New Year 7 tips...

One thing I am worried about is whether I should be encouraging my dd to cut down on her extra curricular clubs. I am a secondary teacher myself so know how tired new starters can be and atm dd is doing 1 1/2 hrs wind band on mon, 2 hours drama on tues, guides on wed and sat drama school. She will also be doing a flute lesson with hercurrent teacher as an out of school lesson so that will take another night.. Have previous new year 7 starters found this amount of clubs doable (esp with earlier starts and later home with bus journeys...)

Our school has Homework Club until 4pm. Ie the Library stays open until 4, but if you are doing homework you get priority on the computers. You can also ask the Librarian for help, plus there are generally a handful of student mentors on duty, too, so that Y7s can ask, say, a Y9 for help. (The student mentor programme is one of the extension projects for G&T students.)

By the time they got home from school, my dc sometimes found it very difficult to put their 'school head' back on, and knuckle down to homework. So they have at times preferred to go to HC and get their homework out of the way immediately, so that they could have complete downtime at home. This was particularly helpful when there were younger siblings having playdates at home, etc.

Homework in secondary school can be sporadic so it is sometimes difficult to establish a regular routine. My regret is not making a habit in Y7 of getting DS to do half an hour each night going over languages or science etc. even when there was no set homework as this would help when the workload gets heavier nearer GCSEs.

YY to letting them get on with it. Check they've done things but don't DO it for them.
Don't pack their bags for them
Don't micromanage their homework (soon you'll find you won't be able to help them).
The school will have systems in place for those that struggle with organisation in yr7. If your dc is one of those don't cover for them!

Some lovely advice here for all of us Y7 mums to be - thanks!

Buy duplicate text books for things like maths & languages. Leave one text book at school and the other at home, reduces the weight in schoolbag dramatically (and also useful to have the old text books for reference as they go through the school).

Keep all books at home in ONE place. Then if it is not there they know it is either with the teacher or in their locker at school.

Work out how much sport they will be doing each week and buy enough PE kit for the week. Don't try to wash it mid week - one big sports wash at the weekend.

Agree a time to do homework each night adjusted for any clubs. Get in the habit of spending that time doing any work needed and not only what is urgent. Spare time go over language vocab etc (we have failed on this point in yr7 but next year we will do this!)

Do lots and lots of extra curricular stuff in yr7. You never know what you may enjoy - a lot will depend on who is running the club and how good they are so give lots of different things a go.

Remember you have to be with these kids for 5-7 years. Be "bright and breezy" - don't sweat the small stuff. Avoid conflicts. Avoid people you don't particularly like but don't make enemies if you can help it.

On the subject of keys, DD's is on a long lanyard which is attached to a zip on the inside of her school bag - that way, she won't lose it and won't leave it in the door after she's let herself in.

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but one thing my DCs have learnt ( year 7 and year 9) is to keep any revision notes made for end-of-topic tests, copies of tests etc so that end of year exams revision is a doddle. Even better is to make flash cards of important facts/ info as they go along. Then, when summer exams come around, it's just a case of revising, rather than making a whole set of revision resources from scratch.

That 2nd pencil case idea is brilliant!

At both the schools I’ve worked at they are asked to cover books so it must be specific to the school. They will soon let you know.

If you get your child a new phone for secondary school (and it’s not necessary at all) then get the rules in place before you hand it over.

Buy roll of Sticky backed plastic. They needed to cover their books Must be particular to individual schools. I've 3 dc (2 left, youngest in Yr11) at 3 different secondaries. Never covered a book.

I was going to say the Key one the Can'tKeepawayforever has mentioned. Keys are very easily forgotten, and, if lost outside the home, big implications for home security. I labelled ds's keyring "if foud, please hand in to Xschool" and we did get it back once, via that way.

Put the 'emergency period kit' into a pencil case, as it is apparently mortifying to thing that's might be what is inside a nice wash bag, whereas a 2nd pencil case blends into your bag better.

Put a name tag on anything which you would like returned.

Minimise after school activities - they will be knackered. Make sure they get lots of calm and sleep.

DD has a lightweight pack-a-mac permanently in her rucksack so if it tips it down she doesn't get soaked, but without the need to have a proper coat on the off chance. Other girls carry a fold up umbrella.

The 'pay by finger' systems for lunches work better than cards as they can't lose their finger (except in a tech lesson). The actual fingerprint isn't stored, it is turned into a number, so it is all very secure.

One tip I picked up on MN is to buy 5 cardboard magazine files & label them with the days of the week.

At the end of each day get your DD to put her school books (plus dictionary, calculator etc) in the relevant file for the next time she has that lesson.

It makes it easier to pack her bag knowing that all her books are in the right place. It also means that if the book isn't in her bag or in the file then the teacher must have it.

It's been especially helpful as I have twin Yr 7 DDs in different schools plus they both have fortnightly timetables so we've had to be very organised!

