Advice for starting in year 7

If you have a girl, bear in mind that if the regulations say skirts should be knee-length, and you buy one that long, they will all before long be rolling it up at the waist band so it sticks out at a really odd and unflattering angle. My DD1 has just finished year 7 and I've gone and bought her a shorter one so at least she'll leave it to hang properly. Some schools may police this more than ours though .

The best thing we did for DD was buy a Really Useful filing box and set up a hanging file for each subject with the timetable was stuck to the lid.

I would say that's the single one thing that made DD organised and able to sort out her own books every day.

DD also packed her bag each night before bed as it made the mornings so much easier.

And don't forget to get some sticky back plastic for covering the books!

Mum's get too 'involved' these days. I had a friend going on about what a stressful morning she'd had getting her girls off to their school trip, packed lunches, raincoats, driving them to school....but why, my daughter on the same trip got her own lunch together, packed her own bag and walked to school as always....no probs. Mum's just can't stay out of their kids business these days, leave them to get on with it, if they forget their homework, what does that teach them...to remember it next time. You're not doing them any favours by remembering everything for them they have to learn to be independent and think for themselves. Did your mum have your school timetable on her fridge??

Yet to face this as DS will change schools for Y9 instead. However, one of his friends left to join another school for Y7 and I would definitely say don't spend too much on the first bag or pencil case. There will be a brand which they have to have, and it won't be the one you got.

I would also recommend easy2name.com, just ordered name and 'things' tags from them and they arrived the next day! They also pay commission to schools, have a look through their list and see if the new school or old school is on there.

I went to a girls school. Girls lose lots of stuff also. Label everything. Do label expensive things with two sewn in labels, one in a hidden but consistent location. Topsand blazers should be labeled at the back neck. Label skirts and trousers at the back waistband. Label inside tongue of shoes with a silver Sharpie. When everyone has identical or very similar shoes, it's easy to lose one.

Can I hijack a little & ask if there are any extra tips for kids with health issues

I have spent a substantial amount of time in Learning Support, or picking up / dropping off for (currently weekly) medical appointments. The crucial thing is that it's always behind the scenes or I only make an appearance when all the other pupils are in lessons. My children go in to school with their friends, eat lunch with their friends wherever possible, and leave at the end of the day with their friends, which makes them feel as though they are like everyone else (v.important in adolescence).

For labelling clothes this is fabulous...no sewing and you can reuse the name tags, although you need new backs once you remove them.
www.attachatag.com/

Portlypenguin, I'm horrified at your story...! Eeek!

My two girls are leaving Year 7 today and my big tip is not to let your child get a satchel type bag! My son who is now 19 wanted one when he was at school and found that it hurt his back as he always had a full bag. He told my girls this and they still wanted one (fashionable of course!) so I gave in. Needless to say they were asking for backpacks very soon! Go for a backpack/haversack with two straps for a healthy back!

Marking place

Book marking my place too I hope mine starts year 7 soon too, so all very useful tips & a great thread - thank you

Can I hijack a little & ask if there are any extra tips for kids with health issues, mine has EDS, with a host if related conditions! such as IBS & Anxiety - which makes it a bit hard to keep away from school - or is it

loads of great tips.
I have to drop suggestions into the conversation with ds, if I say 'let's get this it's a great idea' he will refuse.

So dropped in the springy key ring thing (for bike lock key) and he thought it was a great idea!

We still have to go and do the Official Uniform shop one day in the holidays (logo blazer etc). Then sewing the name tag on will begin

I turned up on day one wearing white socks cos that is what the uniform list said. Everyone else was wearing dark blue (uniform colour but not supposedly regulation). I never recovered from that. Apparently white socks = lesbian. Unfortunately my less mature peers recalled this incident for the next 5 yrs. ask someone else what to wear! All other advice above is great.

Thanks for starting this thread - marking place for 2nd Sept in complete panic!!

DS has to cross the city and has £20 in a sealed envelope in case he loses his travel pass, or the trains and buses stop completely and he has to get a taxi home. (This has never happened, but it makes me feel better).

good advice, thanks!

Brilliant tips here - also have a child going into Y7 in September. Will definitely be referring back here. Thanks. :-)

If its hard stuff I uave found that brother has an excellent labeling machine.

Clothes we use silk labels and sew them onto the washing labels

Sharpie pens are good for labelling everything - plastic and clothing. Black (why?!?) calculator gets a tippex type pen.

Also - if they have to have a memory stick make sure it has contact details in a file on there.

Can I ask how everyone labels stuff? I know my ds will mislay stationary and calculators!

For girls have a little sponge bag with spare knickers, a sanitary towel and some panty liners and wipes in case her period suddenly starts. Explain/show her what to do with them. Remind her that if one of her friends suddenly looks horrified etc she is welcome to let friend have some of the stuff.

I have a tray (like an office in-tray) for each DC in a prominent place downstairs (not in their rooms) where they can sort out their books for each day in the morning. It has worked really well and monumentally disorganised DS1 has practically never forgotten a book. < faints > They also come in handy for dumping any of their crap into when I am trying to tidy up.

Haha Takver when I taught reception we had a very apologetic dad who left his daughter's pink Disney Princess mini-backpack on the metro! The girl and we had been looking for it for about a week around school before Dad realised what he'd done and confessed. His 4 year old was livid, "Daddy! My drawings! And that was a SCHOOL library book!" I still laugh at the memory years later.

2 Small pencil cases in the book bag, the first one with pens, a couple of pencils, glue stick (a must) and a second with coloured pens and pencils that can be shoved at the bottom of the bag and bought at on the occasion that they need it (with calculator and geometry set).

a watch is handy

Photocopy timetable and let DC carry it in pocket (saves heaving out Planner every break).

More glue sticks

Get them to pack a snack and water in case lunch queue too daunting to begin with

Be prepared to never know what they are up to/who their friends are.

Get a copy of all the keys on their keyring, including locker keys.

Lock your car when leaving it at the station with your dc's school bag in it (especially if you haven't got copies of all their keys . . .!)

As a yr 7 form tutor this year and teacher of 14 yrs I would agree always pack your bag the night before, if homework is forgotten or not done go and speak to that teacher in advance of the lesson or at the start rather than just leave it until he/she asks for it in, be prepared to make new friends and it's ok to have old friends and new ones too, enjoy school, get involved in clubs and extra activities, talk to their tutor and help him/her get to know them.