Have we got a year 7 support thread this year?

So sorry to hear about the disappointing first days. DS starts on Wed and we had an email last night to say they have to come in their games kit for games days (Mon, Wed, Fri) , including the first day of school as they don't want them changing in school, so they actually get to wear their school uniform twice a week. They have a very long list of games kit and I couldn't figure out exactly what they needed to wear which made me anxious last night, but thankfully there is a WhatsApp group set up for Yr 7 parents and some people have been able to shed more light on what to wear.
DS is looking forward to meeting some of his new classmates later today as a meet-up has been organised at a park near the school. I'll get to meet some of the parents too.

I wasn't actually being critical, it was more an observation that it's a bit premature to email with concerns when the schools have just opened in very trying circumstances. As a teacher I would've thought that would make you less inclined.

I was expecting a comment like that from someone. I'm a teacher myself, so I know full well what schools have been having to deal with, thank you very much.

FYI, in my email, I simply said I had some concerns and wanted to discuss them with the school... Hope that's OK with you?

Schools are struggling to get their heads round the last minute DfE advice released on Covid as well as adjusting to the new intake and all that warrants, so unless it was a really serious safeguarding issue I'd give them some slack and at least a week before firing off emails!

Oh no, sorry to read about bad first days hugs to you all and your DC - hopefully it will get better.

@KangarooLady
Thanks so much for asking! Yes, it seemed to go a little better, largely thanks to a funny food tech teacher - whatever works! She also sat with people from her house at lunch and that seemed to work out OK. So it's still very early days, but at least I'll hopefully avoid another sleepless night over it - until next week anyway. I hope things went well for the others who are struggling.

Not a good day for dd1 today after a nice start on Wednesday 🙁 Mainly down to disorganisation of staff 🙄 Have already emailed the Head of Year to discuss my concerns 😬

I think my ds school (secondary) has got the measure of these kids on their fancy phones all summer. New rule: no phones or devices at all in school. On or off. Spotted and immediate internal exclusion. That made them sit up and take notice!! My son will be leaving his at home.. he walks home.

• a better day today in that...

Oh gosh, I’m feeling ragey about schools not even thinking about the equality impact of their Covid changes.
I’m also feeling ragey about kids being on their posh phones and being insolent little beings.
I think my rage-o meter needs adjusting.

A bitter today on that similar stuff happened but DD I’d beginning to learn that sometimes you have to be with people that exhibite awful behaviour and as a child you have little power to do anything about it. I’m not sure that’s what education is for. Keeping an eye on it. May go on waiting lists or just give up and let her Minecraft til she’s 18.

Sorry to read about the disappointing first day's, why do some kids treat others like that?
Not a great day for either of mine.
Son 1 - he's got a wheelchair with the handles pushed in, people still keep moving him around like he's luggage. Not sure how to tackle that one.
Son 2 - a big kid moved him out of the way using his bag, I just told him to stay out of the bigger kids way for now.

A happier day today - four new friends and fish n chips for lunch! Phew.

So sorry to all those who had a bad first day - why are some kids so horrible?? Must be such a worry, I hope things have gone better today for all your daughters

Drop off for first day of school all good. He was excited and happy.

Just had a phonecall from class teacher because lunch time all went a bit wrong. School normally requires all pupils to have school lunch and strongly discourages packed lunch. However we were OK with this because the school lunches include enough variety that DS - who has food anxiety issues and ASD - felt able to cope. They didn't tell us that normal provision is completely changed (due to Covid obviously) and they will not be offering their normal choices but instead each class has one or 2 days a week going to each of 3 different lunch venues each of which will be serving one type of the normal variety (one location doing traditional hot meals, one doing jacket potatoes, one doing panini/sandwiches) so on a particular day there isn't a choice and you can't have the option that is scheduled for another class to have.

It would have been so helpful to have been told this!

But never mind. Only another hour till I can go and pick him up.

Hi - new to the thread. Feeling gutted as DD's first day at secondary school was horrible and she spent whole evening in tears when she came home. She's been looking forward to going since March, and we knew the school was going to be a stretch for her academically but thought it was the right choice. Now - I don't know. She said all the girls were on their fancy smartphones texting all day, even during lessons. She tried to say hello and draw people into conversation but people just ignored her and kept texting. In the halls there was a lot of jostling and she said kicking and elbowing of older girls to younger. Then they started off lessons with triple French (nightmare!) and then she got yelled at by a teacher for getting lost in the one-way Covid system, then there was a problem with the bus, and anyway... needless to say not the start we were hoping for and she looked utterly miserable when she went in today despite lots of talk last night of 'the first day is always hard' and 'other people are nervous too' and 'tomorrow will be different'. I take some of her account with a grain of salt, and there's a part of me that wants to tell her to toughen up, but it was awful to see her so utterly miserable. So I hope today goes better, but it's really gutting as a parent to see their (probably unrealistic) illusions shattered.

You are wise Mumsnetters. The things you’ve said are all far superior to what we managed BUT I will use your wise words and thoughts. Thank you. It’s much appreciated.

As with all these things there is baggage attached but that’s a parental thing and the kids don’t need to know. As I’m I’ve worked out who this child is. But also it’s the sort of thing that happened to me at a school but DD hasn’t ever really come across it before.

@TryAnotherNickname I’m so sorry for your DD but you’ve handled it well and we’ve raised resilient daughters who went back in for another day.

Thanks all. She’s got bus friends and says that the other classes are so much friendlier but of course they’re massively restricted to their own class at the moment. She has a natural glass half full approach, so she did actually meet two people who were nice but the overwhelming impression that the others are all happily paired up already has knocked her for six. Tears this morning but met up with her pal at the bus stop very happily after that. Thank god it’s Friday.

Ugh. Bullies are always sizing up others for signs of weakness and vulnerability...so I've told DD to steel herself for possible and put on a brave face so she doesn't get picked on. The 'tiktokking all summer' thing rings so true, there really wasn't much else for a lot of kids during lockdown.

Hope your DDs are doing better!!! They are all so brave now and lucky they are sharing with you instead of just bottling it up as some kids would.

So sorry @MoverOfPaper and @TryAnotherNicknameryanother. That's horrible.

I agree that it's more about the other kids confidence and problems, but that doesn't make it any better for your DC.

How were they this morning?

Oh, so sorry to hear that some have had a shitty start, some kids are bloody horrible. I hope they have a better day today and meet nicer kids like them.

@MoverOfPaper exactly the same here, against all expectations. She went in nervous, but had got on just fine at a picnic over the holiday and knew 2 in the class. Had a huge and happy group of firm friends at primary. Got an eye roll from one kid, and there are cliques already of those who have been online gaming / tik tok’ing all summer. Torrents of tears. Feel so sad for her. Have explained the concept of killing with kindness for eye roll girl and making a plan for lunch by specifically asking a couple of people to go together. Have relentlessly reinforced the idea that first day friends are never the lasting ones, but she was very much putting on a brave face this morning. Hope you have a more positive response this afternoon.

Oh mover that’s such a shame. Please reassure your daughter (I’m sure you have already) that this girl’s actions say a lot about her and nothing about your dd. Some children unfortunately can only make themselves feel better by making others feel worse. It’s a shitty thing to do and that girl must have very low self-esteem herself to act like that. Hopefully your dd won’t let that one incident overshadow what are I’m sure many other positives in her school day. I hope she has a better one today.