About to start year 7?

My son’s first day yesterday... he and his friend inadvertently ‘annoyed‘ the yr11s on the way home by sitting on the back row of the bus as they were first on! 🙈🤣.... They didn’t do it again today 🤣

DS first day went well, though he was really really tired when he got home - not sure how he’s going to do a full week!

I'm glad your DS had a good first day, I have to say the tiredness is worrying me because DS is starting on Tuesday and on Monday his swim training is returning to a full timetable instead of their summer timetable. 2 to 3 hours every evening and 2 hours on a Saturday morning! I have raised concerns that it is too much but apparently "they all manage".

DS first day went well, though he was really really tired when he got home - not sure how he’s going to do a full week!
Good luck to those with DC starting on Monday.

That's lovely @UncomfortableSilence ! DS doesn't start until Monday here.

Yep DD was quite nervous the last few days but she absolutely loved it, she hasn't stopped talking about it all night

Hope everyone else's DC get on ok.

How did today go Simplyclean? Hope it went a bit better and she managed to chat to someone friendly. First day tomorrow here, I’m definitely very nervous, and think DS is too.

How much time does she spend in that class? Apart from the very start of term when we do ice breakers, admin and orientation activities my form only see each other in the morning and then the rest of the day are in classes with other people. Are you sure she is only in this class all of the time? It may well have just been for today while they did admin and orientation activities. After the initial shock it shouldn't be that big a deal as she can still see her friends at break and lunch time and the teachers will put them in seating plans for lessons so they won't be with their friends anyway.

In my experience children who end up with their Primary school friends don't branch out and make new friends as quickly, quite often bringing friendship issues with them encourage her to join the sports teams and other clubs to get to know as many students as possible.

@Simplyclean who did you speak to at the school? I would ask to speak to the Head of Year and if you get nowhere with that then whoever is im charge of Pastoral Care or whatever they call it. But at the same time try to remain positive in front of your DD and don't get her hopes up of a class move.

First day nightmare
My 11 year old girl started secondary school today. Packing for 2 weeks and super excited. A quiet introverted child but was moving to school with a lot of her primary school friends. As I collected her from school I knew something was up - as she got into the car, she burst into floods of tears and was clearly emotionally distressed. It transpires that she has been placed in a class with none of her friends whilst the other 5 primary school friends are in one class. Also of 7 boys, they have been placed 4 in one class and 3 in another. So out of 13 children from our primary school, she is the only one that has been left isolated. Immediately my wife and I contacted the school ,but our concerns were not even recorded and literally dismissed out of hand, and told we don't swap children between classes. What should have been a joyous occasion has turned into a nightmare. I know my child ,and I know that over time she will make friends and enjoy school again- but it is going to take a lot of tears and emotional distress to get there. Has anyone any advice what they would do ?? I just feel she has been treated so unfairly and not equal with everyone else.

@Hellocatshome New shirt buttons are stiff and tricky but can be really tricky for students that have dyspraxic or weak finger muscles. If it's a real issue look at the easy dressing shirts from M&S they have velcro under the buttons for the top half of the shirt which makes getting changed much easier.

I've found you! I was quietly confident up until I realised it is only 1 week until DS2 starts and.now I'm panicking. I already have DS1 going into year 10 but at a different school so I feel like a brand new year 7 parent again as this schoolnseems to do pretty much everything differently. And DS2 still can't do up the top button on his short despite numerous practice sessions so that's my main stress at the moment.

Joining again. DS2 starts on Monday next week. He has been practicing walking to school with DS1 (will be Y10), but they seem to argue the whole 5 minute walk (which then takes 15 minutes!).

Ours are not in uniform for the initial test when they go in for a little while. But in the Monday full uniform as hopefully they get to do a full day at school.

DD has induction on Monday with onsite LFT, but we've been asked to do one at home the day before, presumably to minimise the chances of them getting a positive LFT at school.

Following this thread for the wise words. We accepted a really late waiting list place for a grammar school last week so have had to buy everything, having already bought a whole uniform for our second choice comp. It's been manic & Dd1 doesn't know anyone else going. As far as I can tell, there hasn't been a summer school, and I have managed to find a few local people who are going so at least she'll have someone to travel with.

Do you think they have to wear uniforms when they go in for the LFTs? I'm guessing not as they come straight home.

We’re in on Thursday for 30 mins for tests then start properly on Monday no pe kits yet, we’ll be told on Monday when they need to bring them in.

Yes we heard from school about first day arrangements, LFTs and masks still in communal areas but we go back this coming week so may vary based on that?

All PE kit here has to be embroidered with names so luckily there isn't too much labelling to do.

DD seems excited and nervous she was practicing handwriting this afternoon! DD1 starts Y12 this week to too so lots going on here!

We use the same labels as HP. They last brilliantly (in fact I couldn’t remove them from old primary uniform sent to second hand sale!) Have labelled uniform, but not water bottles/ pencil cases etc yet.
Can’t believe DS starts in less than a week!
Can I ask if anyone has heard from their schools recently in advance of the term? We haven’t and so I’m not sure about lots of important first day stuff (like uniform or gym kit as there might be a pe day - or it might be on the mon instead!). Also don’t know if I need to lft him or send him with/in a mask!
DS has gone a bit subdued over last few days - definitely nervous (not as nervous as his mum though).

I always buy my name tags from, here I get the stick on labels and the iron on ones. DD designed her own ones, we had them for Primary and they never came off any of her clothes

DD passed the entrance tests to an independent girls school but we didn't get a bursary due to the school rightly supporting the girls already at the school this year, in an ordinary year we would have qualified for 100%.Which is frustrating so Dd is going to the Secondary just across the road from her Primary with 98% of her Primary school. She enjoyed their summer school and recognized lots of other children from extra curricular she's done over the years.

Don’t buy handbags/satchels for books. Insist on a backpack worn over both shoulders. My right shoulder is half an inch shorter than my left from carrying heavy book bags starting at 12.
Label everything-it’s too easy to leave items behind when changing rooms.

I hope you don't mind me joining. My daughter is going into Year 7 in September and I' sooo worried if she will like it/fit in/make friends. I'm very worried we made the wrong choice.

She went through the 11+ and had a choice of a number of independent schools, and her two best friends got into two of the independent schools my daughter also got into. I know she would have been much happier going with at least one of the friends plus the two other schools both have a huge focus on amazing extra curricular activities. BUT the schools were a much further commute and honestly more expensive (by quite a bit!) than the independent school we chose. We visited our new school and it's in a gorgeous setting, beautiful grounds, but it has a reputation for being extremely strict and academic (which I don't think will suit my daughter). She will only know two boys from her primary there.

I'm just praying she makes new friends and that we didn't make the wrong choice (but truthfully as a single parent I don't think I could have realistically afforded paying for 7 years of the "fancier funner" schools.