Once places for new Year 7 students have been confirmed at KGGS, school staff will visit them in their primary school to help ease the transition and answer any questions the girls may have.

In the meantime, we have compiled a list of the questions most frequently asked of us by new intake students ahead of their first day.

1. What form will I be put into?

All girls will be allocated across six forms. These are Austen, Rossetti, Potter, Bronte, Browning and Elliot.

2. Will I be in the same house as my sister who is at the school?

If you have a sister at the school and you requested on your paperwork that you would like to be in the same house as her, we will do our best to make sure that this happens.

3. Will I be with my friends from primary school?

We will have some girls coming with a lot of other girls from their primary school, whilst others will be coming on their own. With this in mind we like to encourage everyone in the form to mix with others and therefore we do not necessarily place girls in forms with specific friends.

4. No one else from my primary is coming to KGGS - how will I make friends?

All forms will have a mix of pupils from across a number of primary schools and this is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to mix with others. Therefore please do not worry if you are the only one coming from your primary as there will be others in your form in the same situation. Starting at KGGS is a very exciting time and there will be lots of opportunity to meet with new people both in your form and across other forms.

5. KGGS is much bigger than my primary school - how will I know where I am going?

Yes it is, but you will get to know your way around very quickly and you will be given a map on your first day which will help you find your way around. We follow a 2 week timetable and by the end of the first 2 full weeks you will know where you are going, on the whole.

6. What happens if I get lost?

Please do not worry about getting lost. All the older girls in the school have probably gotten lost themselves in Year 7 and will understand if you have ask them for directions, so do not be afraid to ask older girls or teachers for directions. You can always go to the pastoral area and they will help you get to where you need to be.

7. Will I get into trouble if I am late for lessons because I got lost?

All teachers understand that it can be difficult to find your way around when you first start so please do not panic about being late for lessons in the first couple of weeks if you get lost. Just explain to the teacher that you got lost and then take your place in the class quietly.

8. What lessons do I have with my form?

You will spend the majority of your lessons with your form in Year 7. The only exemption to this is DT. In DT you will be mixed with pupils from two other forms for your lessons.

9. Who is my form teacher?

We have a dedicated team of specialist tutors for Year 7 who have significant experience in working with Year 7's over the years.

10. Can I bring my phone to school?

We understand the need to have a mobile phone, particularly if travelling to and from school independently for the first time. However, phones must not be seen or used during the school day. They must be switched off between 8.45 and 3.40 and we advise you store them in your locker.

11. Do I have to carry everything around with me all day e.g. coats, PE kit?

You will be allocated a locker during the first couple of days at KGGS and this should be used to store anything you need storing whilst at school. This could include phones, coats and your PE kit. You will be required to bring a padlock to school to secure your locker. Details regarding this will be sent out separately.

12. What colour does my school bag have to be?

Your school bag should be either black or navy and large enough to hold A4 folders. It should be in the style of a rucksack or holdall, not a handbag.

13. What should I bring in my bag on the first day?

A pencil case, a padlock for your locker and your lunch if you are having a packed lunch at school. If you have ordered a PE bag and planner, these will be given to you on your first day. You will not have proper lessons on your first day and you will not need your PE kit.

14. Do I need to bring any money to school?

There is no requirement for you to bring money to school. You will have your thumb scanned on the first day and all payments at school will be made using your thumb.

15. How do I load money onto my thumb?

Money can be added to your account online, which will have hopefully been set up prior to you starting. There is a machine in school where you can put cash onto your account but we strongly advise it be done online.

16. Where can I eat my lunch?

Most girls eat their lunch in Roberts Hall. However if it nice weather many girls choose to get a takeaway from the canteen and then sit outside on the grass (we have picnic blankets) or on the benches that are placed around the site. If you bring a packed lunch you can eat it outside or in the Roberts Hall. You must not eat in classrooms or in the corridors.

17. Where can I buy my lunch from?

Most girls buy their lunch from the lovely selection that we have available in Roberts Hall. You can buy sandwiches and snacks at breaktime and cooked dinner at lunchtime. The menu is published on the website so you can plan when you want to have a hot dinner. We also have a school shop which sells a selection of food. There are vending machines around the school which sell drinks. All of these options work on the thumb system for payment.

18. I am vegetarian - are there vegetarian options for lunch?

There are multiple vegetarian options available each day.

19. I have a food intolerance - can I still buy lunch at school?

We have many girls with food intolerances at school. Please contact the school to discuss your particular requirements.

20. Can I sit with my friends from other forms at lunch?

Lunch is an important time to catch up with your friends and therefore we encourage you to sit with whoever you want at lunchtime.

