What Stationary Bits will my Son need for year 7?

underwater
get your new year 7 to read more of the science press
I am not in the teeeniest bit joking

"one big solar storm in the runup to a project deadline and the internet could be running at 10% for two days"

Wait, I thought we were talking about new year 7s, not NASA

Ds hasn't lost a single thing (though he has used up plenty of pens and his cheap stapler broke) and has used all of his equipment. Can't see how he could have done the work in many subjects without that much equipment, including a proper calculator (a basic one doesn't even have pi on it?)

"LEA" : what about academy schools

"google drive" : how many of your kids have to log on at the public library?
in DCs school its around 6-10% which is 80 to 100 kids
and there are only 5 terminals at the two libraries
please
please
think about resilience
one big solar storm in the runup to a project deadline and the internet could be running at 10% for two days

Oh, and re: Dropbox (which I cannot function without), another option I recommend is a google drive account (can set up with school email) which syncs in to things like Edmodo.com, if your school uses it.

Google drive also allows kids to work collaborately on group work without actually having to be together. It's brilliant!

(School blockage issues notwithstanding)

As staff I had to fight with LEA to get dropbox reinstated! We are now allowed it at my school - phew!

DD is used to having to have her own pencil case of stuff inc coloured pencils, glue, scissors, ink pen and cartridges, etc for primary. Not lost much, if any, so far.

Please, please, I beg of you and all other parents: please make them take calculators, protractors, pencils and rulers to science lessons too. We do all kinds of mathsy things at the drop of a hat, and so rarely do they have... anything.

Actually, if I'm honest, turning up with their own exercise book and a pen would be progress.

ladymilford
a couple of years back, DCs school had a fire
it was only a small fire, in one room
but that fire happened to take out the fuse boxes for the whole school (1500 pupils)
they were shut for nearly a term, but with good use of technology the GCSEs held up
memory sticks were essential as kids (who may not have internet at home) had to log on where they could

even further back, I was network manager for a company that had EVERY SINGLE computer stolen one night

dropbox is great if you have a computer and the right access

give me memory stick backup any day
GF : f : S
look it up if you do not know

LadyMilfordHaven - maybe for some schools, but clearly not for DD's school as this is the required list we have been given.

DD doesn't need a USB as they have a school portal they use.

they shouldnt need a USB if they use dropbox

Lots of schools operate a very wide-ranging internet filter system which blocks lots of useful sites including Dropbox.

Even more of a pain for us teachers

more likely to lose USB
but hey I dont really give a shit

they NEED at least one USB

geeky parent here
too many chances of software crashes the night before deadlines
ALWAYS
ALWAYS
ALWAYS
have your data in 3 places

and as 4gb are now £5 at maplins there is NO excuse

they shouldnt need a USB if they use dropbox

i dont give a shit what number school it is - they wil lost it ALL before they need it. Eton or bloody Grange hill.

DS1 has a USB stick on list as well.

Hulas list is WAY over the top tbh

DONT give him all the pens at once.

TWO only ever,

and dont give the maths set till he needs it in maths

DO NOT EVER give named pencils at secondary.

Ds asked for a scientific calc for his birthday in year 5 (bit of a maths geek) and my dm bought him the most expensive one she could find because it had 297 functions and the cheaper one only had 263 or something...little bit of overkill there!

Pen for everything except for labelling diagrams which could be done in pencil in some schools. Drawing lines to label diagrams should be done in pencil.

If schools don't specify type of pen, then they probably don't mind.

Ds (and most of his mates - and many of the dc at my school) use Pilot Frixion pens - they're erasable, so ideal for perfectionists like ds. But I have an idea in the back of my head that they may not be allowed in external exams so I need to find that out and phase them out if so. They are also very expensive but very much worth it for ds, who loves to be able to correct mistakes and he can write beautifully with them too.

Do secondary school children write mostly in pen or pencil??! If pen-are biros ok or to be avoided? Any pen recommendations??

It's the one I recommend, I am a Head of Maths! I buy it in pink as the boys as less likely to steal mine if they are pink!

Ds's list for last year similar to Hulababy's plus memory stick plus dictionaries for both MFLs.

I would inclined to think that if they haven't provided a list, they're likely to be less fussy (not as worried about both HB and 2B pencils for art for a start!)

Scientific calculator would normally be used from year 7 in top sets for maths, I would have thought...

stationery . I thought you were after something to stop your child, such as brakes...

Just make sure he turns up with a ruddy pen - I am sick to death of pupils arriving at my lessons without a pen. God knows how they think they'll get by without having something to write with!