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Original poster

Normal Year 7 behaviour?

42 replies

Arcadia · 10/02/2022 20:56

DD started state secondary school in September.
She has told me the following is happening in year 7:

  • kids vaping and selling vapes
  • talking about sex and making sex noises in lessons (when teacher goes out)
  • swearing - s word, f word and even the n word
  • girls with fake nails
  • every day kids sent out of lessons for bad behaviour
She isn't enjoying it and feels uncomfortable. Is this common for Year 7?
OP posts:
Original poster
Arcadia · 10/02/2022 21:08

@LefttoherownDevizes

Sounds familiar too hurt thankfully not in lessons at kids current schools. Bus journeys though, and outside of school. To be fair at DS previous school we had several knife incidents in year 7 so it's not that bad!
That would freak me out!
OP posts:
Original poster
Arcadia · 10/02/2022 21:07

@Cherryana

Unfortunately one of the unspoken things is that secondary school is brutal. Even the good ones. Also sometimes the luck really is in the randomness of which tutor group you are in and how quickly students can find like minded friends.
She's been really unlucky. They were very defensive and difficult when we tried to get her to move class even though the 'naughty' kids get moved around constantly.
OP posts:
LefttoherownDevizes · 10/02/2022 21:07

Sounds familiar too hurt thankfully not in lessons at kids current schools. Bus journeys though, and outside of school. To be fair at DS previous school we had several knife incidents in year 7 so it's not that bad!

Cherryana · 10/02/2022 21:06

Unfortunately one of the unspoken things is that secondary school is brutal. Even the good ones. Also sometimes the luck really is in the randomness of which tutor group you are in and how quickly students can find like minded friends.

Original poster
Arcadia · 10/02/2022 21:06

@Hellocatshome

Could you speak to the pastoral team about the difficulties she is having and find out when they are being put into sets, she may well end up back with her friends.
The pastoral team were horrendously unhelpful when we spoke to them before.
OP posts:
CloudsandTeacups · 10/02/2022 21:05

I'm going against the grain here but no! I teach in what I consider a fairly standard state secondary and I would not say this is normal at all!

I would expect her to maybe have encountered older students vaping. Hearing swear words in corridors etc. But certainly not in lessons.

I would definitely want this challenged if it was my child. Anecdotally I have found year 7 this year very immature (consequence of the pandemic I assume) and more akin to year 4 or 5. Lots of cutesy hair accessories and matching lunch boxes and pencil cases. Not the norm for a regular year.

I agree set can make a difference but I wouldn't expect poor behaviour as standard across year 7. Please talk to your DDs tutor or HoY.

Original poster
Arcadia · 10/02/2022 21:05

@BeetyAxe I hoped that might be the case.
She gets to see her sensible friends at break and lunchtimes, but only streamed for maths at the moment.
It's a choice of uprooting her somewhere which could be same/worse, maybe considering private school, or hoping it gets better.

OP posts:
Hellocatshome · 10/02/2022 21:05

Could you speak to the pastoral team about the difficulties she is having and find out when they are being put into sets, she may well end up back with her friends.

BeetyAxe · 10/02/2022 21:03

There is unfortunately an element of this in my sons school too. Dealt with harshly and swiftly. I find they (the kids) calm a bit toward the end of year 9…

MusicByTheLake · 10/02/2022 21:03

My child’s secondary is quite good but yes, this stuff happens. The good teachers use the behaviour policy well to deal with it but the not so good ones don’t and lessons are disrupted.

Does your daughter have a set of friends that don’t do this that she feels comfortable with? Secondary school can be a shock for kids who wouldn’t dream of behaving like this. My daughter is in year 8 now and has got used to it, she just thinks the kids that behave like this are nobs and keeps her head down as much as possible. My older child did the same and did well at school, despite the idiots.

Original poster
Arcadia · 10/02/2022 21:03

She isn't in a particular set - all mixed classes. Just streamed for maths. Has been separated from her primary friends in huge mess up by the school early on and doesn't get on with anyone in her class Sad

OP posts:
11stonesomething · 10/02/2022 21:02

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This post has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

Hellocatshome · 10/02/2022 21:02

It will happen amongst some students but not all of them. Have they put them in sets yet? It is horribly stereotypical but normally the lower sets have worse behaviour so if they haven't been set yet she may be able to get away from the worst of the behaviour when they do.

Original poster
Arcadia · 10/02/2022 21:01

Her head of year is useless, we've already had a run in with him.
It's black kids using the n word I think, so treated differently?
It just all sounds a bit lawless and chaotic. She feels unsafe at times.

OP posts:
ArticSaviour · 10/02/2022 21:00

Yes. Sadly familiar

Haggisfish3 · 10/02/2022 20:59

Yes to some degree. Which set is she in?

Kitkatchunkyplease · 10/02/2022 20:59

It all does happen but isn't necessarily common- it should be dealt with when it happens.
The n word is a racist incident and should be dealt with accordingly.
Vapes also serious .

Does she have a head of year she could talk to? Or even a way to anonymously report behaviour ?