Anyone want a secondary transfer support thread?

Can I sign up too please?

Must admit when I left her in the playground I came home for a good cry. My DD now a little fish in a big pond, the only one from her school in an 8 form entry secondary and the deafening sound of an apron string snapping, all tipped me over the edge!

Naturally DD took it all in her stride and I remain confident that she will cope with most of it but she is dyslexic/dyspraxic so we'll have to negotiate a new SEN protocol no doubt

BadBadKitten that's a really strange way of doing things isn't it? DDs year were all asked to write down which friends they'd prefer to be grouped with and then the school tried to accommodate their wishes. Mind you, I suppose it is a good way of encouraging children to make new friends, doing it the way that your DDs school is...

I'm sure she'll be fine :) I was the only one from my primary that went to my secondary (miles away) and knew no-one, but soon made great friends.

CeliaFate - you poor thing (about the dream), it's stressful, isn't it?

DS had his induction day yesterday. He was beaming and described it as the best school day ever. I think he's in for a shock when he starts school proper and sees how much homework he gets. He knows a couple of other boys from his current school and a couple from cricket.

Count me in too. DD starts her secondary school in September. Has had her induction visits yesterday and today and we met her form tutor last night at the parents meeting.

We had some tears on Monday night when she found out that she wasn't in the same house as her best friend but seemed a lot happier after her first visit yesterday.

I also have DS1 starting primary school in September so am trying and failing to get organised early. Off to shop for uniforms next week!

My dd is going to secondary school in September too. I had an anxiety dream last night, that dh and I had gone to pick her up because she wasn't on the school bus and we couldn't find her anywhere. I was in my pyjamas, running round the school screaming her name while classes went on regardless.

I'm dreading the homework - 3 pieces a night in year 7!

MrsM - there are a couple going from her primary but the school have a deliberate policy not to put them with friends I think we are just going to keep a very close eye on how she is doing after a couple of weeks and intervene early if we need to. this morning she seemed more positive and she likes her form tutor so maybe she was doing a bit of 'glass half empty' yesterday.

WKW we have bought early and bit big. Though when I say 'a bit big' I tried on her jumper and blazer last night and well.. they fit me so I think she has plenty of growing room.

My DS seemed to enjoy his induction day - he said that all the boys (Bar 1) were best of friends already - i'm not so sure, I think they were just all from the same primary. He said that the girls all made friends instantly and the other boy (who was also the only one from another primary) did not seem to float DS's boat iykwim!! I think he was just quite and shy and maybe a bit nervous. The form tutor seemed to think DS coped well on the induction day, so I shouldn't have anything to worry about - but obviously I still will!! DS is not phased at all - still really looking forward to all the things on offer at secondary school (I'm really having to push him to go to school on a morning at the moment - he is sooooo ready to move on). We've applied for the bus pass and now need to sort out the uniform - but do I buy now or wait until nearer the time? - eight weeks is a long time for a growing 11 year old!!!!

OhYouBadBadKitten oh poor DD :( is she going up with any of her friends from primary?

dd had her induction today. Not sure she had a good time tbh, she took all the rules very much to heart. Said there were some nice looking children in the class and some that didnt look very nice at all and others that just 'were'. She is very reserved with people she doesnt know, takes a while to mix in. I'm rather worried about her.

Signing up too, DS1 off to 'big school' in September. He had a week there last week, going on the bus at 8am we were both quite scared but he had a great time (apart from the boy who punched him in the head on the bus on Friday, but I've sorted that out and most importantly it didn't phase DS1 too much)

I remember seeing threads like this last year and thinking how far away it all still was.

wakeupandsmellthecoffee that link is really helpful, thanks :)

here for anyone else that wants a look.

Signing in here too :) DD starts in September as well. She had her induction day last week and loved it which was a relief. We're lucky in that we live in a small town and the secondary school that she's going to is the feeder school from her school so she knows most year 7s already.

I met her tutor yesterday, who seemed very nice, and she has a 2 day/1 night residential trip in a couple of weeks which gives all the year 7s to be a chance to spend a bit more time together. I'm really pleased with how they've been dealing with the transtition to be honest. DD is excited to go now which helps!

