Parent Updates

As we conclude the 2024 – 2025 school year, I am pleased to share with you some important updates for the end of term, the summer break ahead and the new school year.

Thank you for your support this year: I wish you all an enjoyable summer.

Mr L Cole, Principal

As the summer holidays begin, the safety of our pupils and community remains paramount. Please take some time to read the letter from West Midlands Police which can be found here on our website: WMP Safety Letter.

We are offering pupils a virtual safe space should they need any help or support from Ark Bouton staff during the summer holidays. Concerns may be reported at any time through the SHARP system, which will continue to be monitored throughout the summer break.

From Monday 21st July to Friday 1st August, pupils may speak to a member of the Safeguarding or Pastoral team via this MS Teams link: Holiday Check-In. The line will be open from 10.00am to 12.00pm each day.

Over the summer holidays, we require your child to memorise 20 Golden Nuggets for each subject. These represent the core knowledge covered in the summer term. In September, all pupils will be assessed on this content, and the expectation is that this knowledge is fully memorised. Pupils should use the Core Knowledge Revision Booklet for their Year Group here: Core Knowledge Summer 2025 Revision

Any pupil who does not pass the Core Knowledge Assessment in September will be required to attend a mandatory after-school Core Knowledge Support Session to memorise the information and retake the assessment.

Please visit this page: Summer Community Activities and Support for details of community activities and support available for pupils and families over the summer break.

Ms McSorley, Executive Principal, is stepping away from Ark Boulton to focus on her role as Executive Principal at Ark Victoria Academy and carry out other important work for Ark schools across the region.

I am sure you will join me in thanking Ms McSorley for the dedication she has shown to all the Ark Boulton community over the past two years.

The first day back for Year 7 and Year 11 pupils after the summer holidays is Wednesday 3rd September 2025. The first day back for pupils in Years 8, 9 and 10 is Thursday 4th September 2025.

Specific timings will be shared with you over the summer.

Every parent / carer is invited to come into school to meet their child’s new form tutor for 2025-2026 on either Tuesday 2nd or Wednesday 3rd September. A meeting time has been allocated to all: pupils have been given their form tutor meeting letter to bring home, and a reminder of your meeting time and date will be emailed to you over the summer.

Every pupil received their timetable for 2025-2026 on the final day of term. Please help them to familiarise themselves with this in time for a fresh start in September 2025.  

Following consultation with pupils, parents, carers and staff, Ark Boulton Academy will become a mobile phone-free school from 1st September 2025.  From this date, pupils may not bring mobile phone onto the school site under any circumstances. Please read the Mobile Phone Policy letter for more information. Our updated Mobile Phone Policy can be found here.

As we prepare for the start of the new academic year in September 2025, we would like to remind all families of the high standards we maintain at Ark Boulton Academy regarding uniform and equipment.

Please read our Uniform and Equipment letter for more details of our expectations for all pupils.

• Thursday 21st August is GCSE Results Day 
• Pupils in Year 7 and Year 11 return to school on Wednesday 3rd September
• Pupils in Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10 return to school on Thursday 4th September 

Please click here to see our full Calendar, and here for 2025 – 2026 Term Dates.