How many of us have DS or DD going into year 6 and so having secondary transfer this year?

[RTKangaMummy]

How many of us have DS or DD going into year 6 and so having secondary transfer this year?

How do you feel about it?

DS goes back to school next Monday into class 6.

He has been at same school since Jan 1999, so sort of 7 years this year.

There is one class per year and they are a very close class, have got 26 children.

How do you feel about them entering into their last year at Junior school?

I feel sad that he is going to be leaving.

Is there anybody else who is going through this especially for the first time?

DS doesn't have any younger siblings so when he leaves primary school that will be the end for the family as well. IYSWIM.

Added to this is the secondary transfer issues.

I am sure when it comes to next summer he will be ready to leave as will probably grown up alot by then.

I was just wondering if others were thinking the same as me or whether it is just me being a silly neurotic mother again

.

DD1 is entering year6 in Sept, can't beleive that she has grown up so fast- only seems like two minutes since she started reception class.

I feel sad that she will be moving to a bigger, busier school and worry that she'll get lost as it were amongst the other children as her primary is only small and it is quite a "sheltered" school, if that makes sence.

She/we have a choice of 2 secondary schools to go to: No1 has a huge waiting list for entry and is said to be a good school, however none of her friends are going - only the naughty ones as she puts it. No2 is in special measures but improving , all her friends are going there. We aren't sure which to send her to, she is a sensible child, bright, intelligent but not very confident. We intend to look around both schools before we make the choice - if possible.

It will be a very hard decision as obviously she wants to go with her friends but we wonder if school1 will be better for her?

Phew, feel better for getting that of my chest!!

Jade is my eldest and going into year 6 but I am not keen on her school anymore so wont be sad next summer. I am worried about her going to high school though. It makes her seem so much more grown up .
I just remember how much rouble I got into when I was in high school and dread her being the same. I am tempted to send her to a school a bit further away but dh insists that seperating her from friends will not make any difference and that she has her head screwed on so should be fine.

She has 3 younger sisters so I will have to go through it again and again but the 1st time must be the hardest.

DD1 is going into year 6 tomorrow. She's really excited.

I've already been around the senior schools that I want to apply to. I'll take her with me this time.

DS1 is going into year 8 so I've done the secondarly transfer before. It's an exciting time.

besides with the DTs I have another 10 years left at the primary school gate. lol

My ds starts his last year of primary tomorrow, and like you I cannot believe it. It really seems like yesterday that he was talking about his school 'nuniform'. I am afraid that he won't be ready for Secondary school, ie grown up enough, next September.

However, I remember obsessing about him starting primary too, and he was just fine.......although he thought the teachers Assistant was an alien for the first few weeks, and would have nothing to do with her. He is my eldest, and I am just afraid that parenting gets harder as they get older and not easier.

DS will hopefully go to DH independant school but he has to do well enough in the entrance exam.

The only other option is the grammar, another entrance exam

We live too far away from any other school, the comp is way too far oversubscribed. And has too many siblings. Even the comp has exam to get in.

If he goes to DH school he will know his way round as he has been going in with DH for years to collect stuff, books etc.

But none of his friends will be there

His friends are all being split up between grammar school and other comprehensives or other private schools

But I know what you mean about the security of primary school cos even if he goes to DH school where he knows where places are, it is still huge in comparison.

DS1 starts y6 on Tuesday! We will have the rounds of open days at the schools then as well! He will sit his 11+ to sort it out! Can't believe my baby is this old, and so independant now! Have 2 more littluns at home though!

ML was DS excited or nervous?

What I mean is is DD excited cos of her older bro???

I don't think DS is excited about class 6, the teacher is very strict and a bit of a dragon, so I have been told by him, that he has heard on the grapevine IYSWIM

'Tis a scary time for parents as well as our children , I have 2 more DD's to go through this with, I was hoping that it gets easier, it's all the little things like not being able to take her and making sure that she gets there, hoping that she doesn't get lost in school, oh my, I could go on forever!

I was watching GMTV about bullying this morning and realised that the bullies have now left {last year} and so DS class will be the oldest in the school

And then go on to be the youngest and smallest again

I am dreading it tbh.

