Changing secondary schools y8

[AdventuresWithVoles]

Any experiences or wise words of advice?
It's to a school that is normally over-sub'd but unexpectedly had a place.
DS is finishing up y7 at a tiny private school & will start y8 at new school; I am apprehensive that transition won't go well because the school isn't used to catering for in-year transfers. They may assume DS knows how big secondary schools work, when he won't know at all.

I have nosed around to find out what bags the boys usually carry.

He is supposed to have a "buddy" (someone he already knows) to help him settle in. His buddy hasn't been confirmed yet, nor has his autumn time table, nor which set or "house" he'll be in. Not sure how they'll figure that out.

Uniform I will get in the summer & we will have a practice of him getting up early & catching the right morning train & walking from station to school.

Hello my dd is in Y7 going up to Y8 in September and we don't know anything about sets and teaching groups for next year yet. They are still having end of year tests. They will probably use results of end of year tests / NC levels from his current school but this can take a while to transfer. So it's probably too early to worry about this yet.
As part of the Y7 induction process, forms were handed out for parents to fill in which included information about friendships etc. so I would imagine that similar forms are sent out for all new children. I would contact the school to find out and try to arrange a visit before the end of term and check if they are sending out an induction pack/ parents handbook etc.
I would expect the Y8 timetable to be given out at the start of the Autumn term in September.

Bound to be apprehensive but better move now as a move later on will only be worse. Year 9 the pressure starts for most so, get year 8 to bed in, and be settled well for 9, 10 and 11.

Find out who the heads of year will be. I would be surprised any State school is not used to some in year transfers, not many but some (except maybe some Grammars).
Do you know anyone at the school? They don't have to be a friend, but one friendly face and someone to tell you how the school works could be useful (doesn't have to be the same year necessarily).

HOY is a good tip, I will chase that up. We've had a tour, already. It's just logistics now.

Someone told me today the name of someone involved with pastoral care, will make a better note of that.

Some possible pals, but might depend which set he goes in, iyswim.

This school is always full, I was amazed they had any spaces. I am pretty sure they are just never used to new starters after Sept of y7.

DS has no recent NC levels, no test results at current school (sigh, see why he's moving?). I sent his y6 report which alludes to a little to NC levels.

The y8 timetable is already the timetable in use & should be available once they decide what tutor group & set he's in. The secondary schools around here have this ... policy of having each year group start the year above's timetable after Whitsun half term, and telling the pupils that they have actually "moved up" already. It's a stupid conceit imho. And makes for some confusing conversations when asking folk what yr their children are in between May & July.

They will have in-year transfers, people move, that's life. If it is a very popular school places will just fill instantly.

My Dcs school is always full, but still has a few new starters, people move, they take someone because of bullying, and then transfers between local schools because of behavioural issues. You just don't hear about it in a year group of 300.

I'm a maths teacher in an oversubscribed school and we get new starters quite regularly. We wouldn't decide what maths set he was going to be in based on so little information, we would test him when he starts school and decide based on that.

Yes, my dd1 is at an in demand grammar, and they have had a couple of new girls in her year each year - people move, change schools, etc - it will have happened before.

Dd2 started school in Y9 after being PO home educated - obviously she had no idea what big (240 per year) secondary schools were like! I'm sure your son will be fine in that respect and learn the ropes quicker than you might expect :-) They setted her fairly randomly, and got her to do CAT tests in November, and most of her sets have changed over the year. I made a bit of a fuss straight away about one, but the other moves have been initiated by the school. She's had a good year and is ready for her GCSE courses :)

I hope you guys are right :).

So I emailed school who confirmed which house DS is in (need to know for uniform) and which tutor group, and that at least one of his mates will be in his tutor group (didn't say who).

Still don't know his time table or who his "buddy" will be for first few days.

Learnt last night (parent gossip) that school no longer has proper ties, all clip ons in future (annoying, DS hates clip ons & there are no proper ones for sale, even though they told us proper ties were available at tour 7 wks ago).

In process of misinforming me that city school wear shop might have proper ties (shop lacks any ties) staff mentioned y7 induction mtg tomorrow eve which I think I shall crash.

Am I petulant to feel a little ? Wondering if uniform stock ever "runs out" in late August so should I buy sooner?

oops, I am OP, forgot I NC'd for this :).