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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Year 8 Support Thread

56 replies

PenguinsRabbits · 27/07/2019 19:34

We've survived year 7 (just). This is a support thread for year 8 parents - a continuation of the starting secondary support threads though parents of children in other years are welcome to join / ask questions.

From September I have a year 8 (ASD) DS and a year 9 DD.

Hope everyone has a great summer holiday.

OP posts:
DobbinsVeil · 28/07/2019 07:01

Hello! Place marking will be back later

Witchend · 28/07/2019 13:41

Signing in!

ChicCroissant · 28/07/2019 13:42

Signing in too. Year 7 went better than expected overall with only a few issues here (on original thread under another name).

Juniorsmum1 · 28/07/2019 15:24

Joining 😊 ds just finished yr7 and is now glad he won't be the youngest year anymore lol

Ilikesweetpeas · 28/07/2019 15:34

Can you give me any words of wisdom for a frankly terrified Y7 to be who is starting a new school away from friends from primary?! I'm relieved to read some of you say Y7 was ok!

Witchend · 28/07/2019 23:18

You might be better starting a new thread!

My dd1 and dd2 went to the secondary that none of their friends were going to (in ds' year a fair number went to it) and actually the only issues they had were with children they'd known before.
Let the school know they're struggling-most schools are happy to put an eye out for people on their own.

ittakes2 · 29/07/2019 09:22

Also place marking - we just moved our year 7 from a grammar school exam factory and starting year 8 in a new school.

Original poster
PenguinsRabbits · 05/08/2019 22:02

Hope everyone has a lovely summer.

DD left grammar school end of year 7 and joined a comprehensive ittakes2, she's just finished year 8.

I think someone did a starting year 7 thread knowing no-one recently and most people said their kids had been OK. My DS struggled with it but he's ASD but my DD was fine and made loads of friends.

We are just back from few days in Torquay with DS and off to Norway and Sweden soon. DD is spending week in France this week.

OP posts:
Original poster
PenguinsRabbits · 16/08/2019 19:28

When does everyone start back? Its 5th September here.

OP posts:
Juniorsmum1 · 16/08/2019 19:39

Weds 4th here after an inset day Mon and just yr7 and 12 on Tues. Am hoping his timetable comes up on the app next week, weds was an easy day last year so he's hoping for the sake again 😁. I have noticed his app now has an options section as he's to start picking later this year ready for year 9. he seems too young to pick at the min and it ferls like it's coming up too fast.

Juniorsmum1 · 16/08/2019 19:42

Please excuse the spelling errors 🤣

ChicCroissant · 16/08/2019 19:49

Exactly the same as Juniorsmum1 here, right down to the year 7's and sixth form having the day to themselves first. DD quite impressed that she gets an extra day this year, but it is such a big change that I think it is nice for the Year 7's to have a day without the school being rammed to find their way around!

We have a Year group on FB and someone has already asked what date the Year 8's go back - even DH was rolling his eyes a bit, if you didn't know the info is clearly on the School website.

Starting to prepare the uniform ready for the new academic year, leaving the shoes as late as possible although DD has grown more slowly this year - previously she has grown out of items at an alarming rate, this is the first time we've ever got a whole year out of a pair of shoes!

Juniorsmum1 · 16/08/2019 21:11

I've been ironing shirts and trousers today, got the pe kit sorted but not got shoes yet either, his feet grow so quickly, we went through a few pair last year as he'd outgrown them, hope it slows down this year

Original poster
PenguinsRabbits · 17/08/2019 17:43

DS is the only one to have a timetable as far as we know as he's ASD so got in advance. DD was seriously jealous. They were supposed to all get them end of last term but were struggling to get enough teachers. DS has Spanish teachers for French and no teacher listed for one or two subjects but same form tutor and English teacher which is good as they are great. Not so happy same science teacher again.

OP posts:
Witchend · 17/08/2019 23:04

We're back on the 5th as well.

I bribed ds into going to get new shoes today. He's had this pair for 2 years and the soles are paper thin and the top have enough air holes that they could almost be sandals. He put them on to "prove" he didn't need more.

He's gone up 3 sizes. Shop assistant couldn't believe he could still get the old pair on. She also couldn't believe her luck when he put on the first pair and said "they fit... I'm having these". Grin
I've told her I'll bring dd2 to her to make up on time. Dd2 has size 8, D width shoes and is very fussy. She also likes to try on every possible shoe in the shop even when she's found one that fits. I've usually lost the will to live by the third pair.

