come back and report all you parents of those sept brand new Yr7 kids, how did they get on?

My ds went from home ed to secondary and seems to have settled in, though I am not sure he totally gets it. He doesn't understand why there are sometimes whole class punishments, for example, which to be honest I can't explain either.
He has adapted very well on the whole though and now gets the bus across town on his own and just seems a lot more grown up.

Don't buy everything on the list until you actually need it

This is only bit I can much agree with.
Everything else is down to luck I think. Good that so many people on here have had positive experiences. DS is in y5 and I am already enormously dreading his secondary transfer.

For my DS, the most important change that starting secondary school brought was that he was finally able to join the 'boy tribe'. At primary, he was excluded by the others, not allowed to join in football games and so on. It was a pretty miserable, isolating time for him.

But it really is possible to reinvent yourself at secondary school. The social stigma attached to associating with a child in one environment, does not necessarily follow that child to a new environment.

My DS found his new classmates welcoming. They have treated him in a very normal sort of way from the outset.

My DD has Aspergers and her end of term report indicates that her effort and achievement ( in a mainstream classroom) are either 'comfortably meeting expectations' and even, in some subjects, 'very good'.
Not only has she managed to submit almost every piece of homework on time and find where she should be for most of her classes most of the time, but she is achieving just below the median grade in every subject (except maths...she is your atypical ASD in that maths seems to confuse her!)
She has joined sport, music, drama and debating clubs and even made a few new friends.
She is exhausted at the end of every day, but is enjoying school.
I was really worried about how she would go with the change and step up to senior school, but am so pleased at the HUGE achievements she has made.
It helps that we set up her desk at home with different magazine folders and a huge notice board with the timetable displayed. Also made a homework timetable so she knows what she should be doing when. Thankfully her inclination to OCD means her work area is always very neat and she keeps a set of stationery at school as well as at home and leaves her books in her locker and only brings them home if she has homework. That way she usually has them at school for lessons.

In terms of ongoing support, he has small groups two mornings a week during registration, and a lunchtime meeting once a week with his LSA to see how things are going and adjust targets. There's also a friendship group every lunchtime and a homework support group after school, but he hasn't used either of these.

Dayshift, ours oldest moved some years ago now but has a full-time statement in mainstream and has done very well.

Thanks so much ThreeBee

That sounds so positive - thank you

My son has a full time statement / support but knowing that sort of support is in schools and works is helpful

My ds has enjoyed year 7; he is on an IEP for coordination difficulties which has explained his problems throughout primary. He:s doing well academically.

Fallen out with primary school friends :( has friendly acquaintances in his tutor group but will take him a long time to make friends. Doesn't cope with change very well but he's getting there. He helped at the school Christmas fair and I'm hoping as time goes on he will get more involved.

Town

We moved to a new tine 20 miles away in June. DD2 commuted for the last half term of primary before starting at her new secondary school in September where she didn't know a soul.

It has been fantastic. She is enjoying school and has made lots of friends. What a relief!

Hi Doris, DS2 has ASD and has started at a mainstream secondary. No statement though.

The secondary school invited him to a transition programme with a dozen other children. One afternoon a week for six weeks in the second half of the summer term of Y6.

Then I had a meeting with them to go through his needs, and he made a pupil passport with similar information.

The school also runs a support group for parents of children with ASD, with visiting speakers.

The whole experience has been about 99% positive for him.

We had a couple of hiccups: he kept trying to take his tie off, so I told him he had to keep it on all day, which caused difficulties when getting changed for PE.

He knows how to tie shoelaces, but doesn't have the manual dexterity to make a secure knot/bow, so we gave up and bought him black elastic lock laces. No one has commented.

He has made two friends and voluntarily joined some clubs.

Sorry to gatecrash

Does anyone have a child with ASD who has moved to mainstream secondary school with a statement?
How's it going?

Very relieved here, she's settled really well, absolutely loving it even though she didn't want to leave her Junior school.

I agree on the independence theme...my dd has just finished term. She really enjoys school with her boarding friends. Her attitude to learning has turned 180 deg. Gone are the days I need to cajole her to do her homework. Nowadays its done on time and correctly in the fastest possible time. This frees her up to play with her friends at school.

Although she does admit the work is quite easy.

advice don't worry she will make friends...there is someone out there that is similar to her and will connect with her.

She is so confident now she decided she didn't want an escort to fly back to Hong Kong. The school will make them very organised. She rang me when she arrived at the airport... after check in ...after immigration... waiting for the gate no' ..At the gate.....on the plane at her seat. arrival in HK....at baggage reclaim....coming out.

advice to international parents don't sweat it kids catching planes isn't a big deal. Although I didnt sleep from the time she left school.... until I picked her up from the airport. Its important for her to have a british sim card for her phone with 3G so can whatsapp and a HK she can change to on the plane...That way she is always in constant contact. Just so your sanity is preserved.

My daughter comes back from not to much contact at school.... stating the im busy....prep....got to go....To non stop chatting when she sees you....I love it...telling me all about her adventures with her new friends. So yes let them talk....

always give big hugs tooo......because they are never to old or get big hugs

DD1 is loving secondary school!

My tips would be: decent bag! DDs broke after about 3 weeks and so it was a mad rush trying to sort a better one for school the next day.

