Year 7 what will she need

[RevolvingPivot]

Hi. I need to budget and put money away. I know it's months away but I'm stressing.

I'm not sure it would make much difference but just for info:

She won't turn 11 until the end of august

Has a little anxiety.

Has never walked to or from primary school alone before due to me going for her younger sister. Plus she doesn't want to meet me away from school.

Has dyspraxia and dyslexia

Is very unorganised.

Thanks x

I also bought some keyrings made from a plastic spring. His house key and bus pass are attached to his school bag, and are NEVER removed - the keyring is long enough to open the front door without detaching it from his bag. Key and pass get tucked in the front pocket of his bag when not in use.

we did similar. Also locker key, was a life saver

Try and get her to learn and remember your mobile number - if she loses her phone/bag/worldly possessions and isn’t at school, knowing at least a number can make the world of difference!

We got metal geometry set because the plastic ones broke on a weekly basis. There is probably a secondhand shop so do enquire. Or join uniform Facebook groups.

Also look for new joiner Facebook pages for that school. There may be others walking who you don't know, or who might walk home together.

@SE13Mummy

A couple of things I'd suggest that haven't been mentioned are:

• have duplicate pencil cases at home so she can complete homework without needing to get her pencil case out of her bag
• have two pencil cases in her school bag. One for the regular kit e.g. pen, pencil, ruler, rubber etc. and a second for colouring pencils, highlighters, scissors, glue.
• order personalised dog tags/those pet discs with your phone number on e.g. A. Lastname, 07896 123 456 so and fix to door keys plus any instrument cases and her PE bag.
• write A. Lastname and your number inside her coat, school bag, blazer, back of bus pass and anything she might be able to leave behind - make it easy for it to get returned.
• write A. Lastname 7 inside pencil cases

DO NOT DO THIS

it'll be a burglars dream to have a set of keys with the address on

Divine It doesn't say address! It says to put the Mum's phone number on the keys.

@RevolvingPivot

Hi sorry yes I've been on the website and noted all the stationary and the uniform she needs. It says the pe kit needs a logo. The jumper is £14 leggings £14 and T-shirt £12.00. If everyone wears the school issue one I would get it but I won't know until she's started will I? I'm thinking to buy the same colour without the logo if you CAN wear it but I don't want her looking left out.

Sometimes I assume people can read my mind!!! I meant to say what will I need other than what the school suggest. Ie tips / useful hacks.

She has a phone. She will have to walk to school. It's just over a mile with 2 very busy roads but there is a crossing there. My plan is to walk her there in the 6 weeks holidays. She said she doesn't want to "practice" but I'd prefer her too.

School won't help with money as DH is on a good wage it's just we are daft with money so have debt and loans.

The school receive SPP because of her dads job but it's not like the regular pupil premium so we don't get help with school stuff.

That's all x

A little bit off topic but it might be worth speaking to Step Change about the debt.

Done all of that. Hopefully everything will start to be paid back on time now thanks.

Definitely see if there is a Facebook page for the school/PTA or have a look on school website for info about second hand uniform.

Dyspraxia:

Get two lots of pencil case equipment, one that stays in her bag and one that she uses at home for homework. This lessons the risk of the pencil case being left at home because she was using it for homework. Buy a million pens and pencils. Pritt stick, scissors and highlighters are also useful.

More copies of the timetable. In bag, in blazer pocket, on bedroom wall.

A checklist posted by the front door: bag, water bottle, lunch, snack, mask, phone etc that she has to run through before leaving the house.

Pack her bag with her each night.

to find out if they actually all wear the logoed stuff, you need to talk to a parent with a child at the school.

Is there anyone you know? friend of a friend?
Most of us remember when our first started secondary and are willing to answer basic general questions like this.

@Divineswirls I'm not completely stupid, initial, last name and parent's mobile number was what I said to put on the tag, inside rucksacks etc.

I've been a y7 tutor and parent and am getting a new y7 tutor group in September. Don't panic!

I wouldn't get everything for Maths just yet because it's unlikely your DD will need it straight away. With things like calculators, the Head of Maths told me that he prefers all students to get the "school approved" one which they sell at cost price. When they are teaching how to use a new function, it's so much easier if they all have the same kind. In Art, they sell a pack of the kit (pack, sketchbook, correct sort of brushes & pencils) which again means they all have the same stuff. Those are things it's worth finding out about.

Find out if the school what system the school uses for homework and information. We use the SIMs app for parents, however, we moved over to Microsoft Teams and all homework is set on there and not now put on SIMs, although reporting is still on SIMs. All students are given laptops in my school, so unless you really want to buy one, I'd find out the situation in her school first.

