About to start year 7?

[Phox]

Thought it might be good to chat all things new starter, plus a distraction from the mess of the end of year 6 - DS effectively had his last day on Friday without knowing, as the call to isolate came over the weekend. So no leavers events or party at least for now. He did manage to get to an induction day for his new secondary school thankfully, which has settled some of his nerves.

Anyone else looking ahead to y7 in September - summer schools, crazy-priced uniforms and ‘they are just too young!!’ panics?

We didn’t get an induction day but are hoping that summer school will go ahead (few days with new classmates in the school mid August). I’m currently having a battle as DS is used to new lunch box etc for September but I want him to see what others have before we commit to buying a new one that he may hate in a day he also may only have hot lunches. I’ve nearly got all the uniform and bags. He has moments where he can’t wait and moments where he doesn’t want to go so I think he’s completely being normal, he’s not even 11 yet so very young.

My youngest has just left.
My tips for parents of new starters:

• discuss what ifs (you miss the bus, get lost, have forgotten something etc)
• for non NT / clued up - discuss how ways to be have might be different between primary & secondary (eg ignore misbehaviour if you aren't involved unless it is bullying or highly dangerous; don't stick you hand up a la Hermione for every question)
• for non socially confident given some topics of conversation to help in the early days

The "just too young" thing is normal, we all feel like that when the first one goes up. It will be fine, honest and you'll be amazed how much he grows up over the next year.

DD had her last day Friday, she got her leavers party so that was something. A few were isolating so missed out on the last week which was such a shame.

Uniform all bought, cost a small fortune, just shoes and bag to get and her older sister is taking her shopping next week to get some pens and bits she still needs. She's very much looking forward to it she had really got bored of primary. It will help that her sister will be in Y12 there and she knows the school a bit from coming to parents eve with us as unfortunately all the transition events were cancelled.

Having a Y11 and a Y6 has made for a very stressful year so looking forward to relaxing over the next few weeks.

Great Thread.

So I would be interested in top tips for secondary school.

We have not been able to step inside the school. The school seems lovely though from their induction but it is academic.

I really wish we had done open days before covid!

My son is the only person going from his school, but he knows a few other children, and lots of other children will be in the same boat.

My son is worried about knife crime as there have been some bad stabbings locally - so I don't know how to really reassure him - as three recent stabbings happened around 4 pm.

We tell him to run from any trouble and will do lots of practice journeys but it is a longish journey. What do others do?

We still have to buy a mobile phone and make sure he can put it away on the journey.

The cost of uniform and school additional costs has been quite eye watering - so we are glad we are not having a holiday this year after all and I don't know how people would afford a private school.

But in a way I think he is ready, it is just crime and covid that he is worried about.

He had some truly awful children in year 6 of primary so in a way I think that has made him more resilient. He had some awful bullying (was not the only one by the way) but he was so strong at the end that he didn't let this worry him, so the bullying didn't work. Him and a few other kids were left with disgusting notes in their school bag from the bullies - but I can't even be bothered reporting it to the school.These same kids invited him to a leaver party and saw it was a trap so didn't go, the children who did go well some of them had their stuff ruined, bags dumped in water and the like.

So I suppose that secondary presents a change and we just have to make it be a positive as possible.

His teacher did tell me he was a pleasure to have in class and got on with everyone, and was more than ready to move on and would do well at secondary school.

Also I am just trying to make these holidays as relaxing as possible.

Great thread. Can I ask what type of phones you are planning on getting your kids? I was thinking really basic brick one just for emergencies. Will that pass muster?

What are you doing?

At my kids' school just about every child has a smartphone. Mine had a cheap Nokia phone (but smart rather than brick) for Y7 and 8, until they could prove that they could look after them but they were the exception. Most of their friends had IPhones or Samsungs (not necessarily new).

My dd also missed the last week of year 6 as the bubble was isolating. No activities dine for them by school at all.

I finished buying uniform today. Just shoes and socks left to buy. She is the only child from her school going. She knows one other child. Im still trying to sort bus pass out, at a cost of £700 for the school year!!!!

Teacher here. We will help them settle and know they haven't been to the school. Our current year 7s also experienced this and settled in well.

