Hi All,
After much deliberation and stress on my part as to where to send DD to secondary school, last week she started at our local comp. The school has had improving grades over the last few years and has great facilities but I have always had nagging doubts about how she would fit in at secondary. She's the most lovely person I know, kind and thoughtful, great sense of humour and has always worked really hard at school. She is quite geeky and always speaks properly, maybe comes across as a little posh but not in a snobbish way.
She went to a small village primary where she had a good set of likeminded friends and absolutely loved it, however, at the end of year 6 they split up and her good friends have gone to 3 different schools. DD does have children she knows at the comp but they aren't her great friends.
So, first day at big school she went off full of enthusiasm but came home very sullen and after a little probing burst into tears. She has nobody she knows in any of her classes and apparently some of the other children in her classes were talking and messing about which she found distracting, she also said that a couple of the children can't read. She has the same group (mixed up from different tutor groups) in every class, so I assume they are all mixed ability. I asked my friend's daughter (yr 11) who said that she had heard a rumour that the new yr7s were going to be taught in mixed ability rather than putting them in sets.
DD came home yesterday saying a couple of boys in her class are teasing her for answering questions in class (repeating what she says in a mocking voice) and most of the girls won't talk to her as they're all trying to be cool and impress the boys! DD isn't really into boys/makeup/carrying a silly handbag that you cant fit your lunch in. She just wants to be herself and be liked for who she is!!
There is a parents evening tomorrow, I don't want to go in and rant but I can feel it brewing!! Their website says they will be set from year 7 in maths, english & science but this clearly hasn't happened 
I just don't know how she's going to cope in the longterm if this is how it has to be...
Sorry it's a bit long :)