21. What can I do if I have no one to spend my lunchtime with?

Most girls very quickly find others to spend lunchtime with. However we appreciate that this is not always the case and encourage girls to participate in clubs at lunchtime as it provides an opportunity to meet new people and not be alone. We also have a fantastic library and many girls spend time there if they are a little unsure of where to go. We would always encourage girls to engage with either their form tutor, Head of Year or our Pastoral staff if they are finding it a little difficult to make friends. We don't want anyone to feel sad so always want our girls to confide in someone they are comfortable with, as then we can support them. Your form room will be available for you to use at lunchtime (as long as you remember not to eat in there!) and lots of girls spend some of their lunchtime doing homework

22. When is the library open and can I take books out?

The library is open before school, at breaktime and lunchtime, and after school. Girls are encouraged to take books out on a regular basis and will have "library lessons" as part of their curriculum. The library also hosts the Homework Club which runs after school five days per week until 5pm. Some of our sixth form students run the homework club.

23. When do clubs take place?

There are many clubs at KGGS and these take place at either lunchtime or after school.

24. What sort of clubs are there?

Clubs change on a termly basis but some examples of some of the clubs that have run this year include hockey, netball, running, badminton, Maths Club, Japanese Club, Drama Club, History Club, Art Club, Silent Reading Club, Quiz Club, Spelling Club, and Minecraft Club to name but a few!

25. What time are the clubs at lunch?

This varies from club to club but you will be always have sufficient time to get to afternoon lessons without being late.

26. When will I have time to eat my lunch if I go to a lunchtime sports club?

Lunchtime sports club don't usually start until 12.50 so this should give you time to eat your lunch beforehand. If you are having lunch at school, you can obtain an early lunchtime pass that allows you to get into Roberts Hall before your usual allocated time. Some girls choose to eat their lunch at breaktime and then have a snack before and after the club at lunchtime.

27. What time do the clubs finish after school?

This is dependent on the club but usually no later than 5pm.

28. How much homework do we get per week?

When you start at KGGS, you will be given a homework timetable to put in your planner. You will receive up to three pieces of homework per day and there will be set days for each subject to set the work. This means that you are not overloaded with five pieces all in one day and should allow you to plan your time.

29. I don't get homework at my primary school - how am I going to cope with the amount of homework I get at KGGS?

The homework timetable mentioned above should allow you to plan when you complete your homework. If you have not had homework in the past it will take a little time to get into a routine but we would encourage you to work with parents/carers to help you get organised.

30. What will happen if I don't finish my homework?

We suggest that you spend between 20 - 30 minutes of focussed time (not multitasking on your phone) on each piece of homework. If you are consistently struggling to complete your homework in this time we suggest that contact is made with either the subject teacher or form tutor to look at strategies to help address this.

31. How will I know where to get the bus from at the end of the day?

In the first few days at school, there will be many teachers on bus duty at the end of each day who will guide you to the right bus stop.

32. My bus goes from the bus station--how do I get there?

We would encourage you to walk the route from school to the bus station before you start so that you know the route you will be taking when you start at KGGS. However we also operate a 'walking bus' in the first week of term whereby a member of staff will walk with those going from the bus station.

33. What happens if I lose my bus pass?

Please try and keep your bus pass safe in a zipped pocket of your blazer at all times. However they do get lost from time to time. Please let a member of school staff know if this happens so that we can hand it back if found. We can also provide students with a loan of cash to make sure that you have the fare to get home that day. If it is not found, parents/carers will need to get in touch with the bus company directly to arrange a replacement.

34. Who would I go to if I got upset at school?

We fully appreciate that starting at secondary school is a huge step. We have a strong pastoral system in place at KGGS and would encourage anyone who is a little sad to talk to an adult that they trust. This could be their form tutor, their Head of Year, a member of the pastoral team or a teacher that they like. Equally, we would encourage parents to contact their daughter's form tutor if they have any concerns. If we know about any issues we can help whereas if we are unaware we can't provide the support that is needed.

35. Where would I go to if I don't feel well at school?

If you don't feel well at school you should go to Pastoral who will help decide whether you need to go home or just need a little quiet time. If you need to go home, you need to get a signature from your form tutor and then parents/carers will be contacted to come and collect you.

36. I am on regular medication - can I bring it in to school?

Please let us know in advance if your daughter takes regular medication. Aside from epipens and inhalers, pupils are not allowed to carry any medication with them. All medication should be put in an envelope with the pupil's name and form on, along with dispensing instructions, before being handed into Pastoral. If the medicine needs to be kept refrigerated we can accommodate this.