Anyone with a year 7 starting today?

Clubs would be a good way for them to start making friends. My impression is that kids are sticking to old primary school friends for the moment, which must make it extra hard for those who have none.

i WISH THEY WOULD PUT ON SOME CLUBS AT LUNCHTIME for the first years this week.they have been going 15 minutes early into lunch , which means their break is an hour and 20 minutes which seems like an eternity when you don't really know anyone.

minesawine - I hope it went better than he feared, and he wil feel happier tomorrow. Very upsetting to have to leave him like that

gazza - excellent news that it all worked out perfectly. Onwards and upwards after all that nailbiting!

I am very impressed with DS's school - he has some mobility difficulties and a member of the Inclusion dept called me this morning, to ask how he had found his first day, check all the details she needed in order to inform all staff of his needs, ask if there was anything we wanted to talk about, make sure we (parents and Ds) knew who to speak to if we had any worries....really good!

Everyone tells me that the social circle changes completely within the first 3 weeks of secondary; almost no one keeps the same close friends they had at end of y6. I've seen it for myself in a few cases.

My daughter started for her first full day today. She's the only girl of 3 pupils to go to the comp. am feeling desperately sorry for her and need advice I can give her re helping to settle in also reassurance for me that she WILL settle!

Oh minesawine. How worrying. I so remember going through this last year. I would come home and just sit and worry all day. (And eat crap - I gained a stone!)

Fingers crossed he will be ok.

Well mine went in ok although my planned calm start was thwarted by John Lewis delivering my new desk just as we were setting off and DH being on the phone so I had to deal with it. Quite why DH arranged a call for that time first day back is beyond me really. He works from home and wanted to be around but then booked a call. Oh well.

Managed to persuade DS that other mums were going in and I could too! He just wanted me to drop him. Met his housemaster and tutor. Tutor had called yesterday to say DS would be buddying a new boy so met him and his dad. Poor boy was very nervous. Hopefully DS will be nice to him. Not that he is not nice but hope he is confident enough himself to take the lead a bit and help the new boy.

House now very quiet!

Thinking of you all today. Just reading all your stories is making me cry! I've got this all ahead of me. My oldest is in Year 3... And I can't believe she's halfway through primary school! Arrggh! Shazjack1 - I hope today is a better day for your boy. Minesawine - huge virtual hugs coming your way. Xx

Its horrible isn't it minesawine worrying about how their day is going and feeling helpless.

Had to drag my DS into school crying today. He had been (sort of) looking forward to starting today but as we drove up to the school he had a huge panic attack. I had to spend 10 minutes calming him down and mopping up the tears. He is now in school but I an on tenderhooks wondering how he is and whether he is ok. I am sure he will be fine but I am so worried for him.

Oh I like the idea of going to the loo in lesson time! Although just need to help him muster up the nerve to put his hand up to ask now!

Slipper definitely talk to the school, some toilets are very cloistered away and perfect for mischief by design. At our school they were the base of all the bullying gangs and I went through 5 years at school not having a drink all day and big headaches so I didn't have to go for a wee if I could help it at all!!!

Th cleanliness should be solvable reasonably easily.

In the meantime, as an interim measure, you could suggest he asks to go to the loo during a class time, so he is going when the rest of the kids are having lessons and therefore not likely for big lads to burst in, whether it is true or not, it is a strategy to overcome his fear until he sees how the land is really laid.

Perhaps they just aren't on-task yet with breaktime duty, and maybe it will get better - but (and this from someone who usually counsels against running to school to complain!) I do think it is worth raising. Is there a VLE where you can leave a message for Head of Year or something?

Thanks theoriginal. I was surprised they were not supervised. I was a Prefect at school and one of our tasks was 'toilet duty', where we sat in the loos throughout lunch etc to check they were in an acceptable state and no bullying was going on. The school ds is attending has a great reputation so I am rather disappointed by this.

