Secondary School induction day

[people]

DS1 goes up in September. He is going to a school outside of catchment, but there are 11 others from his primary school going - 30% of his current year group.

I have discovered that the induction day falls when he will be away (with the other 11) on his year 6 residential. The primary school say the secondary school were aware of the dates for the residential, as they asked for them, but obviously they have a lot of schools to fit around.

Anyway I've spoken to the secondary school about what other arrangements will be made for these 11 children and they've basically said none, tough, either don't go on the residential or they'll just have to turn up on 5 Sep.

I'm stating to wonder about my choice of school now. What, if anything, should I do next? How important are induction days?

Here is the canteen, here is the hall where you have assembly etc.

Nothing momentus happens on these days. It is primarily for the benefit of those children that don't like change. If 11 others will be starting with DS in September then there won't be a shock to the system on Day 1. So I wouldn't spend to much time thinking about it.

Ah thank you pushed, that was my initial thought, although I did think that the school might arrange another day for these children to be shown the canteen etc, but then a friend said he'd wouldn't let him goon the residential, as it's when they latch onto new friends etc. Although there will be 12 of them, none are particularly D1's friends and it's a large school with 280 in the year group, so unlikely that DS will be with the children he knows very much.

When children go to lots of different secondary schools it is very difficult to co-ordinate all the dates. When dd did this last year her secondary school had 2 different induction days and the year group were divided between them. They had a chance to look round the school, meet pupils from their old primary school and talk to them about what secondary school was like and sampled a school dinner! There was also advice about applying for bus passes, buying uniform etc. dd enjoyed her day and it made her really excited about her new school. There were only 3 children from her primary school though. However there was also a meeting for new parents and an "induction week" in September as well.
He may be with some friends from primary school in his tutor group but unlikely to be all 12 of them.

Do teachers from the new school visit? Around here the induction process starts just after half-term: year 7 teachers visit primary schools (well all those with at least a small group going, and not overseas), then there is the induction days (pretty much all the same time) and parent meetings, then they start in September.
Some children start in September who didn't get their places until the last moment, so they obviously didn't attend the induction days (which tend to be fun). In my experience they all settle quite well. The girl my DD latched onto at induction day is only a very casual friend now.

Yes, the teachers will be visiting the primary school and there is a parents' induction evening on the same day as the induction day, which I will obviously attend

Secondary school induction days are quite important.

The children will meet and get to know their tutor and know where their classroom is. They will get used to different teachers for different subjects and know where the departments are. They will get to know the layout of the school and the canteen and playground and library and Gym. They will get to know their new classmates and form new friendships.

The whole ?new school? process in September will go a lot smoother. They will be looking forward to going to 'their new school? and there will be a lot less (if any at all) tears.

The school will be slightly quieter with the Yr11s either having left or on exam/study leave.

I strongly recommend going to the induction. For my DS (now year 9) it was vital in making his initial, and still going strong, group of friends as he was the only one to go from his school. The school put on lots of ice-breaking, getting to know you exercises and it was much more than 'here is the dining-room' (notwithstanding that familiarity with the school is really important). He came home full of excitement and thanks to the school I was able to follow up on a couple of names he'd mentioned to make arrangements for meet-ups that summer. I swear it made a vital difference.

I of course appreciate your reluctance to drop out of the residential with his current cohort, but I'd still go for it on balance.

op Yes both would be good but my ds1(yr6) has just come back from 6 day res today ..and already i can see alot more confidence in him than when he went (not alot of dirty washing though..poss another thread!!) He looks like he had a great time ,and it is a fun time to have with friends he has known along time...dc will survive 2ndry school without the induction because these res trips give them a chance to "think"for themselves .

The res trip will be remembered forever...induction will end up a blurrr..

Speak to the secondary school - surely a brief visit by the 11 pupils can be separately arranged, so they can have a quick tour and say hello to their tutor.

Our induction day is the same across the local area - all children move "up" a year for the day and it's the same day across all schools, but I suppose you are out of catchment.

Forget the induction day.

What will your DS have the best memories of? Some dull induction day or a residential trip away with his friends before they split up?

I can't believe anyone would seriously recommend missing the residential trip for an induction day!

Soupdragon...I am with you....!!!! holiday or 1 day early at new school !

In our area, this is happened too with one of the major schools to which many of the Year 6s are going. If the children aren't able to go to induction day because they are away, their parents are allowed to go in their stead. That way the parents get to meet the tutor, check out the main routes to canteen, etc. and can brief their children when they get back from life-enhancing residential trip. You could find out if the school is willing to let you go, in your child's place.

This happened with my DD2. The Secondary School were fine with it. We were notified by email what form she was in and the name of her tutor and where to find her form room. She had the option of meeting a member of staff at a central point on her first morning to be escorted to her new class but DD1 was already a pupil so she took her.

DD2 felt no disadvantage for not being there on induction day. To be honest most of the rest of her class had forgotten where everything was between July and September and the school assigned LSAs to each year 7 class for the first week just to act as a guide.

The suggestion of asking the school if the whole group of pupils could come for a visit sounds like a good one.

At DS1 school, that DS2 will be going to September, the yr7s start back a day early, along with YR10s and 11s for a sort of orientation day.

At least they always have done so far.

No way would I make a Y6 miss their residential for an induction day.

DDs secondary is huge no way did their way round in one day or remember what they had learnt 8 weeks later.
DD1 didn't meet her tutor he was on a field trip.

They start a day before the rest in Sept and are given a buddy from Y9 who shows them to lessons etc.

Reception are lovely, have all the timetables on computer so can help out confused DCs and panicking parents. They deliver messages and babysit all manner of forgotten kit until it's collected.

They have DCs from 40+ primaries some of which are tiny and the majority pretty small. They are totally used to slightly bewildered Y7s and soon make them feel at home.

In our LA, the whole City has it's 'moving up day' on the same day, so it's all set and sorted - I can tell you when it is for the next few years. I don't know why all authorities don't do this.

However, re your dilemma, it is a shame they will miss it, but they do a lot of work in the first weeks of the Autumn Term to give the Yr7s a chance to mix and learn to work together and get to know each other. It's different in each school, but they do it every year and know there will be lots of nervous 11 yr olds who don't know other people. Around here, most of the schools start the Yr7s a day before the majority of the school as well, so they get another 'induction day' if you like before the whole school turn up.
I'd definitely not pull them out of the residential