If possible, get them to go to their transition day by the same method they will use in September, rather than you dropping them, or going via current primary school to meet with primary friends first.

If they are going to let themselves in when they get home, an extendanable key chain that clips to an inside blazer pocket is fab.

like this

DS still uses his from Y7, and he's just coming to the end of Y12. the fact the keys are physically attached to the blazer means they don't get forgotten

Tbh, I think the biggest adjustment at transition is for parents. Most children sail through but a lot of parents get anxious. It is hard to adjust from accessible (ish) staff and lots of events and schoolgate chatter (where applicable) and PTA stuff to what can seem like Colditz to the uninitiated!

Yes to emergency period kit. Dd carries a small travel sized deodoriser.

Plenty of sturdy hair bands. Dd hates her hair up but has to put it up for PE and Sciences.

She also carries an emergency £10 note in a small pocket inside her rucksack. Hers is a rural school - it's incase she misses the bus and somehow can't get hold of me and needs a taxi or any other reason.

Get a big strong bag for lugging everything around (DS’s school don’t have lockers).

Another example of where advice is school dependent. DC's school have a "no bags in corridor" policy, so buying a just about big enough squishy bag that fits in a small locker would be the advice here!

Deodorant and brush/comb probably a good idea for PE bag, I'd doubt they would use them the rest of the time (mind you I have DC that have to be reminded to use deodorant at the best of times ...)

If you have a DC with long hair extra hair bands at school (in bag/locker) are a good idea (DD seems to be forever losing them, and they have to have long hair tied up)

For those with girls:
Even if they haven't started periods yet, make sure they have an 'emergency bag' in their school bag containing sanitary stuff and spare pants. Tell them they can throw away soiled ones, or given them a nappy bag or similar to put them in.

Don't be tempted to buy a arm / hand bag type bag as they really weigh you down one sided and will cause you to walk unbalanced. My DD has an Animal rucksack that is plenty big enough and her form teacher (a pe teacher) commented on how it was the perfect bag for school.

Also best advise I have DD was if you ever forget anything then as soon as you go in that class walk straight up to the teacher and apologise and say you'll email it later or bring in first thing tomorrow etc. DD has done it twice and saved herself a detention both times whereas those who teacher found out hadn't got it but hadn't let them know til later in class got detention.

Photocopy timetable and have spares in blazer / bag / at home etc.

If ill and off school ask classmates for homework as one day DD had one day off and h/w was set (1st term in yr 7 and knackered so I gave her a Friday off to sleep and recuperate) and she didn't know and so didn't do it and she was told she'd get detention as she should have asked friends. She did it in break time luckily so missed detention by skin of teeth.

In year 9 now and never had detention. Also volunteers for lots of things so teachers know they can trust her. Has been chosen to be a buddy for a group of year 7s and she'll take it seriously too as she doesn't remember her buddy bothering after induction day with any of them.

Exciting times and v different to Primary. They expect a lot and for parents to let their children get on with it. DD caught bus from day one (school bus so no chance of a practice run) so she's had to get on with it. She's since found a friend who lives nearby and we share lifts now so that's an idea if you're planning on driving.

Good luck

For children who have difficulties socialising (and they may not be aware of this) join clubs. Try out lots of different clubs, be open to anything, even if you never considered it before. It's an excellent and safely structured way to meet people, especially people outside your own tutor group.

Set a time by which the dc must have arrived home, unless previously agreed with you. My dc go to school 10mins walk from home. Our home-by time is 40 mins after normal school-end time. This gives them time to hang out a bit, too.

Any changes must be replied to by a parent. So a text saying "Mum, gone to shops with Joey, back by 5" is not enough - dc needs to have received a reply from me OKing it. (This has been important to us because someone needs to be home to let primary-age siblings in, but the structured behaviour has helped my dc understand that families need to cooperate with each other.)

Get a big strong bag for lugging everything around (DS’s school don’t have lockers).

Sorry my DS is going up to Y7 in Sept. DD is soon to be Y9.

My dd is going to be Y7 in Sept. he had an elder dd there.
My dd found organising pretty easy. Hopefully your school will have a parent/teacher online system where homework details are posted etc. I find it very helpful to double check myself on big projects.

Join in loads! My dds school has 103 clubs!! Many of them on lunchtimes and after school - from choir, drama, dance, chess, chicken-club ......everything really.

My dd started secondary knowing no-one. She found the first 6 months quite tough socially, but her break through was joining drama club. There she found lots of people she clicked with and they were from lots of different form groups. From there she's formed a wide group of friends.
Dd says the people who don't get on well are people who find one friend and cling to them, don't join in or try new stuff.

Also, don't tell other children off for swearing. Yes it's horrible but it remember your own schooldays, you just look like a complete snitch who's not a team player.