I suggested while we were on a roll maybe I could book him a hair cut (he looked horrified) and get a new coat (the one he had last winter he's had for 3 years and looks brand new as he refuses to wear a coat). He thought that would be pushing it too far.
I did manage to get him to choose a new school bag. His old one, the zip broke in the last week of term.

IslandTulip · 18/08/2019 11:27

I don't think my going into year 8 and going into year 11 dc need any new uniform which is quite lucky. Not even new shoes. Dd did get a new bag though.
I'm curious to see dd's timetable to see what teachers she has as I know a lot of them from older dd. We can usually see the timetable online over the holidays even though they tweak it til the last minute. Can't see it this year. Maybe they hid it from view as they get parents contacting them in the holidays about their child being in the wrong group etc and they want to give the teachers a rest!
Dd had a good year last year. She didn't have anyone from her old class go into her new class but made new friends in the new class and doesn't seem to have any enemies. Same as at primary. Dd1 had a trickier time at primary but has been happier at secondary

Original poster
PenguinsRabbits · 27/08/2019 11:52

We still have DSs haircut to go which will be the hardest part.

Pretty much there otherwise.

Can't see either timetable online and DD says people are saying the Head is pregnant so could be change at the top soon.

OP posts:
Original poster
PenguinsRabbits · 05/09/2019 12:34

Hope the first days go / went well - ours is today but at least DS finally had a haircut and he said the lady knew what she was doing as she used clips and she gave him a good tip that his hair will look better if he washes it. Grin He went off with a very fluffy alpaca keyring and a giant salmon pencil case. Hmm

OP posts:
Juniorsmum1 · 05/09/2019 15:44

Second day for us, 3 lots of homework so far which didn't go down well 😂, and mostly the same teachers as last year so ds has settled back into his classes

Billsbill · 05/09/2019 18:13

Moved DS to a new school as he had a desperately unhappy year 7. Fingers crossed so far so good. He already seen so much more relaxed. Encouraging him to step out of his shy shoes and put himself out there to meet new people. Nearly the weekend 😊

Witchend · 05/09/2019 18:52

Ds hasn't had a hair cut!
He's not impressed to be back while his sister (off to uni) has another 3.5 weeks. Grin

Original poster
PenguinsRabbits · 06/09/2019 03:43

Sorry to hear no haircut Witchend, it was close here but now he appears converted, women's hairdresser! Apparently she can make it very stylish.

Sounds promising Bill and not too bad JuniorsMum

A good first day for DS though the school cancelled first two lessons for all children to talk about new behaviour and rewards policy - they can buy things with rewards. DS was so unimpressed - I had a 20 minute non-stop talk on why this was rubbish and how the school should not be promoting cookies and how they will never get him to spend a reward. He was more impressed school now has CCTV - that's something I pushed for - well more security around the main road as cars go 60mph outside and they've had kids run in it. So now a wall and CCTV has happened.

DS says he loves CCTV and will stand watching it every lunch with his salmon pencil case at it so all they will see is him. Still at least they know how to find him now. Grin

OP posts:
TF4646 · 10/09/2019 21:08

Hi - hope Wk2 is going well for all.

My DD really struggled through YR7, I am really hoping that YR8 is smoother. She really struggled with the transition, the early starts (school bus at 7:30), the additional homework, the fact that most teachers are more distant (a secondary school thing that was different from her YR6 teacher), a bigger school and mostly girls that seem to have fallen in and out of friendships for 12 months now!

I'm keeping everything crossed that YR8 is more settled and enjoyable for her.

Original poster
PenguinsRabbits · 10/09/2019 21:31

My DS and DD both struggled with y7. Y8 was better for DD but so much girl drama including from DD Hmm She's now more friends with boys and things have stabilised a bit. Thankfully we live 5 mins from school in village so its only 8am to 3pm for both mine.

First few days have been mostly good.

OP posts:
Juniorsmum1 · 11/09/2019 09:56

Good to hear everybody is having a good wk2, ds was so tired at the weekend, he didn't move much over the summer so the half hour walks to and from school and between classes caught up with him on Sunday.
Lots of homework but he seems to have got back into the routine of getting them done and out of the way and new teachers have all seemed okay.
Other than that it's tales of new yr7's getting into trouble esp the boys, a couple of fights, seems to be a repeat of when he started last year, think it's while everybody is finding their feet, luckily school handle it well.