Join in here if your PFB is off to secondary school in September or if you have any advice for thew newbies

£169 in Sports Direct - 2 sons. As I was paying, eldest DS remarked 'and we only have PE twice a week'

We are going today to get school shoes, football boots (the ones he already has are not suitable according to school), and trainers for indoor games with non marking soles.

We are also getting school shoes for my other two, so it's going to be an expensive day.

He still needs a rucksack too.

My DS is also off to Secondary in Sept. We have his uniform, it just needs washing and labelling.

I am a non-ironer so not impressed that I will be starting to iron school shirts at our Primary DCs wore polos ....

We have not had a stationary list but DS did get some homework on one of his induction days.

They are to read a book suitable for age 12y and do 6 activities from a choice of 15. They include choosing a new title and why, make a list of 20 questions to ask someone else who has read the book, describe the conflict for the main character and how was it resolved, make models of 3 things which were important in the book.
DS has chosen and read his book, so we have started it (at least)!

Ok for those whose kids travel by tube/train - is it better to buy monthly or an annual pass. Can't work out which is better in terms of savings (in view of all the holidays) and also the hassle of replacing lost tickets. Thanks

I don't think anyone has said this but apologies if it is a repeat - go to Lakeland or Poundland and buy about 6-8 little tubs with a lid and a large lidded tub. Label all the tubs and lids with a Sharpie pen. This is for food tech where they have to bring in 100g flour, 100g butter etc

Oh and dem, my ds lost a lot of tubbiness (not weight because he grew about a foot) over Y7. The longer commute, walking from class to class and more PE seem to have worked wonders :)

Sharpie-merchant here, too. Ever since the novelty of sewing labels wore off. So since Y1 probably

Question re name tags. Have bought Ds uniform for high school and got some iron on name tags. Cue horror from older dds who have left school now, saying he will be a laughing stock if he has name tags in his clothes at high school and will get picked on. I sent want to lose expensive blazers and kit, but don't want to make him any more of a target than he already is - overweight, academic, shy, hates sports, dreading high school. (And yes, we are trying to address the weight but with a sports hating child its not easy)

Just been and got school uniform for dd - so far we have logo-ed polo shirts, sweatshirts and a fleece, plus school shoes (lace ups!), just need to get PE t-shirt now once they have her size in stock.

£120, but that did include the shoes at least! I guess it never felt like so much at primary as they didn't really wear uniform beyond the jumper to start with, then we got it in bits and pieces.

It is DS1's last day at primary today, I actually feel a bit sick.

White shirt ready, autograph book ready, and hankies (for me!)

Tomorrow is my DS's last day at primary school.

We have got the leavers concert in the morning which Im dreading as I feel very emotional and don't want to make a fool of myself (and my DS) by crying howling. Will I look like a right idiot if I wear sunglasses indoors

Leavers party tonight, I am very , he is just excited!

It was a wonderful show, they all did really well, and the song at the end....

A week left in primary for DS1, we get the school reports and SAT levels tommorrow.

We've got ours coming up soon too - next week
So few days left now at primary !

DS has his year 6 leavers show performance tonight. Hankies at the ready!

On the plus side dd is delighted with her form tutor, she knows her from induction sessions and says she is absolutely lovely. She also teaches drama which is one of dd's real enthusiasms, so fingers crossed for a good relationship there.

We had parents' meeting this week - we seem to have been there a lot of times already, and dd knows lots of older pupils so it is all quite familiar already, which is nice.

We got given an info pack with a booklet for dd with map, equipment they'd need, rules, where to go for help etc, plus a booklet for parents with a section for each subject about what they'd be learning in yr 7, which I thought was a great thing to do, don't know if it is standard now, but I"m sure there wasn't anything like that when I was at school.

Bit disappointed that it is a very small year - only 80 - there's a new head and I think a lot of people are waiting to see how things go. She comes very well spoken of though (from another local school) and neither us nor dd was that keen on the other option. Very much hoping we've made the right choice, dd definitely needs a bit of support to get the most out of school, and our gut feeling was that this school seemed most likely to provide it, but it is hard when you see that so many others have made a different decision. I guess we can only wait and see . . .

Sorry for invading this thread, thought i had started a new thread.

Can anybody help? Ds had set his heart on one particular school but failed to get in because of his English and handwriting. I said I would get him a tutor and he could take the test next year and hopefully he would get in then.
In the mean time we put him down for the secondary school most of his class are going to and although we both had misgivings about the school we reasoned it was only probably going to be for a year and he would be with his friends, (in an interview he was asked who would he like to be in his class). He was feeling positive about everything and he knew he had a goal to work towards and with that he went to his induction day.
After his induction day on Tuesday he is refusing to go. He was upset that he was put in a class with only 1 person from his school (not his class) and the class seemed from what he said to be filled with loud bully boys from one particular school who set about the other child from his school and started bullying him. One of his friends had his leg broke and the whole thing has sent him into a downward spiral.
Can anyone recommend a school, I don't mind paying but not extortionate amounts, I don't mind travelling we are based north London / Herts borders.
Did look at Steiner schools but the dancing on youtube video of lesson put me off. In my head I was just imagining what ds would say.

Looked at Montessori in West Hampstead but the fees and extras and deposits made my head spin.

Prefer state but am at a loss to know which ones are good.

Because of where he was educated last September/October we did not get the chance to go round the different schools.

We have had out induction evening, and DS has not been put in a form with even one of his friends. He has been put with two boys who have had a reputation for disruptive behaviour right through primary school. Now I know why DS's class teacher kept emphasizing that DS was very mature in his outlook and worked well regardless of who he was partnered with, when we had the last parents evening.

The form teacher is very experienced though, and DS seemed to like him. I definitely liked him, he is rather dishy.

I bought most of the school uniform DS will need today, just need to get the footwear for indoor and outdoor PE now.

Have nothing to add as the DCs went to US high school (no uniforms and everything really well organised in terms of communication), but DontKnow -- get an assessment done privately asap. Don't wait til your number comes up.

This thread is hugely helpful. I already have a ds in year 8 and his high school experience has been a disaster as he was diagnosed with AS in January and school has been a big battle from the off from homework to behaviour to even getting him there. He hates school.

However dd1 is starting year 7 in September and I feel as if we are experiencing high school for the first time because she is a lot easier than her brother and is looking forward to it although very nervous!

ds has been uncooperative, refuses to show me homework planner, refuses to do homework, refuses to behave, refuses to take pe kit in, refuses everything. arghhh