Year 7 what will she need

We got metal geometry set because the plastic ones broke on a weekly basis. There is probably a secondhand shop so do enquire. Or join uniform Facebook groups.

Also look for new joiner Facebook pages for that school. There may be others walking who you don't know, or who might walk home together.

Try and get her to learn and remember your mobile number - if she loses her phone/bag/worldly possessions and isn’t at school, knowing at least a number can make the world of difference!

I also bought some keyrings made from a plastic spring. His house key and bus pass are attached to his school bag, and are NEVER removed - the keyring is long enough to open the front door without detaching it from his bag. Key and pass get tucked in the front pocket of his bag when not in use.

we did similar. Also locker key, was a life saver

Multiple pens.
2 in pencil case.
2 more in a backup area in her bookbag.
Label anything you want to get returned.

You will need to buy the logo pe kit it’s expected and she could face punishments for not having it. I’ve been lucky and dd pe kit I brought at the start still fits and she’s now in yr 9 the only thing I’ve replaced is the socks.
Check your local food bank lots run a uniform shop, they ask for donations (primary & secondary) and hand out free (don’t need a referral) around July/August time.
One thing I’m always buying is opaque tights.

Biggest unexpected expense for us in Y7 was a Chromebook laptop (ar 350 quid).
DD did have a battered ancient laptop. The battery no longer charged and it was the size of a home cinema system, but we thought she could use it at home for homework. It turns out they need to take it to school with them so had to get her a new one. School has some to borrow for kids who can't afford one, but it really is so much easier if they can bring it home with them.

PE kit is extortionate in our school and needs to have the school logo.
My advice would be no to get it all to start with. For instance, if the school uniform list says they need tracksuit bottoms, shorts and skorts, trainers and football boots, just get the tracksuit bottoms and the trainers, then wait and see if they actually use the rest. DD has not. Utter waste of money .

As she has dyspraxia and is disorganised, the first thing to do is to ignore anyone who tells you stuff along the lines of 'just leave them to it, she'll learn to be organised after a couple of times'.

Help set up systems to be organised:

• a place for everything
• everything goes to that place every time
• all messages in planner / phone
• planner / phone checked every day before and after school
• lists
• multiple copies of timetable - on fridge, in blazer etc

You scaffold as much as is needed until she can do things reliably. My dyspraxic DD needed a lot of help until around y10. So reminding, checki8ng, doing things with her, prompting etc.

Most useful thing for DD was a good quality A4 plastic wallet for brining home homework sheets, letters etc.

a rain coat that folds up small to fit in to bag - she wont want to carry a big bulky coat about but if it rains on walk to/fromschool she will need something to keep her dry

Water bottle - espcially now as water fountains etc arent allowed to be used.

Facemask and hand gel - pop a spare mask in a little pocket somewhere in case she loses her normal one.

if she has started her period or likely to I got a little lillet pack which was a little zip up pouch - you can then put a little pad and a spare pair of pants etc in there.

A couple of things I'd suggest that haven't been mentioned are:

• have duplicate pencil cases at home so she can complete homework without needing to get her pencil case out of her bag
• have two pencil cases in her school bag. One for the regular kit e.g. pen, pencil, ruler, rubber etc. and a second for colouring pencils, highlighters, scissors, glue.
• order personalised dog tags/those pet discs with your phone number on e.g. A. Lastname, 07896 123 456 so and fix to door keys plus any instrument cases and her PE bag.
• write A. Lastname and your number inside her coat, school bag, blazer, back of bus pass and anything she might be able to leave behind - make it easy for it to get returned.
• write A. Lastname 7 inside pencil cases

What we did as a parents before my dc started secondary was to arrange with other children's parents who lives near by to come up with a plan to let them walk together.
Does she have anyone she can walk to school with?

DTs school has a complete list on their website from uniform to tech to stationary with links to suppliers.

