it with you as we are unable to store food items for students.
If we arrive early can we sit in the library?
Absolutely! Our girls love to read, and the library is at the heart of our academy. Our wonderful librarian Ms Sojka will be ready to welcome you in from 8am each day.
Do we have a teacher we can speak to, if things are confusing at the beginning of Year 7 or we need advice?
All our staff are here to help and support with settling into Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley, but your form tutor will be the best person to go to in the first instance. You will see them every morning and you will get to know each other very well as we go through the school year. Your form tutor will be able to answer any questions or concerns you have so please do ask – how ever minor they may seem!
If I were to have an Asthma attack at school, will there be an inhaler close by for me?
It is essential that students who suffer with asthma bring in two inhalers; one to be always stored securely onsite in the medical room and one to carry with them. We also have emergency inhalers onsite. Any student who does have an asthma attack whilst at school will be well looked after by our Welfare Team and parents will be contacted.
Do students have to keep their jumpers/blazers on all the time?
Jumpers are not mandatory (although they are recommended in the winter months!) but students must always have their blazers with them. You can find more information on our uniform policy, which can be downloaded from our Student Welfare page.
At playtime and lunchtime will there be a mixture of year groups on the playground or just Year 7s?
We operate a split lunchtime, so only half of the academy are on their lunch break at the same time. This does mean that Year 7s will be with other year groups during lunch but Year 7s will benefit from an earlier start time during their first few weeks to support their induction.
Although it is a no mobile policy, would they be allowed their mobile on their personal belongings (is switched off) for travelling to and from school?
Students can carry their mobile phone whilst travelling to/from the academy, but it must be switched off before entering the building, stored in their bag and not seen at the academy. If a students’ mobile phone is seen it will be confiscated and need to be collected by a parent / carer. We do not take any responsibility for mobile phones that are lost whilst at the academy.
Admissions Information
Please follow this link to our admissions information page: Click here for the link to Admissions Page. Further information regarding the fair banding assessment can be found in the admissions policy.
Free Schools Meals
If your daughter is entitled to receive Free School Meals, you have to apply online at https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/harrisfederation. Please be aware that this website is linked to the government’s data which cross checks your eligibility for Free School Meals.
To apply for Free School Meals for your child, you must be in receipt of the one of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- Child tax credit with an annual gross income into the household that is no more than £16,190, provided you are not entitled to working tax credit. If you are entitled to any part of working tax credit there is no eligibility with the exception of working tax run-on as shown below
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
To complete an application you will need to provide:
- Your own name and date of birth
- Contact details
- National Insurance Number or National Asylum Seekers Number
- Child's name and date of birth
- School your child is attending/will attend.
After completing the application online and submitting the form, there are three possible outcomes:
- Found – Confirmed the eligibility to Free School Meals – please inform the Academy at info@harrisbromley.org.uk immediately.
- Not Found – You are not eligible to Free School Meals.
- Service Down – Please try again later.
All Can: We Will
Our motto of ‘All Can: We Will’ represents our belief that with our high-quality dedicated teaching and support, coupled with our academic and cultural enhancement curriculum, our girls will mature as responsible individuals who can and will succeed in their chosen paths.
