A thread for those whose PFBs (or any dc) are starting secondary next week.

[FifiVonEpstein]

I THINK she's ready.
She's got:
Uniform and shoes (not labelled yet)
New school bag and house keys
Bus pass and dinner money card (with credit on it) - both photocopied, in case dd loses them - top tip from friend with dd at dd's school!
She has the number of the bus company in her phone and several adult's numbers for emergencies.

I'm going to open a bank account for dd so that she has access to her money for shopping with friends (she has done first solo trip with a friend).

Going to put an emergency £15 in her purse which is enough to cover train and a taxi home in the event of an emergency.

Dd is very excited about starting. I'm jeffing nervous - mainly about the travelling part. We live rurally and have always driven her to school (no other option). Now I'll be driving her to the bus stop and then she's on her own (no other children from her school going to the same school although she does know some older girls) - school is a 35 min bus ride away and then a short walk from the bus (5 mins). I can't do a practice run on the bus as it only runs in term time but we've driven down to the school, seen where the bus stops are and how to get to school from them (very simple).

Anything I have forgotten?

More organised than me! Not PFB, just PSB, now both at secondary

He will need to walk to busy commuter train station, 20 minutes through town, 15 minute train journey and then 5 minute walk.
I will take him to school for the first few days and then he is on his own...

Dd1 is pretty much ready. We went and got uniform, shoes and stationery yesterday. She has done a couple of trial runs on the service buses, (ten min walk to bus stop, change buses halfway and five min walk to school). She's been to summer school there and made a few friends. Another one going somewhere different to all her friends. Got the bus pass to buy this weekend (£180). She has emergency funds in her purse. Phone numbers in phone. She's growing up way too fast!

I have pfb dd starting next week. She is looking forward to it but she is very shy and worried she won't make friends.

We have uniform all labelled
New stationery
Bus pass and we have driven the route as it is term time only special route. We can see the bus stop from our house.
They do dinners by fingerprint but I can't put money on for her as school still haven't sent the login details
She has a cheap mobile for emergencies

I am calm at the moment but I am sure by next Wednesday I will be stressing about her.

What are you saying, control freak, moi?!

I don't want to baby dd but she is only just 11yrs and pretty naive so I'm trying to cover all bases. She has the organisational skills of a chimp at the moment so I'm going to try and guide her through the first bit and then step back or she'll never learn to be independent. I've got friends who just sort of chuck them out of the door and another who still lays out her dc's clothes for them every morning so I'm hoping to pitch it somewhere in between!

Make sure you have lots of plain paper and sticky back plastic ready for the first week - all of DSs homework for the first week in year 7 were to have his books covered in pictures relevant to the subject matter and then sealed in sticky back plastic.

good tip littlemissgreen!

Thanks! Will get some

Thank you LittleMissGreen. Sticky back plastic is already on standby.

I need to change the sports socks because they turned out to be annoyingly navy having looked deceptively black in the shop! Also need to get an extra key cut and get a pocket dictionary then we are ready.

My DD had to have a particular atlas (given the ISBN number), but they could also order one from the geography teacher. Also had to have a Spanish dictionary (but not a German one). If you needed stuff like this, the school would surely tell you.

DS1 is starting a week on Monday and I'm frantically trying to get the last bits sorted! Footwear has been a problem for him but almost there, just football boots to sort! Oh and the on other thing left to buy is a French Pocket Dictionary - thought that would be easy but gone online and seen 3 different sorts so now not sure! There is a pocket dictionary (most expensive), 'mini' (which I'm not sure covers everything?) and a school one (advertised as a perfect one for secondary school, important things highlighted to help etc. but it's bigger so obviously not pocket size). Once decided on that I've just got to wash the uniform and label everything! At least DS2 goes back on Wed so if I run out of time I can do when he's at school and DS3 is napping!

