School not yet organised Y7 Form Groups.

[poppydopolous]

DS is about to start secondary next year. The school say they not able to say which form group he will be in as they do not sort these out until the last moment. He is unsettled about this as he does not know which, if any, of his friends he will be with. Anyone else have a similar experience or is DS starting at the worlds most disorganised school?

DS wasn't put into a group till the first day of term. Didn't make any difference to him as he was the only one from his primary to go to the grammar.

don't worry, I'm sure your ds will be fine.

I think it is quite unusual to be honest, my new intake has already met their form tutors.

do they have an induction day or similar before the end of the holiday? that's what ds's school did and the Y7s were told of their form groups then

ours took a lot of care to keep friendship groups together as far as possible and I think that's pretty standard practice. No school wants the kids to start off unhappy and lonely. Tell ds not to fret

Yes it is standard practice. We ask students to name a few students they would like to stay with. We also have a house system to you are placed in house with any relatives. We then check this with primary school teachers.

Dd2 had transfer day and met her tutor and classmates at the end of last term. The school does have a policy of trying not to put friends together so that they will have to meet new people. Obviously they will still meet friends at break and lunch. They might also be in some subject classes with friends depending on their sets. Dd1 went to the same school and it worked well for her. I know she would be a different person now if she'd been in the same class as her best friend as she wouldn't have mixed with the others. I'm sure he'll be fine.

That sounds very unusual, poppy. I wonder what is holding them back.

I am a year 7 form tutor, and I visited all my new pupils personally in the primary schools before the end of term. We also had a social evening for new pupils and their parents to meet one another a couple of months ago. I know that our parents have already organised a picnic for everyone in the last week of the holidays.