You say DD has a phone. That's good. Put her timetable on it when she gets it for when the original goes missing. I tell my TG to take a photo of theirs on their phone as soon as I give it out. I can reprint them, but it's a pain.

I hope she will get some induction time in the summer. Again, I tell mine to write down their name and an email address or phone number and give it to people they get on with on induction day so they can meet up over the summer, or at least chat online. DD2 did this and some 9 years on is still besties with the girl she befriended then.

Hope that helps. Definitely do the journey a few times over the summer so she knows what to expect. It is a big step, but the teachers are well-prepared and have seen it all before.

Separate color coded folders for each subject would help a lot. Practice taking notes with her; learning to write quickly is essential. Handwritten notes help you retain information better than those on a computer.
If permitted, knee socks last much longer than tights. If she wears a half slip under her skirt, it retains warmth much better than with bike shorts. Start out with skirts at least 2” below the knee so she can grow into them. Schools in the United States tend to be lenient on skirts too long, but strict on skirts too short; the British are likely to be similar.
Sewn in woven name tapes are wonderful. Label shoes and trainers with a silver permanent pen. Label everything possible.

Practice taking notes with her; learning to write quickly is essential. Handwritten notes help you retain information better than those on a computer.

actually, I would be very careful about doing this.

If she is dyslexic and this causes stress then she is going to be panicing about school.
They do not expect them to be able to note take on day one. It is a skill will is built up over time. If she has a diagnosis, she is also very likely to get support with this.

I think this would kill her confidence.

Also, wearing a half slip is likely to get her laughed out of school.
opaque tights if you have skirt and otherwise, wear trousers
Over the knee socks are great though if allowed.

And if you do start out with a very long skirt, she will be embarrassed and be rolling it up by end of week one.

How is her handwriting OP?

DD1 (dyspraxia) found it a massive benefit when she started using a computer in (some) lessons and for longer assessments. By not having to concentrate on handwriting it freeded up her brain enough to think of sensible things to write. (Her mind isn't like a filing cabinet, it is like if you tipped the contents of your filing cabinet out all over the room - she found retrieving information very hard.)

DD2 (prob not dyspraxic but motor skills and short term memory issues) tried typing but found it more of a hinderance than a help. Also found that her spelling was often too far away for spell checkers to guess the correct word. She also found it a pain having to take a small laptop round lessons and the printing out etc also involved. (even though I did it all for her and DD1).

I had a hard time learning to take notes fast enough, as I had real problems with handwriting , and still do. School support can take a long time, and is likely to be insufficient. Carrying around a device is an another thing to get lost or taken.
I had to wear long skirts over thirty years ago because it was what my mother expected. No one else had a slip then, either. If uniform rules allow, buy skirts with waist band that can’t be rolled. Punish her if she rolls her skirt. Very short skirts aren’t suitable or attractive in offices, so why should they be allowed for school?

I agree with everything above and we found most important was a system. So have a routine when they come in from school and do the same thing every night. I did a tick list chart (printed off and laminated at home) so they knew what was next.

When they came in the door (key attached to bag on either long piece of elastic or retractable key ring) and whilst still in uniform they emptied their bag of all their books. We had wooden magazine files from Ikea that I painted to match their rooms and labelled with days of the week. So remove Maths book and put it into the next day you need it. They had a timetable in their room, one on the back of the front door and one on the breakfast bar where they ate breakfast.

Then open their planner and write up their homework so French, finish worksheet and write it on the day it is due in either on a whiteboard or pin a note on a noticeboard. Post its are good but we pinned as well so they didn't unstick. Visual reminder and both you and they can see how much they have got, when it is due in and which ones they need to prioritise. Then get changed, snack and drink, some down time and then a set time to start homework.

She definitely needs to practise walking to school. We did it in the 6 week holidays and set off at the right time and then had notes in their phone so by 8.30 I need to be at this roundabout etc. That way they know if they need to speed up. You cannot use other students as a pace setter

Yes to buy shares in Pritt stick, have all pens etc at home so she never takes her pencil case out of her bag at home. Our school has an extra transition day for students who may need help with organisation.

@Ericaequites

I had a hard time learning to take notes fast enough, as I had real problems with handwriting , and still do. School support can take a long time, and is likely to be insufficient. Carrying around a device is an another thing to get lost or taken. I had to wear long skirts over thirty years ago because it was what my mother expected. No one else had a slip then, either. If uniform rules allow, buy skirts with waist band that can’t be rolled. Punish her if she rolls her skirt. Very short skirts aren’t suitable or attractive in offices, so why should they be allowed for school?