We went out and brought her a plastic tub for her to put all her books and textbooks in. Also we brought some high capacity ziplock bags like these. She has one for each subject, labelled and her text books fit in them too. It means when shes packing her bag she can just literally lift the bag out of her tub and its all together. A few of her friends have asked where we get them from as they like the idea.

Its hard adjusting to not being involved so much. DD attended a very small school (84 pupils) and I was very involved and know all staff and children well (DD2 still goes there) so its taken a lot of getting used to.

I also learnt I was the worrier, not her! She has taken it all in her stride!

YY to the glue sticks. How is it possible to get through so many?!

Also printer paper and printer cartridges. I have two at secondary school now and hate to think of the office supplies we'll get through when the other two join them.

It's gone brilliantly. She loves everything about her school (highly-sought-after comp, girls only) and sails out the door every morning. She's gone from dizzy dreamer to organised worrier (in a good way). Like Takver, I thought I'd know less about her life, but actually know much more. She often asks me to help her pack her backpack. We make a list of the classes for next day and all the everyday items and we tick everything off the list as it goes in the bag. Mostly I think it's to get some chat time with me. That's when I hear all about her day and the little things that matter (like interaction with friends or teachers). It's all jolly jolly, which is a huge relief, as she was the only one from her school, so had to make a new network of friends. The schools all seem much better these days about transition and encouraging positive relationships.

Practicalities: I followed superb MN advice about Very Useful Box files, which help tremendously. The rest of her room may be a tip, but the books are in their place, and none get left behind (so far). A brightly coloured oyster sleeve is helpful too. Can't remember the other good advice from here. Oh yes, buy extra Prit Sticks, as they burn through them and you may hear a pleading request at 9.30pm. Stock up.

Good luck with it all. It's been an amazing adventure for us so far, and the relief when your child settles in well is immense. But it's more than 'settling in', it's a real blossoming as they take on more responsibility and even start to appreciate their parents (most of the time)!

DS loving it. So far nothing lost, no detentions, no late homework, loads of new friends, busy with concerts, plays, clubs, library - you name it, learning soooo much, plus a big smile on his face everyday. Couldn't have wished for a better start!

My advice for those still in Yr6 would be - SPEND A LOT OF FAMILY QUALITY TIME TOGETHER IN THE NEXT MONTHS! Once they start Year7 everything changes. They have no time anymore and school becomes the centre of their lives. They leave earlier, come back later (sometimes really really late). Then there is homework, music practice, sport matches, checking school email, sorting out bag etc... You blink and the day is gone. For me this was the big difference. I would like more time with him, snif. Obviously, I'm the one who needs to grow up

He has settled so much better than I was anticipating. I worried about pretty much everything, and it has all been fine.

These are some of the things that helped:

I gave him a shelf at home where he could unpack his books as soon as he got home and organise them by subject. There's a timetable next to it so he can pack his books for the next day.

I made him a folder on the computer with subfolders for each subject and taught him to save his work. I also set up a template so that if he opens Word, it automatically inserts a header with his name, form & today's date.

We practised the route to and from school during the summer holidays.

Yes do not be afraid to email school before disaster strikes.

It's not worth everyone having a nervous breakdown about a geography project, that DD had totally forgotten need a week to collect data.

Do quietly rummage through bags occasionally, DD2 (Y8) still doesn't give me notes from school or hand in absence notes.

Grrr this is an ongoing saga from Y3 (when DD1 went to senior school and notes became her job).

Yes to reminding them if they have after school stuff or family stuff, they will leave their HW to the night before.

And don't be surprised if the organised one finds senior school tiring, stressful and gets in a pickle. While the dizzy one gets it sussed.

Still can't quite get used to DD2 finding senior school quite hard work, while (this weeks mock GCSEs excluded) my dizzy dyslexic had grown into it by now.

All going well here, although she is pretty tired and prone to complaining how "boring" school is when she needs more sleep. When not complaining, she tells me about all sorts of interesting stuff they are doing, so I don't think it's really boring .

Has joined lots of clubs. Beginning to choose different activities from best friend - but still got a great relationship with best friend. Has discovered that PE is fun, when run by proper PE teachers that are interested in helping abilities achieve. So my fears about choosing a "specialist sports college" for my non-team-player DD were totally unfounded. She's even opted to go and play netball for a whole weekend next term

My main tip is to play close attention to the school website. Make it your business to know what's going on. then you won't be taken by surprise by the random inset day that they assumed you knew about In our experience, two-way communication is great, in that I have direct email addresses for all teachers and they are very good at responding when there is a genuine concern. But they don't send letters/text reminding you of stuff that's on the website - you need to pay attention.

Brilliant & v happy as am I. I know more about her progress than I did at primary.

Do get a robust but trendy backpack

If travelling they need a mobile

Get a locker

Dont sweat lunches - most of them do eat. Maybe not what you've given them.

DS1 has had a great start to Yr7, he seems to have settled well and is joining in with different things.

He is coping with the homework ok, though he does tend to try and put off the bits he gets with long completion dates on them - he is getting better at managing and planning his work.

He is so much more independent now.

Do not underestimate how tired it makes them for the first few weeks.

Would have done differently? Buy two PE kits instead of a coat.

Week 2, called in to chat with form teacher as she 'seemed very quiet and shy'. Week 3, DD in 5-minute detention for chatting too much and being cheeky...

Otherwise, going fine!