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?

@Simplyclean who did you speak to at the school? I would ask to speak to the Head of Year and if you get nowhere with that then whoever is im charge of Pastoral Care or whatever they call it. But at the same time try to remain positive in front of your DD and don't get her hopes up of a class move.

How much time does she spend in that class? Apart from the very start of term when we do ice breakers, admin and orientation activities my form only see each other in the morning and then the rest of the day are in classes with other people. Are you sure she is only in this class all of the time? It may well have just been for today while they did admin and orientation activities. After the initial shock it shouldn't be that big a deal as she can still see her friends at break and lunch time and the teachers will put them in seating plans for lessons so they won't be with their friends anyway.

In my experience children who end up with their Primary school friends don't branch out and make new friends as quickly, quite often bringing friendship issues with them encourage her to join the sports teams and other clubs to get to know as many students as possible.

How did today go Simplyclean? Hope it went a bit better and she managed to chat to someone friendly. First day tomorrow here, I’m definitely very nervous, and think DS is too.

Anyone have their first day today? If so, hope it went well. And good luck for everyone starting tomorrow. DS starts next week.

Yep DD was quite nervous the last few days but she absolutely loved it, she hasn't stopped talking about it all night

Hope everyone else's DC get on ok.

That's lovely @UncomfortableSilence ! DS doesn't start until Monday here.

DS first day went well, though he was really really tired when he got home - not sure how he’s going to do a full week!
Good luck to those with DC starting on Monday.

DS first day went well, though he was really really tired when he got home - not sure how he’s going to do a full week!

I'm glad your DS had a good first day, I have to say the tiredness is worrying me because DS is starting on Tuesday and on Monday his swim training is returning to a full timetable instead of their summer timetable. 2 to 3 hours every evening and 2 hours on a Saturday morning! I have raised concerns that it is too much but apparently "they all manage".

@Simplyclean

First day nightmare My 11 year old girl started secondary school today. Packing for 2 weeks and super excited. A quiet introverted child but was moving to school with a lot of her primary school friends. As I collected her from school I knew something was up - as she got into the car, she burst into floods of tears and was clearly emotionally distressed. It transpires that she has been placed in a class with none of her friends whilst the other 5 primary school friends are in one class. Also of 7 boys, they have been placed 4 in one class and 3 in another. So out of 13 children from our primary school, she is the only one that has been left isolated. Immediately my wife and I contacted the school ,but our concerns were not even recorded and literally dismissed out of hand, and told we don't swap children between classes. What should have been a joyous occasion has turned into a nightmare. I know my child ,and I know that over time she will make friends and enjoy school again- but it is going to take a lot of tears and emotional distress to get there. Has anyone any advice what they would do ?? I just feel she has been treated so unfairly and not equal with everyone else.

Ah this isn’t nice at all! My ds’s primary class were all asked to choose a buddy to move up with.

My son’s first day yesterday... he and his friend inadvertently ‘annoyed‘ the yr11s on the way home by sitting on the back row of the bus as they were first on! 🙈🤣.... They didn’t do it again today 🤣

I can understand your concerns re tiredness @Hellocatshome . I'm glad that Scouts doesn't restart until 17 September. (DS2's only weekday activity).

DD was shattered last night after the two days and I remember DD1 being the same. It's an incredible amount to take in alongside the adrenaline and nerves, some of the Y7s at my school were physically shaking.

I feel like it takes them to about half term to really get used to the routines and expectations, the teachers, learning their way around. Glad it's the weekend.

That’s a lot of swimming @Hellocatshome. How much is instruction and how much stamina building? Maybe a lot of the tiredness is mental due to taking in all the new stuff. So if it’s just building their fitness back up after the summer your DS will be ok. Fingers crossed.
DS has scouts too @Taswama - also doesn’t start next week but I think that’s so leaders can meet next week to plan the term rather than anything else.
I imagine there’s a lot of unofficial “rules” like the back of the bus one - lucky your DS catches on quick @MsWalterMitty!

@Walkingbkwrm it is a lot I agree! No idea re instruction/stamina I don't watch just drop off and pick up, I try to know as little about it as possible so I'm not tempted to analyse what he's doing. I just provide the transport and the food.

Ds not starting until Tuesday so we’re still waiting patiently here, although I’ve just dropped him off at scout camp for the day & night. Glad he has Monday to just chill afterwards - will be particularly nice as dd is back that day so can spend the day with him. This weekend looks like lots of name label sewing for me!

I need some advise regarding Emanuel and their sports facilities, pls. My son is into football (kind of only sport he wants to play and is good at) and seeing that football was introduced quite recently will he be playing football each term and have fixtures? Or do they all have to do f.ex Rugby first term, hockey second and then football? Or is it all year round if you are selected for their team? Can anyone tell me a bit about it. Many thanks 😊

@Sunnyside77 you need to start a new thread

Thank you. I will do😊

The first week is always exhausting for year 7s. I also wouldn't book anywhere for October half term because they always seem to get ill around then, a bit like freshers flu as so many children from different schools mixing during their first 'flu' season it's not so bad in subsequent years.

@HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime

The first week is always exhausting for year 7s. I also wouldn't book anywhere for October half term because they always seem to get ill around then, a bit like freshers flu as so many children from different schools mixing during their first 'flu' season it's not so bad in subsequent years.

Good advice!!... Unfortunatelu we’re off to center parcs, butnhe can chill in the house as much as he wants

Good luck tomorrow for all the new starters - we need to wait until Tuesday! Hope they don’t bake from the heat in their new blazers!! Let us know how they get on, it’ll be interesting to compare what’s turning out to be straightforward or more challenging.

My dd started Friday. Big school 2300 in from 11 to 18.
She knows no one. As I sent her to my catchment school and she attended a primary near my inlaws for childcare reasons. She made friends during summer school there as they did one week. She got lost and was 20 min late for a lesson. But she had a good day.
See how it goes tomorrow.

@Simplyclean how as they rest of the week? Ours are only in form classes for form time then mixed up all day long anyway like others have said. Hopefully she's found a new friend or two.

Depends on the school how mixed up they are. From DS1’s timetable he is in his form group for everything except technology, PE and maths. Interesting that some schools mix for everything straight away. Hope mini @Simplyclean is doing a bit better though.

Here DS1 went off happily for day 2 - and DS2 cried on the way to day1 back in primary as his brother wasn’t there too ....

Good first day here. A few of the people he met at summer school are in his form and no issues with finding his way round etc. Apparently the only bad thing was the queue for the canteen and even that was worth it as the food's "loads better than primary school"