I think you are about 30 years out of date. In the UK, it is common for dyslexic kids to use a computer. Many schools have ipads, in some schools every child is issued with one. It is common for kids to use them for note taking. OR the teacher provides printed notes for kids who cannot take notes. But the real point is, that no child has to take notes from day 1 in year 7. It just isn't a thing. They might have to copy down something from the board. They might have to work in pairs to write something, but they do not have to take notes from the teacher speaking.

But my main point is that trying to teach this to her, a child who is already anxious, is going to cause more anxiety and stress. the time to teach this is not now. The time to teachthis is when she needs it, so as she goes through the school and it startes to become a things, then take time in the holidays to teach.

The skirt thing - so your mother made you wear a skirt that was too long with a slip that no one else wore, and you think this is a great idea to inflict on a child? How strange that you would want to create a situation where a child is singled out as being the odd one out.
As for punishing rolling up, really there is a time to pick your battles. No one is talking about mini skirts, most schools expect knew length, and in the UK, standard tights that they wear are opaque anyway.
Or, as I said, they could wear trousers, as, unless it is an all-girls school, trousers will be part of the uniform.

I am a teacher by the way, and I have 3 teenagers.

that should say schools expect skirts to be knee length

Your PE kit is very reasonably priced believe me!

• mobile phone with a good amount of data. Stick Life360 app on it, download this app yourself then link your phones so you can track her. It’s free to download and use and will allow you to see where she is at any point. Her phone will need to have a decent data allowance for it to work though.

• power bank mobile charger just in case her phone runs out of battery and there is an emergency
• folder for homework sheets
• padlock for locker
• wipe clean homework weekly chart for fridge (all DDS homework is on edulink)
• if she is having lunch at school she may get an electronic fob so buy a key ring for this so it doesn’t get lost
• purse with an emergency £10
• print out of lesson schedule and get her to organise her bag with the relevant books the night before
• Tupperware for cookery ingredients
• small deodorant for sports bag. If they keep their sports bags in lockers at school then the kit gets quite stinky so ask her to bring it home regularly!
• small distress alarm. You can but these off Amazon

The jumper is £14 leggings £14 and T-shirt £12.00. If everyone wears the school issue one I would get it but I won't know until she's started will I?

I would double check the school uniform policy. DD’s school had a very strict policy and the pupils got detentions for not adhering to it. If the PE kit has to be the exact one then you need to budget for it. It is worth asking the school if they do second-hand sales. I donated DD’s old PE top to the school.

The idea of having a duplicate pencil case is a brilliant one. They often used to do bag checks at DD’s school and the kids got detentions for forgetting planners, calculators etc. Also, have you spoken to someone at the school about your DD’s dyspraxia?

download this app yourself then link your phones so you can track her. It’s free to download and use and will allow you to see where she is at any point.

I am very uncomfortable with the idea that we should have trackers on our kids' phones. I find it really intrusive, and would not do it.

@steppemum, entirely up to you obviously but from a common sense and safety point of view many parents do use this. Our DD has a 50 minute bus journey on a public bus that has on occasion broken down in the middle of nowhere necessitating an emergency pick up. On after school club nights, she has to take trains to get home, on winter nights when it’s dark, I feel more comfortable being able to check in on her journey home. And obviously in a horrible worse case scenario that is every parent dreads and that your child goes missing, it’s not going to be a bad thing to have is it?

[quote SJaneS49]@steppemum, entirely up to you obviously but from a common sense and safety point of view many parents do use this. Our DD has a 50 minute bus journey on a public bus that has on occasion broken down in the middle of nowhere necessitating an emergency pick up. On after school club nights, she has to take trains to get home, on winter nights when it’s dark, I feel more comfortable being able to check in on her journey home. And obviously in a horrible worse case scenario that is every parent dreads and that your child goes missing, it’s not going to be a bad thing to have is it?[/quote]
apart from your last scenario, where the teen goes missing, the rest do not need a tracker. It is a phone. So they call/text you and say - bus has broken down, I've caught the 4:30 train etc
I have 3 teens, 2 of them girls. They travel by train to school, so a long journey.

It is not a debate for this thread, but it is a debate that has been had many times on mn, about tracking our kids. It is also a debate that has been had in media etc.
It is by no means 'most parents' who do this, many of us make a deliberate choice not to, as we do not think it is fundamentally the right thing to do.