Just need to sort uniform out now. I've had to order a few bits from the school but not sure where to get the other bits from. I usually buy from M&S, but the uniform code is a lot stricter in her new school, so don't think she'll be allowed the sparkly bits & pieces on the skirts and trousers.

Well I have just collected DS from his induction day and...........he loved it!
He is the only pupil going from his primary but has one friend going from another school and luckily they have been placed in the same form. Tonight we have Parents evening and chance to buy his school uniform so will be £££'s worse off no doubt!

Aquos, I too wonder how DS will cope with being organised, at the moment he his just so laid back!

My ds has gone off for his first induction day this morning. His best friend is going to a different school so ds has been really anxious over moving to secondary school. He looked very smart in his new uniform. But he is the most disorganised child. It is going to be a massive transition for him to make, being responsible for his belongings and keeping track of homework diaries etc. I do hope the next three days are positive for him because I think we are going to have a bumpy few weeks when he starts at secondary school properly in September.

Ooooh, me too please. I need all the support I can get!! My dd is off to secondary in September. I'm terrified, she's excited. I'm not ready for a secondary school child. We haven't bought the uniform yet as she has decided to sprout upwards so I'll wait til this growth spurt has finished before I pay out! She's had her induction, made friends and is really looking forward to it.

It's very close to where we live as well so she will be walking with her friends and an older girl who lives round the corner. She is growing up and becoming independent, waaaahhhhh!

She's growing out of her school shoes and her cardigan has seen better days but I too refuse to buy anything new with only three weeks left to go.

Hello, me too. DD1 is starting yr 7 in Sep.
We have visited the school for one of a few meetings and visited the uniform shop. £108! and that's not all of it. Whe the lady said "that's £108 please, the room went quiet and there was a gasp of air from the other parents behind me as they stood there waiting to pay .
She will get three whole consecutive days there in July to learn about the school, do a few lessons and treasure hunds etc which I think is excellent.
I am a cryer and wil blub my way through the assembly and church service.

Ha, DS2's black school shoes bit the dust in SATs week so he's been going to school in trainers ever since. Not part of the school uniform, but what are they going to do about it now? Exclude him? I think not.

DS2 is starting Yr7 in September. DS1 is only 2 years ahead of him, so it feels like I only did this 5 minutes ago! We're horribly calm I'm afraid. DS2 has been looking forward to this for a while, we've got all the inductions and uniform days coming up in the next couple of weeks and I've managed to rearrange all my work shifts so there's no problems with various meetings/end of year plays/parties. Something is bound to go wrong...

I'm really looking forward to the next couple of weeks, we didn't get to do any of this with poor DS1 - his primary school closed early because of Swine Flu, so we didn't get a decent finish with tears and emotions. By the the time they had their re-arranged 'Leavers Party' in September they'd all moved on really

I have my first one, DS1, moving up in September. Most of his class are going up with him, and, best of all, he will be reunited with a couple of best mates from Infant school, who went to Junior schools elsewhere.

He's generally quite confident, but I sense that he's a teeny bit nervous. I think the induction day will help, but he's particularly worried about who he'll be in a class with.

But he is majorly too big for his boots at the moment, being one of the top dogs at school, and I think he will have a certain adjustment to make once he's bottom of the heap again. Does anyone else have this problem?

Oh yes, and his Primary uniform is held together with a wing and a prayer, because I won't replace anything with four weeks to go. Poor chap has shorts so tight he can barely bend down, and there are staples and superglue holding his shoes together.

Hello, can I join in as well. DS1 is moving up in September. He also has mild AS and dyspraxia. He has just finished his 3 mornings of transition visits and has the normal induction visit with the whole of his intake next week. The parents have had our training too this week and we met his tutor which is useful as our 1st point of contact with the school if general problems arise but the rest is, of course, still unknown and I wish we could just get on with it! DS doesn't seem phased by it much which is good.

It will be sad to leave the juniors, especially as it will mean a whole new routine for all of us and we will have to get up earlier which I am not looking forward to. I have had it cushy for the last 7 years as we live next door to the school but not any more.

Oh and DS is going to my old secondary so that is all a bit weird, especially as I never imagined I would be back living round here. Everything at the school looks sort of looks the same and sort of doesn't. I am not sure if my prior knowledge is a hinderance or a help to DS but at least I know the layout and my way round even if DS doesn't!

wwell that killed the thread didnt it . Sorry oops