I was talking to DH and about DS having to organise which books kit etc he needs for each lesson

DS is not organised at all

At our school the year 6 teacher spends a lot of time and resourses on helping her pupils prepare for the secondary school transition, I'm not sure what she covers but I hope it covers bullying, drugs,peer pressure etc.

On the bright side the provission of after school clubs is much better and will offer more freedom ( and needed time away from irritating little sisters)

Does anybodies secondary school offer a buddying system? Not sure if ours do, will watch with interest.

at DH school and the grammar schools there are HOUSES which are vertically grouped children

so each House tutor group has years 7,8,9,10,11,12,13 in and so they stay in that all the time at the school IYSWIM

Crumbs hadn't even thought about drugs etc.

Seems sooooo grown up

Buddy system sounds good idea

DD isn't that bothered at the moment.

DS1 was the only boy from his school to get into the selective school so he didn't know anyone when he started. He was really excited about going.

They do better than we expect RTKM. He'll be fine!

ML

When I changed schools all the children went to the town comp unless they were RC then they went to RC school.

How things change huh?

DS's school is split into 6 Houses. It's lovely.

His rugby teacher calls all the boys by their last name. Makes me laugh everytime he bellows....MarsSon (clearly NOT our last name) across the rugby pitch. lol

It's a lovely school. DS is really flourishing there. me.... I'm just trying to fund his blooming uniform.

sounds deffo brill

So does DD go to the girls version or is it mixed?

Message withdrawn

There isn't a girl's version.

I'm looking at a CofE school in Victoria for her as well as our local comp. Our local comp is one of the best in the country so no worries there. We'll get in on distance. Lots of her friends will go there. The CofE school is my first choice. All girls and I think it will suit her better. But that's all I'm gonna do. I've looked at lots and narrowed it down to the two. I may take her to see one other, but I doubt it.

I'm taking her out shopping in a few days and will talk about it with her then, but I've made my choices and I'm not showing her or telling her about any of the schools that I don't like!

why thank you G.

sounds sensible IMHO

so then she has just the choice of the ones you like

Bingo!

kangamummy, I went through all this for the first time last year. I remember feeling so apprehensive about all the changes coming up.

I have to say, September/October last year was a very stressful time. All the schools around here (comps and grammars) held their open days around the time the 11+ exams were taking place.

I totally miscalculated how much time I would need off work to visit schools and take my son to and from his four exams. My husband helped, but as we are both in full time work, it was not an easy time. These trips aren't the sort of things you can ask other parents or child carers to do on your behalf, either.

Some schools you shortlist, you might want to see twice - once for the head's speech and evening exhibitions where you can talk to the teachers, and once to see the school in action with pupils during the day. It all takes loads of time. If anyone reading this is working, do take this warning and book as much holiday off as you can!

Apart from the school choice things, Year six had lots of good moments. I noticed my son and other children in his class grew closer to their classmates as they all knew they would no longer be thrown together by school and had to make the effort to keep in touch. Rather than having one or two special friends, they began to do things in groups. Over the school holidays there has been much texting on moblies, and a cinema trip with about 7 of them going ( boys and girls) minus aduts.

As soon as school ended in July, it felt like my son entered a whole new phase - he got his first text from a girl in his class just hours after saying goodbye to everyone in the playground. The next day he met her and some other friends, all taking local busses, to go shopping in Primark of all places . It felt like he'd grown up overnight.

My son is now just about to start 'big'
school next week, so I am still apprehensive, but now worrying about different things!

Thanks for the insight tigermoth

I guess they grow up alot in this last year at junior school.

I know they have responsibilities, like ringing the handbell at start and end of day also several more that I can't remember atm.

My dd goes into year 6 on monday and she was only 10 two weeks ago, she is the youngest in her year. She is a very confident, friendly young girl but I do worry about her only being 11 and 2 weeks when she starts secondary school.
Luckily the schools around here are quite good, and even though she is going to take the 11+ she says she doesn't want to go to the grammer school but a nearby all girls school, she really is so grown up for her age and not my little girls anymore.