Y7 - how are things going after one month?

[Madmog]

Just wondering how all the Year 7s are after any initital settling in problems.

My daughter seems to be coping okay with the work and getting good marks and nothing has got lost. She was lucky to have her four closest friends in her tutor group and is also getting to know others, so no problems there. Apparently most teachers are really friendly.

She was upset in the first week to be threatened with detention if she was late again to a particular class, so we had a good look at the school layout to make sure she wasn't late for that class again.

The homework didn't go down too well and I was panicking a couple of weeks ago, but my daughter has got into the habit of doing about an hour a night and a couple on a Saturday so it all seems to be under control now.

They've set them for English (top set) and PE (bottom set) - oh well, can't be good at everything lol. I think their setting them for Maths and French after half term - they've also split their maths class into three groups this week.

DD2 is enjoying herself. She has joined various music and PE clubs. She has only been set for PE!? and was very keen to be put in the top group which luckily she was. She is making friends as she knew only 2 children in her year and they weren't particularly her best friends. Because we are rural, she gets the school bus and this has caused the most problems as it is usually late.

Nothing lost and ds seems to have stopped getting lost himself, things are settling down, getting into the homework routine but today he has come home with a detention.
For messing about. Bangs head on table.
Have done the teacher knows best chat and accidentally left the biscuit barrel in the front room.

Nothing's been lost, no setting as yet and we are getting our heads around the amount of homework. DD is coping well with the level of work and seems very confident.

We've had one minor incident where her PE teacher gave her a formal verbal warning in PE for swearing - which she had not done, she shouted 'Get back in goal' to a teammate, teacher heard it (across a windy field as 'f**ing goal' and wrote it up. DD was upset, I recommended she talk to the teacher in person (there were witnesses to what she said) and if that got nowhere to talk to form tutor. The talk with the PE teacher sorted it, PE teacher apologised and admitted she did not hear it clearly and had been stressed by a previous class (respect to PE teacher for being that big about it). So DD now very confident that justice will be done if she continues to behave well.

She's getting lots of merits too and told us that her CATs were 'brilliant fun'.

DS2 isn't having a great time Some problems with others mocking his accent. We've spoken to the teachers and it doesn't happen to his face now but he's worried it carries on behind his back No proof though and the school don't want to talk to the others again because they might not be saying things now...

Quite happy. But tired. Oh so tired. Roll on half term :)

He seems to be settling in well enough. Quite a few of his classmates went to the same school but he's making new friends too. The school is pretty strict and he has clocked up a few lunchtime detentions! He didn't get me to sign his homework book, forgot trainers, was 5 mins late. It's what he needs.

Setting for some subjects happened from day one. It is initially set from SAT results, talks with teachers, verbal reasoning tests. But they can change up to three times a year. They have the usual maths, English but have also gleaned ict / technology?! Great for him, give him a mouth and he'll talk at you for hours, give him a pen and he won't write, give him a keyboard and he'll teach himself programming.

Glad most of them are doing okay.

Ackernikov hope all settles down for your son soon. The other boys concerned have probably had their fun and moved onto something else now. If your son has any friends from his old school or is getting to know any, it might be worth inviting them home - it may help building up friendships with those he feels comfortable with.

DS is in the local comp and in top sets except for PE ? they set after half-term. Nasty surprise for him though ? none of his friends are in most lessons (although they are in his tutor group). He?s being flaky as he can?t rely on so-and-so in primary school to ask if he hasn?t been listening to the teacher. They have been well-prepared in terms of taking responsibility eg. having a locker in Y6 primary and having a homework diary but he doesn?t fill it in properly ? writing ?next lesson? rather than the actual date which would help him prioritise? (although this information is also online).

Academically he?s worried about the pressure and they certainly seem to accelerate them (but the setting must be reasonably robust as it?s based on entrance tests for banding, SATs and CATS). But I did need to spend 2 hours teaching him how to work out the volume of a cylinder? and the area of a trapezium (oh it?s been a long time!) so not sure the pace is sustainable. The first week (3.5 days) were the rockiest; struggling with speaking clearly (new orthodontic brace; nice timing!), an incident with bigger boys (an unlucky one-off; I won?t go into details), entrusting his jumper to his ?friends? (lost for a week before he had the courage to go to Lost Property) and losing log in/passwords/being given same log in as Y7 girl with same initial and surname.

I am reminded that once a DF told me that strangely her 2 x DSs never got any homework whereas her eldest DD always did? Conversation with DS about completing character study for homework which he?d forgotten to do; ?I?ve done enough in class? (a few lines). Case closed. He won?t write anything in rough first; note from the teacher ?I found this hard to understand? which I interpreted (having read the piece) as ?this is twaddle, what?s it about?? He interpreted as ?I can?t read this, the handwriting is untidy? (may have a point, tiny spidery writing, closely packed together).

Must regain my sense of humour but struggling with managing the changes - in particular being a latchkey DC, he?s watching TV as soon as he gets in so though DH comes in about 5.00 to cook T, there?s a lot of screen time going on? (even without remote controls, you can turn TV on). He?s telling me on phone ?I haven?t got any homework? (lying) ? I?ll get a log-in to the school website shortly and can see for myself. I have threatened to take house keys so that he goes to the homework club after school; but that does seem a bit harsh!

I think it?s keeping all the irons in the fire at the same time ? there?s so much to keep on top of cross curricular, whatever. (Don?t get me started on instrument practice; he cried when I said we weren?t going to pay for lessons due to lack of playing ? DH being a soft-touch said he?d pay for them). He?s never going to turn into the girly swot I was (obviously) but I am wistful for the indifferent parenting I received! I do have my Y7 equivalent report and it is quite funny ? I must show it to him this weekend (I think being a swot kicked in a bit later ? rose-tinted glasses!).

Thank you Madmog You're probably right that they've moved onto something new, I just need to convince DS of that! He has some friends from primary who have moved up with him, they've all gone to the cinema today.

Babelange, I hope your DS settles in too.

DS travels to super selective grammar, i definitely underestimated how tired he would be, and the weight of the school bag.

He absolutely loves the school and is doing very well, I may consider moving nearer if he doesn't look less tired soon.

He asked me to make his bed time earlier, and increase his pocket money as he felt he should be rewarded for being so grown up.

Ha Nuttyprofessor does your son go to one in SW London? Our DS is only quite little still (well under 5 feet tall) and his bag weighs so much some days that he really does stagger under the weight of it....he looked drunk the other day when I was off and went to meet him off the bus....