How to be organised in Y7?

[RoseAndWater]

Do kids magically become organised when they start Y7? wishful thinking

If not, please could you share your top tips for getting through Y7 in an well organised fashion? For example, I've read that folders can be useful but what folders work best and do you organise them? A friend uses A4 zipped folders, one for each subject but that seems messy to me as print outs etc are just kept loosely in the folder.

What are some good routines to get into?

Also, do your Y7s have a house key?
TIA

Best thing I did was buy masses of pencils, plastic rulers, pens and gluesticks. Organised files were rejected in favour of one big pile which lives on a table, also no luck with doing hw the day it's set. Ziplock bags and clear a4 folders are useful for single sheets. Take a photo of timetable as soon as you see it, and of other bits of paperwork, language vocab to learn etc. The school planner is key but in y7-8 I also kept our own calendar to write deadlines on.

DS has a two week timetable. He has a plastic box storage from home bargains that he keeps all his folders in. He has a clear plastic popper folder for each subject. He has 6 lessons a day and I always think his bag is so heavy. He does have a locker at school but he prefers to keep everything at home.

He keeps his pencil case in his school bag and we have a stock of stuff at home he uses to do his homework with. I found that they would only tell you that they needed a new glue stick/ ruler etc when the old one had totally run out or broken and they then needed it that day for maths.

When they have a big back to school stationary sale in august, buy a clear plastic pencil case. They are 50p or something. DD only mentioned to us that she needed one of these the day before her first year 7 exams. They are easy to get hold of in august not so much the rest of the year round.

@RomainingCalm we set up this system for DD in Yr7 and she still uses it in Yr10 so it must work!

I was going to add find my iPhone switched on to save me embarrassing him
By texting “did you get the bus okay?”

1. Start now - packing her own bag / pe kit the night before. Asking ‘what do you need?’ Rather than ‘have you got xxx?’.

2. a desk so they can keep all their stuff in one place.

3. a laptop - lots of homework is online.

4. timetable stuck to fridge and in pocket

5. always always pack bag in the evening

For my kids I have a set of those magazine file boxes in the dining room (one per subject) and their exercise and text books plus any loose sheets go in those each day so it is quick to find them. I also have a big shoe box that at the start of every year I fill will pens, pencils, prittstick, spare rubbers, pencil sharpeners etc. They are forever losing equipment and I just buy in bulk from Amazon.

IKEA has metal magazine files which will last forever.

Making a space for them to work and help their books is really important.

It depends a bit on the system the school has.

My older two (different schools) started with a binder with folders and dividers with paper and in-built pencil case. My DD was given a planner by her school.

After the first term, my DS still used the binder (still uses it now in Y11), but my DD was down to just one folder with a popper closure to bring home papers and a couple pencil cases for supplies with her planner. DS gets a lot of papers to keep track of, but DDs school uses exercise books that they stick print outs in and the books with the binder was making her bag too bulky and she was never actually using the binder. For her it was more useful to have more supplies in pencil cases whereas DS didn't use as many.

For routines, asking about homework after school and getting that done (or having another set time for it) and a space to keep the things they don't need to take out. We use magazine files for the latter.

And we do house key and phone as part of 'going up the secondary'.

Mine have a couple of ikea trofast trays to keep school books in. They have a copy of their timetable in the tray as well as a copy by the front door and one in blazer pocket. They do have a small a4 wallet in their bag for loose sheets but don't use it much. They get their bag ready the night before but I only helped for the first half term. Also ipad/ phone plugged in overnight. They got into a routine themselves after a while and I have done occasional emergency drop off of PE kit if I'm not at work but otherwise it's best to let them make a mistake sometimes and realise that the world won't end if they get a warning or whatever.

Homework for the first couple of weeks will probably consist of covering their exercise books in clear sticky plastic film. If, like me, you're all fingers & thumbs you could invest in the re-usable slip on versions this also gives them somewhere to tuck in odd sheets of paper.

He does have a locker at school but he prefers to keep everything at home.

Same in this house. There was much excitement at the idea of having a locker in Y7 but it just increased the potential for having the wrong things in the wrong place. I do encourage DC to keep some emergency stationery supplies in their locker though.

I cringe at the weight of their rucksack though.

otherwise it's best to let them make a mistake sometimes and realise that the world won't end if they get a warning or whatever.

And this is great advice. Start in Y6 with teachers that they know!

Buy multiple stationary items like rulers, protractors, rubbers, glue sticks and it just 1 of each. They get lost or broken all the time. Keep a spare set at home which is never to be taken to school so the stuff is always there for homework. Do a pencil case check every Friday night so any missing items can be replaced and if you do need to buy more,not here is time. Not possible if you find out on Sunday night or more likely Monday morning.

Have copies of the timetable pinned up by the door and night next to each subject what is needed for it, such as ex book, text book, apron etc.

At least in early stages, ask your child to show you their homework planner and also their homework each evening. They don't like showing you crap work so it's motivating. If it looks crap, don't be afraid to send them back to improve it.

Often those who have pore organisation get little oractical help from parents in terms of looking at their books and checking or having them do homework to start with at the kitchen table or somewhere communal. They need more help than many parents imagine and the idea that they are secondary now and should be left to develop independence and be wholly responsible is just a leap too far for most to start with.

Keep a couple of spare pens and a pencil in the pocket of their bag in case pencil case gets forgotton.

Name label all the clothing....you'd be amazed how many don't.
Buy uniform or spares of PE kit from the second hand sale. It can save a fortune when they lose items.

Yes to having an evening timetable. No TV or internet until Hwk is done etc.

We had a list on the back of the front door, giving everything needed for each day.
So, Monday: PE kit, flute + music, etc.
School bags plus all these extra were placed by the door and checked before going to bed. Then there was only the lunchboxes to add, I put those mostly ready in the evening and added fresh items while they ate breakfast
Uniform put ready, including underwear, at bedtime, shoes by the door with the bags.
We had a strict rota for morning showers; DTD first to allow time for hair faffing.
This routine was followed pretty much all through secondary, even sixth form. I had to drive them to school and then drive back again to my own school which was practically on our doorstep, and I liked to arrive by 8:10.
Looking back, I’m glad we’re done!