One thing is to try and get them in an organised routine every night. Have a place that books are kept and get them to pack their bag the night before. Get a copy of their timetable on the first day (take a pic on your phone) so you can help them.

Make sure they have spare of pens and pencils but don't pack half the house in a pencil case. They can replenish at home when needed.

Most kids do have a smartphone. Lots of them use WhatsApp to communicate. Monitor phone usage and set up parental controls (including bedtime turn off). Model good phone behaviour and encourage sharing of phone related issues. Contact the school over serious phone misuse including abusive and sexual messages. Screenshot chats if requited. Please don't call every time someone is a little bit unkind!

Practise the journey to and from school over the holiday. Make sure they know who to contact in an emergency, including a written down phone number.

Any idea what pencil cases and lunch boxes are acceptable. DS has a basic Motorola smart phone, but school are very anti phones they will be removed from them if seen within the school grounds.

I don't know any Yr6 that haven't had a phone all year. Smart phones are the norm as is WApp for chats. All the Yr6 I know use for school work / uploading work etc They mainly have second hand or reconditioned ones.
High schools near us just insist not visible on school premises (confiscated) but understand that they all have them in bags and blazers.

Our uniform is around £100 for blazer, PE top, tie, jumper. The rest is supermarket standard stuff luckily.

happycamper3 we are planning on an older version iphone, but we have lots of family sharing that we can put into place so it makes sense our son has an iphone.

We definitely are not the only parents who have not got their child an iphone yet, i would say in my year 6 only a third had a mobile phone.

More pupils had devices at home obviously but not everyone had phones.

Wow Eaten ours is double that but nearly everything has to be uniform shop 🙄.

We had basic hawawei for yr 6 and 7.

Lots of going through different scenarios. Who to contact, looking at photos on website/map/etc.

Yr 6 here dont use for school work at all. Actively discouraged! Those bringing phones to school habd them in on entry. Shows how different schools can be.

My youngest is going into Year 7 and is so ready for it! Much easier being the youngest as you have more of an idea of what's coming.

Get a smart phone if you can afford one, rather than a brick, as otherwise your child will really stand out and feel different.

Practise the journey and go with them for drop off and collection the first few days. We did and so did lots of other parents.

Enjoy it - it's fun!

GiantToadstool - it is interesting how different the prices are.

Our uniform (but we doubled up on some items including the blazer and sports tracksuit etc) but without and shoes and bag it came to £280.

Ds2 is going in September. He has visited the school a few times, recently for 2 x 1 hour visits just for SEN kids.
He is autistic and a very young 11. He will get a lot of support in lessons, my biggest worry is the walk there and back. Need to practice it over the summer.

I really don't see why our school has to have uniform skirts /tailored trousers (girls) as that could easily save money.
All secondary schools locally have branded pe kits now, and blazers. Although those costs vary too. It really does vary a lot.

Are all these children taking phones to school purely due to the commute?
We live 10 mins away from the secondary my ds will be attending in September and I wasn't planning on allowing him to take it with him- or am I being naive?

Taswama my daughter is autistic too. We practiced every few days last year, and in our case drove that way often,pointing out "landmarks." There was more than one route so they often cycled it (weird summer last year so used excuse of "needing exercise") a lot too.

I think repeating the journey a lot so it isn't so "new" is really important for ND kids. So week before we practiced it at the correct time in the morning so aware of noises and people at that time...

Noshow I think nearly all my daughter's class had phone's for yr 7. 10min cycle rather than walk but I think they swap details before/after school, have a class whatsapp and share info about homework as well as chat...

@GiantToadstool

Yr 6 here dont use for school work at all. Actively discouraged! Those bringing phones to school habd them in on entry. Shows how different schools can be.

Yes in school time but homework all uploaded by a mobile device. In school time via school iPads

@Noshowwithoutpunch

Are all these children taking phones to school purely due to the commute? We live 10 mins away from the secondary my ds will be attending in September and I wasn't planning on allowing him to take it with him- or am I being naive?

Our Yr6 all went to shops / park / cafe etc afterschool in spring / summer so used to update parents in their plans. At high school they will often stay late, do extra clubs, go see mates on way home etc. But we are urban area where kids are pretty independent by Yr6

I think it also depends upon the school. Some schools let children bring devices in for research.

I think for us the mobile phone is needed because the commute could go wrong.