New Year 7s get a head start with our engaging summer school experience

Last week [Monday, 18 August – Friday, 22 August], we held our annual summer school event for Year 7 pupils joining us in September to get a real feel for life at St John Bosco Arts College.

This year’s theme was Alice In Wonderland and over the course of the week more than 130 pupils took part in a variety of activities ranging from flower poetry and cookie baking to scavenger hunts and Drumming lessons to name just a few. They have also had the benefit of guest speakers coming in discussing hot topics such as Mental Health Awareness and Coping with Change. Also, a group have been working hard on production to be shared with families at the end of the week!

Designed to support new pupils who will be joining us from different primary schools across the area, our summer school offers the perfect opportunity for pupils to make friends, build relationships with teachers, get familiar with the school building and feel more comfortable in a secondary school setting.

Ella from Broad Square Primary School attended for the full five days and said: “I think summer school was very good, I loved drama and cooking. All the girls are lovely and the teachers have made it really fun.”

Daisy from Wellsbourne Primary School added: “I’ve really enjoyed it, I am in the same group with three of my friends from Wellsbourne but we have made friends with girls from other schools too, Drama was my favourite activity”

This is the 12th year we’ve hosted our free summer school, which took place between 9:30am and 2:00pm every day and was led by St John Bosco teaching staff, offering new students cooked meals for lunch during days full of fun, confidence and friendship building.

Mr Darren Gidman, headteacher at St John Bosco Arts College, said: “We know the transition from primary school to secondary school can be daunting for many of our young pupils as they adapt to a larger environment. By hosting summer school during the holidays, we aim to alleviate the nerves our new Year 7s may be feeling and help them build confidence before they officially join us in September.

“Last week was absolutely fantastic - it was a real delight witnessing the growth of our new pupils in such a short space of time. With the support of our brilliant teaching staff, they have already begun to live the St John Bosco mission by inspiring each other to flourish in faith, hope and love.”

The new 2025/26 academic year officially starts on Wednesday, 3 September where pupils will return to school at staggered start times that can be found here.

Next month, we’ll also be holding our open evening on Thursday, 25 September between 4:00pm and 7:00pm for prospective pupils and parents / carers to explore our state-of-the-art facilities, meet our dedicated staff and hear from students. To find out more, click here.