Slipper speak to the school, I think. If the toilets are putting students off, that's a real problem and they need to a) clean them and b) supervise! Poor lad.

Hi Blu (waves!)

Thanks for asking and remembering! It was DS's second choice, but probably our first one (for proximity and just general vibes) and really as soon as he was offered a place there he decided it was the school he wanted to go to...Somehow just think it is the right fit for him!

Travelling seems okay at the moment for DS (and he's now on his third journey alone) although we've discovered that one of the schoools en route hasn't started back yet so the buses are probably unusually devoid of school children this week... Next week will be an entirely different story methinks!

Journey times seem to be 45 minutes door to door there and more like an hour coming home...

I did get a phone call yesterday my ds had stomach ache could I collect him. Had a chat last night and it appears the toilets are the problem - as in he didn't go for three days he has been there. Firstly because they are so dirty and secondly he has been told older boys burst in when you are in there (not sure how true that is)! But its real enough to him. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Not a y7, but a y8 at a new school. He wouldn't admit it but he was mildly scared witless. Mostly terrified of getting everything wrong, especially socially.

I walked him to train station when he admitted he had taken out the pens I put in his blazer and replaced them with... a single pencil. I groaned.

There are hints of envy from other parents; DS got into the school that is supposed to be impossible for kids from our town to get into. Pretty silly, it's not like I stopped anyone else from applying & they still have spaces in y7 & y8.

Still better than DS3 who was starting reception today & refused to have a bite of breakfast. I had to raid DD's lunchbox when DS3 suddenly decided he was hungry after all.

DS2 is reeling from homework (ie more than two bits a week), finding his way around and remembering everything. Loves science ('real science, not just general knowledge'), enjoying Latin and has also mysteriously forgotten how to do simple division and add decimals. Jury out on rugby. I'm driving him at the moment as his Oyster card hasn't arrived (only turned 11 last week) and anyway he is my PLB and in 3 years' time he won't be seen anywhere near me.

Yes, very sad story above.

My dd found Maths a bit much yesterday - she said she temporarily forgot how to do division - 6 weeks holiday on top of 6 post-SATS weeks of basically mucking about have obviously wiped her brain for a bit! They also played the numbers game from Countdown, which she finds alarming enough when it's on the TV!

Oh, EcoLady, how shocking.
That exactly demonstrates why we all feel so wobbly seeing them go off on these secondary school journeys. Poor poor boy and his family. Fingers crossed for him.

DS had his full first day with proper lessons yesterday (Yr 7 only for the morning on Tue, to learn to use lunch cards, find their way around etc). All well and happy - very excited about the luch choices - all the boys in his little group had scoffed cheeseburgers and pizzas at morning break, and then a full 'meal deal' at lunch - parents now madly applying the daily cap on expenditure .

Maths homework (top stream) was to draw margins on every page in excercise book.

Buttons already off blazer.

Gazza - how did the travelling go? This is the school that was your second choice, yes? Good luck!

Glad your DS is enjoying it all Seeker - LOL at the IrnBru. DS chose what he thought was a cup of Ribena in the canteen yesterday and it turned out to be jelly, which he hates.

Dd has gone off with a stomach ache today - don't think she's anxious about anything, it's not her period (or shouldn't be), she doesn't feel sick or need a poo (!), and did want to go.... I'm so going to get a phone call this morning, aren't I?

Going in for Day 3 today. So far, so good.

They had precisely 1 1/2 hours of Y7 only on day one before the rest of the school (1400 in all) arrived.

I am not concerned about these first few weeks where everyone will be looking out for the new Y7s- it's 6 weeks down the line when 85% of them have found their feet (and new mates) but DS2 will still have no clue where S3 or H5 are; he will have been overshadowed friendship-wise by stronger personalities; he will be struggling with the work as his reading comprehension is not high and his ability to express himself on paper pretty much Y4. So we are 'enjoying' the honeymoon.