I must say I'm dead nervous about the journey to school and back and he doesn't have to go to any busy train station or anything! It's about 30-35 mins roughly to scoot there which is what he wants to do. Would just feel better if he was going with others but I'm sure he'll be fine.

Hadn't thought about a house key, hmmm, need to think about this as I should be home in time for his arrival.

Can I ask what labels the rest of you are using? I'm trying to decide between the iron on and stick ons (stick ons have good reviews and I like the idea of it being quicker and being able to stick on other items as well as clothes). Any feedback would be much appreciated :)

Good luck to the rest of you, they grow up so fast don't they!

I've used the iron on ones. Dc have had them all through primary and they've stayed on really well so I am hopeful they will get through secondary ok. I use the easy2name ones and they have super fast delivery. The new iron on ones aren't the same the ones I had last time (look more like stickers) but hopefully will last. Don't forget to label their coats, a friend was telling me about a child who lost something like 10 coats in the first year (mostly from leaving them on the bus)

Is there a particular brand of sticky back plastic that's the best? Some have very poor reviews but re bearing how awful it is to apply the reviews may have been tainted

I've bought name labels but used a laundry pen where possible as a teacher recently told me very few use name labels at secondary and didn't want him to be the odd one out.

DD1 starts Weds. She's not going with any of her good friends, but knows a couple of other girls going. We're pretty much ready, no busses, it's about half an hour walk. I haven't bought a coat to go over her blazer when it rains, she'll have to just take a cagoule, and I haven't got a school bag or sportsbag. She can start with her old primary school satchel, and take her PE kit in an old rucksack, until we know how much she needs to carry.

DD1 starts Weds. She's not going with any of her good friends, but knows a couple of other girls going. We're pretty much ready, no busses, it's about half an hour walk. I haven't bought a coat to go over her blazer when it rains, she'll have to just take a cagoule, and I haven't got a school bag or sportsbag. She can start with her old primary school satchel, and take her PE kit in an old rucksack, until we know how much she needs to carry.

PFB off to secondary. Am quite emotional (peri menopausal) and not organised for next week yet!

My PFB starts secondary school on Wednesday. He is fantastically confident and laid back about it all, I am in bits!

I think we've got everything sorted. Uniform, sports kit, shoes, bag... They use cash for dinners so no dinner card to sort. He will catch the bus but they haven't had bus passes yet - he knows a lot of the bus drivers though as it is the same local company that drove the primary school swimming bus.

I thought I would be fine about it, but I am really nervous now. Little things, like the fact that his 12th birthday in 2 weeks time will be the first time he hasn't taken cake in for his class. They grow up too quickly!

I have 2 pfbs starting next week. They seem fine about it, usual fears from me, re friends etc but I'm not thinking about it too much.

I'm sewing on labels to the neck area because they are easy to spot other kids are less likely to take dcs clothes by mistake and dcs are less likely to do likewise. If that wasn't a concern I'd just use laundry marker.

Two? Twins or different schools?!

I'm still naming dd's clothes whether it is the done thing or not. Uniform is expensive and dd is hopeless at keeping track of her stuff so decision made.

Jemima - yes they do grow up way too quickly although my dd won't be 12yrs until next summer!

Yep twins! same school!

Dd is my PLB (last) and starting on Tuesday - I find it hard to believe that my baby is old enough to start secondary!!

Uniform labelled, unsuitable bag bought (she will change her mind on that fairly soon I think!), going on the school bus so that's sorted - I just have to iron the allegedly non-iron shirts

Mine is not only my PFB but this will be her first day at school after being home ed all through primary. She is a stickler for rules so all things like bag/coat etc have to be within the criteria set by the school "and I don't care what anyone else thinks". Only time will tell if the same attitude holds out.

Non-iron shirts are a vicious lie soddinghormones

I have a couple of things left to label (sewing on) and we need to get a pocket dictionary. We are going to sort that today and then spend the next 4 days having lots of fun. Have already started waking up at the necessary time so that it's not too much of a shock to the system.