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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

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Original poster

No locker for at least one year

19 replies

pumpkinseedswasgreen · 14/09/2023 19:37

DS's school don't have enough lockers. there are 150 or so kids and 120 or so lockers. It was first come first served and DS couldn't get one.

He says he would be fine without a locker. Actually he is managing okay at the moment, but that is because he just joined the sixth form and doesn't take many items to school yet. But once he starts taking a winter coat, more books, a sports kit and so on, it will be a pain. Does he have to carry everything with him all day?

DS has never been to day school. He attended a boarding school until the end of Y11. I have no clue how common this situation is and how students without lockers manage to look after all the stuff they take to school. Can anyone share any wise solution to make his life easier? Or it's not such a big deal that he doesn't have one?

I would like to be able to give him tips or advice if he ever asked me. Help.

OP posts:

Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 14/09/2023 19:39

My daughter had a locker in y7 and never used it. She has managed fine.

Zippedydoodahday · 14/09/2023 19:44

I survived my entire school career quite happily without a locker. You just take what you need for the day and carry it with you.

SmileyClare · 14/09/2023 19:49

None of my kids used lockers at secondary school. They were often broken into and trainers stolen!

Your ds needs to pack his bag each night with just the items he needs for the following day.
Lots of learning material is usually online rather than heavy textbooks. The library will also contain the textbooks for his course which he can use during free study periods.

Sports kit unfortunately needs to be carried with him on the days he needs it, although in sixth form he may be able to leave it in the common room tucked away under a seat.

Winter coat- they generally wear it around school to keep warm! Most aren’t heated very well during the winter. He can hang it over the chair during lessons.

AtomicBlondeRose · 14/09/2023 19:51

The college I work at doesn’t have lockers. Kids who have a lot to lug around will sometimes ask to leave it in eg a department office of a friendly teacher, or just in the corner of a classroom. I’d imagine sports students often just leave stuff in the changing rooms etc.

CMOTDibbler · 14/09/2023 20:00

Mine is y13 and has never had a locker. He just carries everything around with him. He doesn't have any PE kit now, but 4 giant folders, coat etc. A good rucksac and it all seems OK (and he cycles to school)

Hbh17 · 14/09/2023 20:01

I never had a locker at school or sixth form - we just carried everything with us. It's really not difficult.

CyberCritical · 14/09/2023 20:05

Have any of his friends got a locker that they'd be willing to share? Get a combination padlock or a spare key so they can both use it.

Legacy · 14/09/2023 20:07

At our DCs school there were lockers but hardly any of the students used them as they were out of the way and always in the wrong place for their next lesson etc.
Instead there were covered bag racks in very public places and the kids just thre their bags on their between lessons or when they went to lunch etc. Phones and valuables were kept on them in blazer pocket etc.

dementedpixie · 14/09/2023 20:07

My ds is in sixth year and has a locker for the 1st time this year. Dd never had a locker throughout secondary school

Oblomov23 · 14/09/2023 20:10

Both of mine had a locker in year 7 and barely used it, hardly anyone does.

xyzandabc · 14/09/2023 20:10

Our school only has lockers for year 7. The rest, 1900 or so kids manage just fine. I'm sure half of year 7 don't even use theirs, they can't be bothered traipsing across the school whenever they need something, or forget to take a book home that they need for homework.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 14/09/2023 20:34

DS's high school don't have lockers.

Original poster

pumpkinseedswasgreen · 14/09/2023 20:39

Awww, thank you so much! I was secretly hoping people would tell me 'nah, not a big deal!' Now I can stop worrying about a locker. Love MN!

OP posts:

itsgettingweird · 14/09/2023 20:41

Yeah not a big deal in grand scheme of things as lots of schools no longer have them.

But bit weird to have 30 lockers less than students! Surely you just buy a few more or don't have them.

But i hate inequality and injustice!

GuardiansPlayList · 14/09/2023 20:41

He needs a decent sized rucksack for his laptop, books, packed lunch and pens. He also needs a holdall for his sports kit.
He can wear his coat when walking between lessons in the winter. Rucksack over his shoulders and he carries his holdall in his hand.
All perfectly normal for secondary schools from Year 7 upwards. If small 11 year olds can do it, a 16 year old Year 12 certainly can!

SmileyClare · 14/09/2023 20:46

Glad you feel reassured!

Wishing you son all the best at his new sixth form. It must be quite a transition from boarding school but it sounds as though he’s taking it in his stride.

He certainly won’t be alone in lugging a bag around as this thread demonstrates! X

Original poster

pumpkinseedswasgreen · 14/09/2023 22:04

Thank you!! I certainly feel reassured!! It is quite a transition and steep learning curve (for both of us!) but the experience for the next two years will be gold to him. He had to be out of the cocoon before university. x

OP posts:

DelphiniumBlue · 14/09/2023 22:11

Think carefully about the coat/ jacket. It's a pain lugging it around as well as bag and PE kit. None of mine ended up wearing anything except a rain jacket on really wet days that could squash into their bag, sort of pakamac type thing. If he's not in uniform, he'll probably just have a hoody . Might be an idea to wait and see whats deemed acceptable.

redskytonights · 15/09/2023 10:45

I think this does depend to some extent on the school (so 100 people telling you that lockers are irrelevant isn't actually very helpful).

At DC's school for example, they are not allowed coats in classrooms, so most don't wear them as they are a pain to put in lockers and the special "coat room" is also a pain. And at sixth form they have a lever arch folder for every subject (sometimes 2 where they are studying different topics). DD likes to have every folder she needs for her lessons as they quite often do revision/they need to refer back to make comparisons/she uses them during study periods. And she has a laptop as she is doing essay subjects On days where she has 4 or 5 lessons that would be a lot to lug about (actually my DD would physically struggle to do so). Or she'd have to be very organised and just take in what she needed for a day and then put back into her main folders, which would be more effort.

So if she didn't have a locker it would be a major pain.

On the other hand my DS never took more than his lunch and a single A4 pad of paper school, so no locker would not have bothered him at all.

I'd take a cue from your DS - if he's struggling, I'd encourage him to go and see if he can get a locker (if school don't consider they are important enough to provide one for each student, there may be students who are not using them).

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