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Original poster

new Year 7s

113 replies

bruffin · 05/08/2009 23:29

Anyone else have homework for their new school?

DD has a science project to do and also a long book list for which she has to chose 2 to read and write about.

OP posts:
Original poster
bruffin · 11/08/2009 23:47

DD has had "teenage attitude" at home for a good year now
I'm not allowed to go to her swimming class anymore on a saturday morning.

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fircone · 11/08/2009 19:35

I suppose they're all lurching towards teenagerdom. Ds displays flashes of it - and he's not 11 till next week!

And I've just started to get the "Don't be so embarrassing" hissed at me. I can't wait for puberty - NOT!

On the tutor group thing: they said at the New Parents' Meeting that the groups were random, but they clearly aren't. Ds reports that about a third of his top maths set from primary school are in the same group.

Original poster
bruffin · 11/08/2009 19:16

CATS are NVR, VR and Quantative multiple choice, supposed to be a test of innate ability.

They are all in the same form, but I suspect they may split them a bit for tutor groups even if they are similar levels.

Not so worried about DD so much as the girls a both good friends of hers, but am a bit worried about what might happen between the other 2 and DD being drawn into it. They are all lovely girls and considering they are all 11 yr old girls there has been very little bitching or falling out in DD's circle of friends and any rows are made up very quickly. But girl A has started saying girl B gets on her nerves a bit and there was a bit of mild teasing in the car the other day from girl A to Girl B.

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fircone · 11/08/2009 15:40

ds has been put with a couple of good friends from primary school, but now he's complaining that one of them is a bit clingy, and that he is keen to make new friends too.

They don't set at first, so I suppose they do these CAT things. What exactly are they? Like SATS? Or are they 11+ type non-verbal reasoning?

cuppateaplease · 11/08/2009 13:59

three can be an awkward number - what was the relationships between the girls like at primary? How they are divided for the sets may influence the relationship too...yet more to worry about.. Do lots of children catch the same train? At least there would be potential for others to join the group.

I know people always say that the children meet new friends and are less reliant on primary friends but it is always a worry.

Only one other boy from DSs primary school will be at the secondary and they have already been put in different classes. DS not bothered as although the two boys were friendly enough they were not in the same group of friends.

Original poster
bruffin · 10/08/2009 13:38

DD has met her form/house but will be allocated her tutor groups on the day they start. They are set for English, Maths and then another group for all the other subjects.
My main concerns are she will one of 3 girls from her primary going together on the train to school.
Ds was in a similar situation 2 yrs ago and we did not have a good first 2 terms. It was very much 3's a crowd and DS was the butt of their jokes and he was being bullied. Thankfully it eventually was sorted out and DS is much happier now, but it has really made me worry about DD.

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cuppateaplease · 10/08/2009 13:01

Is it just us four for the new year 7s? Although DS is looking forward to starting, I'm actually starting to get nervous - have I bought the right stuff, have I forgotten anything....

Ds has been assigned a class for the new year, but we have been told that there will be 'tests' soon after they start - I assume these are the CATs - ? I know nothing about 'em!

Have got nearly all of the school uniform - except for the school badge and tie - these were out of stock 2 weeks ago and are still out of stock now - starting to get a bit worried........... (knew i should have started getting the uniform in June )

hatesponge · 07/08/2009 23:37

they dont sort out the sets until sometime after the first half term break apparently. think it might be a long first 7 weeks!

Original poster
bruffin · 07/08/2009 23:22

When do they set the classes Hatesponge? DC's school set from the beginning. They did CAT tests in July.

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hatesponge · 07/08/2009 22:57

No homework here, or reading lists but I wish we did, DS is bored already - and sadly me teling him to read or setting him work has no effect

Not sure if we are looking forward to him starting either - the open day didn't go well, they did some quizzes etc & according to DS many of the class seemed to struggle with pretty basic numeracy & literacy skills Am not optimistic about the school unfortunately

Original poster
bruffin · 07/08/2009 22:46

She doesn't seem worried about it, it's experiments like what makes coke go flat. It's an extention of what they did on their transfer day in July.
DS started there 2 yrs ago and he didn't have to do the science investigation, but had to read 2 books.

She is so excited about starting there. We bought her uniform on Saturday and I think it will be the one and only time she will look smart. She's one of those dc's whose cardigan is always hanging over one shoulder, tie will be wonky and shirt untucked[grinned]

Are your dc's looking forward to starting?

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katiestar · 07/08/2009 20:07

Not here.in fact they don't get any homework for the first 2 or 3 weeks
I actually think it is quite a scary thing to ask of a child , to do a project for a school he hasn't been to yet.

cuppateaplease · 07/08/2009 14:36

none here!
How does your DD feel about doing the homework? I know Ds is looking forward to starting his new school and actually learning something (Hasn't been alot of learning at primary recently!) but he would not have been impressed with holiday homework.

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