Not received Sept 18 year 7 starter details yet. Anyone else?

[megletthesecond]

DS is starting secondary in September. Offer received on 1st March and I sent the acceptance back before Easter.

And nothing since. I've emailed them and they said we'll find out more soon .

When he stated primary I received the welcome pack long before this. It doesn't help that the secondary he's going to has just flunked it's OFSTED (he didn't get first choice school).

We haven't heard anything either from our secondary school. I expected to by now!

Yep, I need to get all the dates pencilled in and swap things around at work if I need to. It doesn't fill me with confidence to be honest.

Have you checked the school's website, to see whether transition events are up on the calendar?

Mid May does seem a bit late, but schools may be waiting for waiting list movement to settle down before sending packs out as a batch, if they normally have itive a lot of changes from their March 1st allocation?

I seem to remember "moving up to secondary school" activities kicking in after SATS and an idea that school wrote to us just before half term.

So I really wouldn't worry. (especially as the school has told you information is coming!). I'm not sure what "all the dates are" that you think you will be pencilling in either - we had one parents' evening prior to September and one very optional informal chat session (everything else was coordinated through their junior school). I realise all schools do it differently but you might be expecting more than is actually going to happen! Unless your DC has SEN? Then it's a bit lax of the school not to have got in touch yet.

Our secondary only started contacting the primaries around now for info on pupils (I remember DD's y6 teacher complaining they wanted forms back by half term just when she was doing SATs). Then they have to put them into tutor groups etc.

We didn't actually get sent info until mid June I don't think.

(They waited for churn on waiting lists to be sorted, and then GCSE pupils waved off, then turned attention to the new intake).

When my dd started she came home from school with a pile of information on her new tutor group, parents meetings etc, but that was around June time.

Also, if primary school is a feeder school then they will organise transition days, this is usually done around the same time every year. Some secondary schools wait for Sats results too before they place them into groups.

We’ve had quite a bit of info, about two weeks ago. And all the details on induction days in June and July. And a parents’ event. Also we were invited in to have fittings for the new blazers they’re introducing, which we’re getting for free.

I think they’re leaving it a bit late at yours tbh.

red I'm assuming there'll be an information evening for parents and I understand there's a couple of taster sessions at some point. I will probably need a babysitter and a half day off work. The primary isn't a feeder school. But they may be hanging on until after SATS.
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This question gets asked every year. Schools will have a lot on their plate atm with GCSEs./ A-levels. You got months until your child starts.

Am sure we got ours late May.

Looking back at my calendar for last year we had a welcome to the school 8th June evening, go over uniform, rules etc. Try on uniform to know what size to order, it generally goes over their clothing next to tables laid out with uniform. Everyone does it, games shorts over jeans etc. Much hilarity ensues.

The "non-feeder" intake morning for parents (stayed in hall) and children (led off for activities) was 13th June. This is an additional day purely for the non-feeder primaries.

Then 4th July evening was where the school is split in 2 and you are there with parents and children who are in the same half of the year as your child so in our case 5 full forms. You sit in the assembly hall in your forms so your child gets to used to the faces of their classmates. They do activities for team building and navigating their way round school.

Then all primaries attend their secondary school in their current year 6 uniform, spend the day in their form, in their form too. Get released 10 minutes before the rest of the school. They also go in later so that everyone bigger should already be in and registered.

That is how it was for us anyway. There are extra transition days for children who may need more support.

Should have said, even though late May for info, when we visited for the open evening they gave us a leaflet plus a fridge magnet with all the dates on from admissions applications, appeals, and what evenings/days things would take place on and to keep those free.

DD's school has a 'meet the tutor' evening early July for parents & child including general talk in hall and uniform availability. Then the next 2 days are transition days where the y6s attend in their primary uniform (making their way to school using same transport as they will in y7) and spend time in tutor groups and getting to know their way around.
First day back in y7 is y7s only, plus some y10 mentors.

megle the primary school ran some general "moving up to secondary school sessions". Although they were run by a teacher from a local secondary school, they were not specifically about moving to that school. Your primary may be doing something similar.
(after SATS)

My school sends out the information pack with offer letters. When the acceptances come in, they divide up the feeder schools and staff choose which ones they go to. I have 3 schools to visit and was given the information today. I will call them tomorrow or Friday and try to get in there before half-term. Our school wants the information back by the end of the first week after the holiday.

I have a welcome leaflet personalised for each child and will talk them through it and deal with any questions the kids have. As someone else has said, we want to make sure our GCSE and A level kids are sorted before thinking about the newbies.

A fb memory came up this week (possibly yesterday) that I had received dd's induction pack, so I imagine now isn't really that late.

Independent school here and we have had nothing yet. It will all start to come though in June if its anything like the year DS1 joined.

The secondary schools work very much within the scho calendar: once GCSEs are out of the day they can start on Yr7 prep.

We didn’t hear anything until after half term.

As a pp said, look on tne school’s website for the school calendar.

And brace yourself: communication with secondary schools is much less than you get from primary.

scrub yy, I've heard that communication won't be as great once he moves up.

Thanks for everyones input. I'm not fretting so much now.