First week at Secondary School and struggling

That is a lovely update Trb17 and Bubble. It is awful seeing them anxious. DD's disappeared after week one and I am so pleased it did.

I think the self sufficiency that is required is a massive step up. DD comes home with hilarious tales of rushing around, forgetting things (like to take her inhaler to PE).

Yesterday she came home with a massive carpet burn on her knee, must be 4" by 2". Apparently she fell over rushing somewhere, skidded on the carpet and burned her knee. Travelled so far that she banged her head on a classroom door which was opened by a very surprised teacher who asked if she was OK. To which she said Yes Miss, thank you ... and then to use her words, legged it. .

The change from 40 children to 900 (I think) is massive isn't it.

Oh i see. I thought you meant they'd done an assessment in class and he'd missed out two questions. Hope he has fun time with his grandad.
Good news Trb

Oh that's brilliant news trb! Well done her!

DS had a great hour after school - he walked into the debating club and they invited him to join and he loved it, and is going to do it every week! He was so excited about this, so it made it harder to see him so crushed by everything else. His tutor said he'd tried to talk to him yesterday and he was preoccupied and obsessed over missing items, so I think his anxiety is through the roof. He's got an overnight and day with his grandad this weekend though, that he loves, so some time on his own with his grandparents will hopefully do him the world of good.

So chuffed for your DD!

CrumpettyTree the teacher got him to write it on his grade sheet in his book, for "not completing" the home work. He missed two questions as he did the stuff he knew first, went back to stuff, and missed it. It's a Grammar school, but even so.

Thank you everyone for the flowers. His form tutor was checking on him this morning hopefully, and I gave him a cuddle this morning and said the textbook that's gone missing I will pay for a replacement (it's not in his locker I rang him this morning when he checked) and not to worry about any of it. His senco emailed me and suggested we set up an IEP too. He struggles with what he thinks is unfair punishments - eg tidying up after other people, running errands etc. But speaking to him today he's not the only one struggling - he said a couple of boys in his class are finding it hard. I'm just on edge all day today worrying about him

Hope everyone enjoys the weekend. Much needed downtime all round.

I forgot for Bubble, that sounds so hard for him (and you).

This thread makes me . Poor kids. DD started secondary last week and was so excited about it that she didn't sleep for two nights beforehand.

Found it vvvv overwhelming for the first few days (really young in year as well). Loves the lessons (was v bored for the last half of Yr6), loves the bus. Really struggling with being organised, getting around and the size, noise, crowdedness of the place. Lots of tears last week - in addition to everything else she was knackered.

Absolutely lovely form teacher who has looked after her (I haven't contacted him), tied her tie for her when she couldn't redo it (she cried), he just sounds lovely. Had her sit at the front in his lesson and she said she feels like he is really looking after her.

This week is very different - more ups, no downs, she has joined various clubs, hockey, orchestra, chess, debating - and seems to be getting stuck in and finding her feet even though she is fairly shy so I am much happier.

I reckon it will take until October half term for her to be really comfortable with it, such a big change (her primary had less than 40 children).

Not too much homework at all here and we are saving it for the weekend for these first few weeks.

Heres to a better end of week report from them all.

Ds is so busy every day and not even has time for iPad and TV etc

so so much homework

Yes, we've got that too. It's overwhelming TBQH. They've only been at school a week and there's already been about 12 bits set. Couldn't they have given them a fortnight to settle in first? DD is beyond tired too - she's having to set off a full one hour 20 mins earlier than when she was at primary school. And she's not a morning person.

That sounds a bit much Bubble. Do you mean the teacher wrote that because he accidentally missed out two maths questions or couldn't do them? What sort of school is it? I thought dd got too much hwk in year 7 but they at least didn't give much the first couple of weeks to allow them to settle in. It sounds rather pressured.

I too bit the bullet tonight and emailed form tutor and senco about my poor overwhelmed and sad boy.

He forgot two questions on his maths assessment. So had to write "very disappointing, next time will be a detention" despite only dropping 5 marks in total in the test, including the missed questions.

He's had things go missing, and so so much homework. I want my poor boy back.

They've replied saying they will chat to him tomorrow and help him, and I'm grateful for that. But I could cry myself. Just curled up in his bed with him for five minutes for a cuddle whilst he's asleep.

And now I am crying. God, this transition stuff is hard for them isn't it? He's only an august born as well, so glad tomorrow is Friday.

Hope everyone else's children are having a better week.

Sorry to hear you had tears this morning Trb17. I don't know about you but I was struggling not to join in yesterday (managed not to, or not in front of DD in any case). It's so stressful seeing them go through this. I feel for you and your DD. It's miserable.
I called the school too yesterday and they were sort of sympathetic but I'm not sure what is being done. The clubs were meant to start yesterday and DD tried to go along to a couple only to be turned away until next week/a couple of weeks; which is a shame as I'm hoping she'll find some like-minds in the clubs.
The hardest thing is that the only way to feel more at home is to get used to it - and there's no shortcut for that. They (we) just have to keep on keeping on.

Glad others agree about the cat test letter. Thought it might be just me!

Definitely not!! The letters are wrong on so many levels.

We had tears and not wanting to to in today and last night too. This is really hard on her and very distressing for me and DH. So little we can do.

Trb17,

Sorry to hear that, hopefully everything will be better after this week. Good luck.

Tears on leaving this morning. He enjoys the day itself rather than the thought of it, so hope he'll be ok. Doesn't help that he's knackered after scout camp this weekend. Not the best weekend to be away but gavechim the chance to catch up w old friends so kind of needed.

Onward and upwards!

We've had tears tonight too. And I'd thought it was going quite well! He has to wait around for 45 mins after school with a number of other boys until the buses come and he loves to play table tennis at that time. One of the year 8s seems to have targeted him, pushing him out of the way so he can play and generally saying horrible things to him. Hopefully it will blow over but this sort of thing worries me as he was targeted by bullies in year 3 and 4. In the end (and for a number of other reasons too) we home educated for years 5 and 6. He can't go back to that again so we really need to make school work.

We've told him not to get wound up or respond to this boy but he doesn't find that easy. Good luck for the week ahead everyone!