Yr 7 parent group

They may exist - we have one for the whole year and a smaller group for the neighbourhood. It's mostly about transport - bus and rail strikes and lifts to sports matches

Am hoping there isn't a WhatsApp group!

To be fair something like that will matter to them so they probably would, although don’t forget some kids have issues with organisation.
But parents WhatsApp can be helpful for lots of different stuff, like sourcing uniform or kit. We put a reminder for the opening hours for the second hand shop on ours. We ask advice about trips/ clubs. Who is best to contact about issues at school etc..

Of course parents are still involved in their kids' lives at secondary age, but surely the kids keep track of stuff like non-uniform days for themselves?

Ha ha I forgot the mumsnet rule that you shouldn’t be involved in your kids lives from age 11 onwards! They should be totally independent and you should keep your nose out 😂

I'm on parent WhatsApp groups for my secondary kids, it's really useful as they remind you when it's a non uniform day, what time they're back from school trip etc.

Why do you, the parent, need to be reminded of when it's your secondary school child's non-uniform day? Don't they manage things like that themselves?

Nope! Just catch your school emails and keep on top of your inbox and your spam - 3 yrs in about 1/2 still go to junk.

Ds1 secondary school had it's own platform which connected parents in year 7, it was great but they dumped it as it was too hard to run apparently.
DS2 school has a FB group for parents set up by parents, and a specific one for year 7 also set up by parents. I found both invaluable as the school is very large and can be very confusing in its communications while also being very rigid, so it has helped when DS is worried about whether he has the right ingredients for food tech or to find out what everyone else's definition of a Christmas jumper is (as the school said ONLY Christmas jumpers were allowed and anyone wearing anything else would be sent home!).
So maybe try searching FB?

Excuse x was multi tasking between mumsnet and WhatsApp to a friend

The school I work in has a Facebook page for each year, set up by a parent. Tends to be useful information and a few moans x

Our secondary school has fb page for each school year
I wouldn't like a WhatsApp group

The fb year page great for hearing about trips, vaccines, events and hand me down clothes
Our primary school did the same

I'm on parent WhatsApp groups for my secondary kids, it's really useful as they remind you when it's a non uniform day, what time they're back from school trip etc. It fell off after GCSEs, noone bothers with a sixth form one.

At our school the school send out an email with the class reps details and then you contact them on email if you want to be on the group so no personal details are shared unless permission given.

They normally spring up in September once term gets going.

Would be extremely unusual for there to be a parent WhatsApp at secondary. Unless you’re private school, I guess.

My secondary school has year based WhatsApp groups. They are run and managed by the PTA and are generally very helpful and spam free.

Depends on the parents ... we don't have WhatsApp groups but in DD's year there is a FB group, because a few parents got together and decided to start/publicise one. No such group in DS's year.

Why not start your own?

My dd2 is about to go into y7. I'm in a WhatsApp group of a few of us from y6 from her primary but I won't be seeking out "The Y7 WhatsApp group". There's a FB page for parents in general and while it's been quite useful for some things, all I've gleaned to date is that a fair few parents feel the school can do no right and they think teachers are lazy. I'm bored of it already.

Dd1 is about go into y10. Different school. She tells me nothing. I'm not enamored with her GCSE options but her decision. She wasn't planning on telling me at all - I only found out because I can check her timetable online!

Secondary is mercifully much less hands-on!

They generally don't exist. That's why we have 'year X threads' on this board so parents can talk to other parents in same year group. Even if in different schools the issues are generally the same.

None of this there’s a (quite tetchy) fb page with not much on it. Parents far more hands off at secondary. You are on your own (unless you have existing friendships with other parents)

Our secondary school has class reps and WhatsApp groups - it’s a private school though and it encourages the class reps as there’s termly meetings with the head teacher to feed back any concerns or issues.

Is that a thing? Id assumed not might be school specific though?

You know absolutely nothing when they are in secondary school. Only what the child tells you.

My youngest is in year eleven this year and my oldest is in year thirteen and I've never met one parent of any of their friends and I definitely don't communicate with them. They make their own arrangements.

We have one, although he’s actually going into year 9 in September, the WhatsApp is still going! It’s quite a small school though.

Are there local FB groups you could ask on? Just post what school your dc is joining and ask if anyone knows?

AFAIK, no parents whatsapp typically at secondary.
DS has whatsapp groups for his class, his bus, and various friendship groups. I have the numbers from a couple of primary contacts, and 2 of his new friends. He's about to be Y9.
See if there is a whole school Facebook or Twitter account (I have Twitter just for school) for info.

At DS's school there is a FB uniform and information group but is for the whole school. Invites came by word of mouth so to speak

Our secondary school doesn't have this. I have only (briefly) met the parents of DCs' best friends and I only have the phone number of one of them.