Sad

[purpleme12]

I'm feeling so sad about her going to high school

She's been to an induction day and she's been telling me how no one really plays and everyone just huddles in little groups chatting 😢

And been telling me how there's no space outside compared to her school. No space to do gymnastics.

No playground or gym to have fun on 😢

Feel so sad

Anyone else feeling sad

Our year 7s definitely do play - tag, stuck in the mud, hide and seek!
they more or less stop by year 8 though.
we have lots of sports clubs too. Focus on encouraging her to find her people, and to become confident in doing her own thing - if that’s a bit of gym at lunch then fab!! If she starts up others will join her

It’s true that secondary schools do often have a short lunch; it’s generally to stop social problems from happening.

It’s also true the kids don’t ‘play’ as such; the boys will play football a bit. I do think it’s a big transition and it can take a few weeks / months to get through but she will!

There will be plenty of new things to do though, so try and focus on that. Find out what clubs there are, especially sports ones if she is active. There will be much more choice than there were at Primary

No it's not a small school

Our year 7s play still, as do some of the year 8s. They get involved with lunchtime clubs and activities too.

I've never worked in a school where the Y5/6s don't play at least some of the time! The boys especially are constantly playing.

Maybe it was just the new environment. Things may be different when she’s actually there. There’s definitely kids running about at the local secondary. It’s next to a big park where I walk my dog and I’ve seen many a game going on at break time.

Exactly this. Why can't they run about in the playground at 11?! Why the rush for them to grow up and stand for fear of someone bullying them? (as pp said)

My secondary school had a 'lower school playground' for Years 7 and 8, which was full of kids playing. The older kids weren't allowed there and it worked well.

Our primary school had a huge field and ds played football there every break and lunchtime. There was lots of running around and cartwheeling and skipping and playing. Then he moved to high school with no real green space and like you say, lots of wandering around in groups on phones.

I was sad about that too. I wasn't ready for his carefree playing days to end.

But now his school have banned phones during the school day so there's more chatting and he has joined some lunchtime clubs.

So he's fine. But it is different. Times change and I think it's ok to feel sad while looking forward too. You can hold 2 feelings in your head at any one time.

@ThisOldThang one of our local secondaries have just dedicated a certain area for Year7s, it's not vast but does separate them from the older kids

I don't think ours has this

Don't recall any of the ones we looked round having this

I loved it. No more school runs

It's the opposite at my sons school. The climbing frame, slide and climbing cube are all on the junior playground so Year 3-Year 6.

And you think that’s a good thing? No time for any activity and only having 35 mins to eat and go to the loo?

My boys at my kids’ school play basketball or football to let off some steam, it’s a shame it girls don’t do the same. They don’t have equipment but after eating a snack and going to the loo, there isn’t much time really.

Same at ours. The KS2 playground has all the ‘active’ stuff like obstacle courses and monkey bars. The kids all love it.

@purpleme12 I understand what you mean.
When I was looking at secondary schools my favourite was an all girls one.
They had a Year 7 only courtyard with balls, skipping ropes and hula hoops to play with (the headteacher even used the word "play") which I thought was lovely.
In boys/mixed schools there's usually a football being kicked around - but the girls don't seem to play.
There's a school near me I often walk past. I actually thought it was an all boys one because at break times I only ever saw groups of boys kicking balls around the playground.
However it turn out it's a mixed school.
Where are all the girls at break?

It's really sad OP, the transition can be very hard especially for ND kids like DS who often find random chatting and small talk really difficult. DS's school also decided to sit all the kids boy, girl - so the one chance he got to sit next to potential friend and talk about what was going on in the lesson was also taken away from him. Secondary school is something you hopefully survive IMO.

I do not mind the school runs whatsoever

I like them really. Just a chance to spend time with her 😢

@purpleme12 That’s nice if you enjoy doing that. Best wishes to your dd as she moves on x

This is why we home educate after primary school

Mine walked to school and home from year 5 anyway so didn’t have to worry about school runs.

Thanks I'm glad you understand

Thanks it is sad isn't it