Starting Year 7

Attaching the house key to the inside of the school bag using a length of elastic has also worked well for DS2, as have lock laces.

Ok, ds1 started year 7 last September. I trawled through every bit of information on the thread from last year, linked further up this thread.

On the open evening I asked the teachers what sort of pens to have, and we were told no friction pens (ie the ones that you can rub out) because if they need to photocopy the work it will disappear with the heat

Ds has 2 pencil cases for school, a main one, pens, mechanical pencil (no shavings) ruler, highlighters (specified by school) calculator -this is also specified by school so wait to see which one to buy. The usually offer them through school at a discounted price.

The second pencil case has a pritt stick, coloured pencils, maths equipment such as compass, protractor etc.

He never removes these from his bag at home. We have spare stuff here, that way he never forgets his pencil case.

He has Ikea wooden magazine files labelled with days of the week and removes everything from his bag and puts the books in the right file. Packs his bag the night before.

He has a notice board to pin up details of his homework and a daily planner of what to do today so he never forgets his music book or PE kit.

His front door key is sewn into his school bag on a long piece of elastic so he can't lose it.

Teach them to tie a tie if they need to, and shoe laces (although for his football boots and trainers he has locklaces for speed.

Walk the school route with them, make sure they can cross a road, and talk about what to do if they are worried about people around them.

And breathe ds went to a school with only 1 other child from his primary, has settled in amazingly well. He has joined several clubs which allows him to make friends with different year groups etc.

Feeling v.happy today as I visited the second hand uniform shop and spent £57 on uniform and sports kit that would have been £283 if bought new. DD tried it on and there is room for her to grow between now & September.

Emilymaud - my dd starts yr7 too this September but i also have a son in year 5. My plans are that dd will catch the bus to and from school - the bus stop is at the top of our road and i notice the children getting off at 3.45pm so she will let herself into the house. I am going to leave ds in the after school club he is already in at the school, I will pick him up by 4.15pm then be home with dd by 4.20pm so its not as late as your day. It will be much better next year when they are both at the same school and can catch the bus together. Tis a right faff!!

My advice - it can be a weird time for child and parent at end y6. The good news is that when the kids actually start the new schools the schools do a good job these days of settling the children - lots of clubs, activities etc. My dd was so sad to leave her primary school but v quickly settled into new one.

The harpenden/St a post - you may get more help on the local
Board? For what I know more places are soon released as those taking private places let their state places go, so a place elsewhere might come up. Townsend has some v good results and lovely kids go there and it's the right side of St a for harpenden so could be far far worse.

Can't he go to your dd's childminder, EmilyMaud?

I remember having to fend for myself at that age . Ah, the 80s...

That's brilliant about the school uniform, Tea! Jealous! I'm already dreading the trip to the school outfitters.

I've chucked the Freshers' Camp letter in the recycling, to dd1's relief. Parents' Evening tonight - should be interesting...

I love the idea about the box to keep things in. I may have to dig out an IKEA box for this.
Our year 6 children go up to the secondary school, for 2 days, in June. There is also another parents evening mid-June (I took these details from the secondary website).
SATS in 2 months! OMG!

I only work 3 days a week and hubby does more early shifts than lates. But, there would be times when we wouldn't have any childcare for that hour after he arrives back from school.

Hi,

My son starts secondary this September and I am dreading it!

He is a bright boy and very capable but he tends to be lazy with homework. We were offered a place at out 1st choice school so that was great. The majority of the class were offered a place too (Catholic). It is a high performing school but demands high levels from the kids (a lot of homework)!

Also, I am concerned over childcare. He has gone to a local childminder (after school and in the hols) since he turned 3 years old (went to a private day nursery beforehand). His younger sister also goes (she is 7 this June). The childminder has told us she will no longer have him once he is at secondary school. She has also told this to other parents of year 6 children. We have no family help.