There's no point in buying eg a scientific calculator if doesn't have the functions she will need for the curriculum.

There will be a check list in the welcome package the school send to you.
For the stationery, our school had a package that was sold which included everything they need, pens, calculator, etc in a plastic case, which was very handy.
Also we had a choice of buying logoed uniform, or buy the logo and stich it on yourself if you can be bothered, which was way cheaper if you are on a budget.

Some schools ask the DC to take photos of the homework displayed on the board - if your school does this then does she have a camera phone?

lots of great advice.
I would say as she is dyspraxic, that she is going to struggle with organisation

So, get a copy of her timetable on the fridge, help her every night to pack her bag. help her every evening to check her homework, and to prioritise - do the stuff due tomorrow first
Have aplace for pe kick/DT etc and every time put it back there and make sure she has it with her when she needs it.

Due to dyslexia, she may struggle to get homework written down. Keeo an eye on this. Most schools, due to lockdown, have put everything online, but maybe not. Make sure she isn't behind on homework due to not having written it down.

Transport - how is she getting to school and back? Practice the route, start getting her to walk (known) places alone.

Equipment - the school will likely issue a list but essentially, uniform, pe kit, stationary, and a bag to keep it in.

Organisation - once she starts, take a few copies of her timetable. Work with her to get organised every evening for the next school day. Agree a spot she drops all her letters and homework etc so you know where it is.

If you want to long term plan, I'd say by year 9 it would be useful to have a very very basic laptop but not needed til then probably.
Rest of it is uniform , sports kit, trainers, calculator, protractor maths set.
Good idea to practice the walk over summer, do they have friends they will walk with ?
Schools will do lots of transition and give out lots of info in next couple of months, you are just ahead of the game.
Have you got a y6 WhatsApp parents group? Or set one up for new y7 parents at your chosen school?

Uniform and shoes and trainers.
Pencil case and calculator. We were also asked for a protractor and compass. The school I work at ask for blue, black, green and purple pens
Bag to put it all in.
Lunch box? And water bottle.
We have been asked to buy a French dictionary, and an apron for food - that came as a request around Christmas.
We were also asked to donate about £10 for food and DT materials.

Some sort of device to access apps - all our homework is put on an app, that DS needs to access to find out what to do. Some of it is then done on the tablet. Some is done on paper.

We started DS walking home alone on nights where he or his brother had an afterschool club - ie I wasnt already at school. I also started it by telling him I was meeting X just before school collection, and if I was late, he should just start walking g, and I'd meet him half way. How will you daughter get to secondary? Walk or bus? Start using busses now if that's the way she will be travelling.

I think Covid has shrunk the current Y6 world quite a lot, and many will he anxious about travelling g to and from school.

My son is totally disorganised. All his school books come home (not all schools do this). So we have a plastic box with a lid. I've photocopied his time table several times. One is hidden so I can always access it, and one is stuck ontop of the box that all his books live in. If I find a book somewhere in the house, I tell him where it is, and that it needs putting away properly. To date, weve only lost 1 water bottle (compared to primary, this is awesome progress!).

I also bought some keyrings made from a plastic spring. His house key and bus pass are attached to his school bag, and are NEVER removed - the keyring is long enough to open the front door without detaching it from his bag. Key and pass get tucked in the front pocket of his bag when not in use.

Good luck. They do a lot of growing up in the next 6 months.

She’ll need somewhere to put her books at home. If she’s disorganised, have a look at plastic wallets that can contain all her workbooks and textbooks per subject.
Some schools don’t give or expect you to buy textbooks so check with them.
We have a big ikea box that dc put all their school books in.
Pens, pencil, pencil case, calculater, colouring pencils, sharpener and rubber.
Sometimes they mark each other’s work so my dc were expected to have red and green pens. They’ve got one of those pens that have 4 different colours.
My dc also have a couple of pens and pencils in their bag in case they leave their pencil case at home.

They’ll need a pe kit and trainers.