We would like to extend a very warm welcome to all prospective parents / carers and their children. Throughout the course of the year we will be working with all of our feeder primary schools and your children to share my experiences of life at Kepier. We would like to take the opportunity to meet you and will be attending events at primaries throughout the year.

We understand that choosing your child’s school can be a very difficult decision and that’s why staff at Kepier believe that everyday should be an Open Day. If you would like to see our school in action, to book an appointment please contact our main reception. 

Kepier’s On-Site Y5/6 Open Evening this year will took place on Wednesday 20th September 2023 from 3.30 – 6pm.

Learners will be invited to attend Kepier throughout the course of the year to specific events in liaison with your child’s primary school. Following National Offer Day (1st March 2024), Kepier’s Transition Programme will include the following.

  • Telephone conversations with parents and carers. 
  • Virtual Parents’ Evening Presentation 

A Virtual Parents’ Information Evening will take place on Tuesday 26th March 2024 starting at 5pm and will last no longer than 30 minutes.

We would encourage you to access the meeting via the following link: meet.google.com/wgf-kgwj-nej

During the Parents’ Information Evening, we will be sharing key information and dates in relation your child’s transition programme during the summer term.

  • Parent and Learner visits during the school day.
  • On-Site Transition Events for learners.
  • Key staff will visit your child’s primary school. 
  • Transition meeting with primary school staff to share any relevant information which will support your child’s transition from primary to secondary school. 
  • Onsite Parents’ Evenings in June / July 2024.

Updated information regarding Kepier’s Elite Football Academy.

Kepier will admit 230 learners into the September 2024, year 7 intake. We are not recruiting into the Elite Football Academy programme this year, all learners who are offered a place at Kepier will follow our mainstream curriculum pathway.

As a result, we have removed Children selected on the basis of aptitude from our oversubscription criteria (criteria 2). Admissions will now ranked on the following criteria:

  1. ‘Child in Care’ – a child who is looked after by a Local Authority, in accordance with Section 22 of the Children’s Act 1989 or a child who was looked after, but ceased to be so, because of adoption (or become subject to a residence order or special guardianship order)
  2. Attendance in Key Stage 2 (age 7-10+) at a designated cluster junior or primary school namely:
    1. Bernard Gilpin
    2. Burnside
    3. Dubmire
    4. East Rainton
    5. Gillas Lane
    6. Newbottle
    7. Shiney Row
  3. A sibling link – an older brother/sister or older child (including adoptive and step children) that share the same parent/carer and lives at the same address, who will be attending Kepier at the time of admission.
  4. Exceptional medical or psychological reasons – you must include a medical or psychological report, prepared by a professional, to confirm information that you include in the section.  This report should explain why only Kepier could meet your child’s medical or psychological needs.  Common childhood medical conditions such as asthma or giving a child’s nervousness at starting a new school as a psychological reason for choosing a particular school are unlikely to be accepted as exceptional.  If you intend to use this criterion when expressing a preference, please contact the School Admissions Team before completing the application form.  Eligibility under this category will be considered by a meeting of the Learning Matters Trust. 
  5. Pupils for whom preferences are expressed on grounds other than those outlined above.
  6. Within each of the above, places will be offered on the basis of distance from the centre of the home address to the main entrance of Kepier.  Distance is measured by the shortest safest walking distance, using a geographical information system (GIS), with priority being given to those learners that live closest to Kepier. 

Below are some quotes from parents and carers from Transition Programme.

‘Fabulous introduction to a new school allaying all anxiety. Now, when school starts he can hit the ground running.’

I think everything relating to the transition has been outstanding. Well done to all involved, it certainly wasn’t like that when I was young!’

‘Kepier has by far exceeded our expectations by supporting his transition from primary to secondary school. he staff have been fantastic.’