I moved job location 5 years ago so I would work closer to home but, unfortunately, my job was relocated further away than where I was in the first place. Hubby works in another town in the opposite direction. The secondary school is a bus ride away (private buses but parents pay for them). He will leave the house at 8am (fine for me most of the time as I start at 9am, youngest will go to school breakfast club from 8am) and get back at 4.20pm. Hubby works shifts (I do lates until 8-9pm but only when hubby on an early finish). I won't get home until 530-6pm. Not keen on letting him come home alone even though he has a mobile now (basic one). He will be 12 next March. Hubby will be around when he is on an early shift as he finishes around 2pm.

What is everyone else planning for after school childcare?

First day of September? First day of term, I mean. She isn't going to Hogwarts.

Great tip about the box, littlenicky, I think we'll be doing that as dd1's personal organisation is dire. I've also been thinking about getting her some kind of planner she can use to remind her what needs doing before school etc.

We've already had a letter about 'Year 7 Freshers' Camp', which is a 2 day affair at the end of the summer hols. She is adamant she doesn't want to go (she's being assessed for Asperger's and finds socialising difficult) but now I'm worried that she will be the only one and they'll all rock up on the first day of September with ready-made friendship groups. (She will be the only girl from her school in her class.)

Going to have to join this thread.

DS is going to the same comp as at least half of his class. Fortunately, last summer term he was able to participate in Y5 transition after school clubs for which I had to put him on the bus but he got himself off and did the walk to school himself. DH collected him. :) The children also do a full transition week in July of Y6 where they spend the whole week at the comp and have to do their full school day as if they're already pupils there. They even have to wear the uniform.

He's very excited about going although sad to be leaving primary. Over the Easter holidays we need to do a practice walk to school for timing as he'll be walking to school most days. Also we need to practise buses for going to town after school, particularly getting home afterwards if his friends don't live in our direction. As a previous poster said, we also need to work on his sense of urgency so he gets there on time - it's going to be an approx 35 minute walk each way, so no time for dilly dallying.

It's strange how much preparation is done these days. Back in September 1979 I remember being dropped off with the other girls from our street by one of their mam's on the first day and being left to get on with it.

(hiding head in sand)

I have ds, currently Y6 going, although dd is already in Y7 now. She did the whole transition thing easily, but I fear for ds as I'm predicting he'll find it more difficult.

Dd had a great big diverse friendship group, whereas ds is in a small group of 3, with one of his friends going on to a different school. I also worry more about his organisational skills! We shall see.....

DS2 has ASD, and when he started secondary two years ago I was having kittens. I worried about all sorts of scenarios that didn't end up happening; he has been fine.

I can't wait to start getting it all.

Me too!

TheFirst, I love buying and labelling new uniform too , I can't wait to start getting it all.

My dd1 is starting high school in September, she is leaving all her friend ( apart from one ) as we have chosen a school out of catchment due to dd having Aspergers ( the school we have chosen has a better reputation with sn support ), she doesn't seem too bothered about leaving her friends and is quite excited about going to high school, unlike me who is a nervous wreck.

Can I join in too? DS starts this September?

If you're in London you get a zip card (free bus pass) - make sure they also have a backup Oyster card somewhere safe for when they've lost their zip card. Because you can't use cash on busses anymore.

You will probably have a transition day in July. So we practised the bus route in the Easter holidays so she could catch the bus confidently on transition day.

I get a real sense of satisfaction from buying and naming uniform, kit and equipment for a new school. Making sure my children have the right stuff, sewing nametapes on, seeing the uniform lined up neatly in the wardrobe, colour-coding the subjects on the timetable.

I do realise I am very sad.

I have two children starting Y7 in September, one at a school that is unfamiliar to us, and the other at a school we know really well because my older two children are already there.

These are some of the things I plan to encourage them to work on:

DS3:
tying a tie

DD:
using a bus
acquiring a sense of direction
using a fountain pen
tying shoelaces
typing at a reasonable speed

As you can tell, one is a bit more ready for secondary school than the other.

we got a couple of days notice the first time she brought some books back and then after that she had to do some for the next day but don't worry come September all the shops seem to have sticky back plastic !!
I would probably wait just in case their school is one of the few that don't cover them . At my daughter school they have some books ( that needed covering ) and for other lesson they needed lever arch files with lined paper and plastic wallets .

Nearer the time you will get a list of all the stuff you need I'm sure : )