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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

I can't find any information about extracurriculars at my son's school.

21 replies

MuttonDressedAsGoose · 28/09/2015 12:04

As I've posted all over mumsnet (sorry), my son has just been offered a place at our first choice school. He started today.

We had a meeting at the school last week and were told to look up extracurricular on the school website. It's apparently important that he join one. However, the link on the website is dead... 404 error.

DS is not the most communicative child on earth so asking him to get and relay info is unlikely to be fruitful.

As I've also posted elsewhere, I know relatively little about how secondary education works in the UK.

Would I be out of order to call the school? Maybe even make an appointment to meet with someone who can explain more in depth?

OP posts:
Original poster
MuttonDressedAsGoose · 28/09/2015 12:39

I called the school and they directed me to an unbroken link.

Still not sure what all the clubs and activities are, but it's given us something to discuss with DS.

OP posts:
ealingwestmum · 28/09/2015 14:14

Well done to you for securing his first choice school - I hope he settles very quickly. As easy as it is to be intimidated by what the correct protocol is for engaging with the school (especially coming in recently from an overseas system if I've assumed correctly), do make appointments etc to ensure you have all the right knowledge re clubs, sports, curriculum etc.

He's starting from behind, and so are you and although it's only a month, relying on him to get all the info when he's finding his way, brokering new friendships is not easy. You can back off once you both feel he's settled but until then, use the excuse that you don't know the UK system well and I am sure the school will help you further.

Good luck!

ealingwestmum · 28/09/2015 14:17

Do you have a parent or year rep appointed yet that you can liaise with? They can also help you out...

Leeds2 · 28/09/2015 14:18

You could maybe email his form teacher, and ask them to point DS in the direction of any clubs he might be interested in.

Or see who he makes friends with, and encourage him to go to whatever clubs they go to until he has found his feet.

ifonly4 · 28/09/2015 14:42

If I needed to contact the school about this, I'd probably email DD's Head of Year. If you haven't got their details, phone the call and ask for their school email address - it it's not under their scope, they can point you in the right direction.

Why does he have to do extracurricular by the way, most are optional not compulsory, unless their doing GCSEs and want them to get more general experience/knowledge.

Original poster
MuttonDressedAsGoose · 28/09/2015 15:02

It's just something they strongly encourage and I think it's high time he did something besides sit in his room on his computer!

I think one club a week - could be chess or science club or anything he likes - should be sufficient. He's only 11. And the bus ride home will be quite long. Think we'll encourage him to pick something on a Friday so that homework won't be as big a time issue.

I'm still figuring it all out, really. I have no idea what some of the clubs even are.

Thanks for telling me whom to ask for - I want to schedule a quick meeting next week or so to ask some questions about things. Still researching what questions I may even need to ask!

OP posts:
tumpymummy · 28/09/2015 15:13

I would contact his tutor? Or do they have a noticeboard up at school. Ds doesn't always pass all the correct information on to me, so I get him to take a photo of a notice at school on his mobile phone, then show it to me when he gets home.

titchy · 28/09/2015 15:22

At secondary 'quick' meetings really don't happen - please don't try to to this unless absolutely urgent - i.e serious bullying. As others have said, an email to form tutor or head of year is the right way to go. They can then either reply in the email or phone you in the evening.

Original poster
MuttonDressedAsGoose · 28/09/2015 15:37

What is a tutor?!

OP posts:
Original poster
MuttonDressedAsGoose · 28/09/2015 15:38

I literally have no idea what goes on at that school. I know what the building looks like and I've been in the receptionist's office for maybe 20 minutes (and a conference room with someone - not sure what his title was - for maybe five minutes.)

The entire place - and what they do there - is an utter mystery to me!

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 28/09/2015 15:43

Does the school have a website? Most do. There should be lots of basic info there- maybe even a parents handbook you can spdownload.

