School clubs for new yr 7 - join lots or wait and see?

[UsAndTwo]

Any advice? DD starting all girls grammar next week and is only one from her school in her class. Not sure whether to advise DD to join lots of clubs to start with and then drop those she doesn't like or to wait a while and then join. All clubs are during lunch break (not after school) so may miss out bonding with new classmates over lunch if she is busy every lunch time.

My son's in year 8 now and I had this problem last year. I think it's easier to make friends if she only joins the clubs which she is interested in so I wouldn't recommend that she joins lots.

Let her decide what she wants to do - some children feel more comfortable doing organised activities with peers whilst others prefer to just hang out informallly, or join a club with a new friend.

If she's sporty she should join hockey or netball straight away. They often have matches early on and PE teachers are looking for 'keen'.

I think the first term is going to be so tiring - afterschool clubs make the school day awfully long.
If it's a specific interest club that's only held at school (eg chess) I'd let her join, but otherwise I'd hold on until she's accustomed to the new school.

IMO it's better to join a club late than to join and then drop out.

I would leave it completely up to your dd to decide. She's old enough.

Dd's new all-girl grammar school is encouraging all the Yr7s to join clubs/groups precisely to get them mixing. Most are joining without knowing many other girls so they're all in the same boat. I've suggested to dd that she looks at one lunchtime and one after-school at most.

These are the sort of choices they can now make independently now they have moved to secondary. Children change literally within weeks, days sometimes. Encourage her to choose for herself what she does.