At my dd's school, year 7s and 8s were required to do one extra curricular- but I wouldn't panic about that- some might not even start til next term.

titchy · 28/09/2015 15:46

Talk to your son! He'll know who is what. Might take him a couple of weeks given that he's new, but he'll find out soon enough.

At secondary they have a form tutor they go to for 15 mins or so each morning for registration, then they go off to their own lessons. The form tutor has pastoral responsibility for all their tutor group, while individual teachers really only deal with academic stuff specific to their lesson. Heads of year are a bit more senior and have an overview of both academic and pastoral issues.

BertrandRussell · 28/09/2015 15:47

Sorry- I see it has and you've been there! Ignore me.

Schools call different people different things- but there will definitely be someone who is Head of Year 7, and someone else who is the class/form teacher/tutor for your ds's particular "group" of 25 or so year 7s. They should be your first port of call. Email with your specific questions.

For general stuff about the school, receptionists are often really knowledgable and helpful.

BertrandRussell · 28/09/2015 15:49

Or try us for questions about the education system generally.

TeenAndTween · 28/09/2015 15:49

The tutor is like the form teacher in primary. It is who they see every morning at registration. In most schools you have the same tutor the whole way up the school so he/she gets to know the class and is there to sort out issues.

Generally I think you need to do a trawl on the school's website reading anything and everything.

Suggest you re-read the school's prospectus. That might give you some more general ideas. Or maybe the school has an open evening coming up for prospective parents (though you may have missed it) that you could visit.

Original poster
MuttonDressedAsGoose · 28/09/2015 16:07

Just missed the open evening! I think it was a day or two before he started.

OK, it sounds like "tutor" is the equivalent of the "home room teacher" sort of, with a bit of general guidance counsellor thrown in. I'll find out his or her name and if I have any questions I'll at least know who to email!

My son has enjoyed his first day. He fancies "science club." This meets once a week. Now we get to figure out the logistics of getting him there! He can take a bus home but my DH doesn't like the added bus fare and thinks he can drive. I don't think it matters - he's the one who will be doing it.

There's a youth club in Oldham (Mahdlo) that my 8-year-old son has just joined and we'll try to figure out how to arrange them to be on the same night so it's just one day of playing taxi driver.

OP posts:
TeenAndTween · 28/09/2015 16:18

Yup, USA equivalent to Tutor seems to be Home Room teacher (if High School Musical is anything to go by).

Some schools run a 'late bus' for people doing clubs. A minibus that drops off in surrounding areas. (cars cost petrol, so bus may be cheaper than your DS thinks).

BertrandRussell · 28/09/2015 17:39

Why will it be an extra bus fare?

Original poster
MuttonDressedAsGoose · 28/09/2015 17:49

Yes, it will. A different company does the to and from route.

OP posts:
redskybynight · 28/09/2015 20:06

Just asked DS what he would do in this situation and he said he would

  • speak to form tutor
  • speak to student services (which seems to be the "office" for anything to do with school that isn't admin)
  • ask a friend

... which has been his answer for every problem he's had so far, and in fact has produced an answer every time!

BackforGood · 28/09/2015 20:09

IME contact with secondary schools tends to be done by e-mail.
Meetings tend to be reserved for a serious issue.

Generally speaking, each class (or form) have a form tutor where they go for register / notices each morning. Then there is usually a 'Head of Year' who will have overall responsibility for all the Year 7s. In many schools, they stay with them, once they become Yr 8s, then Yr9s etc.
However
Just to confuse you, a number of schools are now moving to 'vertical tutoring groups' where they have a form group of mixed ages.

If you have a pastoral or organisational or behavioural type issue, then the form tutor is usually the first port of call, then the Head of Year.

If there is a problem with a subject, then their subject tutor is usually the first port of call, followed by the Head of Department - so - head of maths if it's a maths problem, head of history if it's a history problem, etc.

Generally though, as someone else has said, often good to check it out here first Grin

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