Hows your lo's first term at secondary school gone then? Did you choose the right school?

[MaureenMLovesmincepies]

Just wondering, as you do! Its that time of year when you start reflecting. Remember this time last year, when we were all worrying about 'big' school and whether our first choices were really the right one?

Well, I'm thrilled! DD got her first choice, even though we agonised over it for weeks and it couldn't have gone better.

I think she's almost skipped to school from day one and still loves it. The work is just right and she's made loads of new friends. She's had a letter home already, congratulating her on her hard work, signed by the Head Teacher. Everything is tickety boo!

She's gone in for her last day today and the teachers are performing High School Musical for an end of term treat! Even the Head Teacher has a part!

It's gone well for dd (and me!) the school did a good job of settling them in, and fostered good relationships with the 6th formers who take them under their wing. Dd a bit wary of the 14-16 year olds, but has made new friends in her year and has taken to the work well, think she was ready to be stretched a bit with a wider range of subjects.

So very pleased.

I don't know tbh. We didn't really have a huge choice. Ds1 went to the local comp, although there is another comp a bit further away that I preferred but we could not be sure of a place there so we played safe.

How do you gauge these things? Ds1 is happy, enjoys school (apart from his German teacher who sounds like a martinet - great from our POV as parents, but not yet appreciated by ds1!) and he seems to be behaving himself which is important to me and dh. He was awarded a certificate for outstanding achievement in Humanities which was a surprise and very exciting.

But, the school is still only a comp and does not seem to have high expectations of work. Also, it has done nothing as far as I can see to develop my son's wider attributes. I have read posts this term by other Mumsnetters with Year 7 children and felt outright jealousy of what their children might achieve in their better schools.

I truely believe that with the right support at home, children will be just fine whereever they go to school. There's obviously some encouragement in the certificate he got, so as long as he keeps it up, he knows he'll get rewarded. If he's a good kid to start with, he'll know what he's got to do, to get the grades for his chosen career one day.

DD is at the local comp too, although we do have the added bonus that it has a grammar stream, so the harder she works the more chance she has of moving into Grammar. She's been put into the shaddow class, so thats a start.

Yes I agree with you Maureen. But I also have my own experience to go by. I was a bright kid who went to the local comp and sadly, I lost all motivation after a couple of years and messed up all my education from then on. I worry my son (well, he is my son after all!) will do the same.

But for the moment, he is happy and I was pleased to see today when he went in for his last morning in school, he took some Christmas cards he had written and there were some new names on the envelopes and that pleased me (he is a shy boy). So from the pov of his happiness and social life, the first term has been good.

Jolly good. Lets met up again in a years time when they turn into snotty teenagers and see if we still feel the same!

Next year? You mean you are not already experiencing the delights of having every question you ask answered with a "Harumph!" and no further information offered?

Well yes, but I'm still burying my head in the sand, in the hope that it will go away!

I'm very happy that we chose the right school. DD has made a huge number of new friends and after the initial irritation of all the teachers asking her if she was ds's sister has settled in well and secretly quite likes having a big brother there. We've had one or two wobbles over work - she's trying hard, but has been put onto learning support which we were hoping she would manage without. She's in a class with a fair few very able children which I hope will spur her on rather than discourage her.

We had no choice really as there is only one local school (10 mins walk). His prm school class went up together except for 2 or 3 of them. All schools here (except Church schools) are local comps of varying standards, but our nearest is a good one. It is huge tho so DS has been a bit overwhelmed at times. No older teenagers (15+)to contend with as they are accomodated elsewhere. Basically things are OK but he has too much homework (more than older brother) and finds it hard to organise his books & equipment. Got a detention for having the incorrect socks for PE one day- that upset him. He has made a couple of new friends, and one enemy, think things will be OK for him though.

DS got a place at a foundation school 5 miles away with 2 other from his primary.

On the plus side, the pastoral care at the school is excellent. He has a lot of homework but is being stretched, which I am pleased as he is on the G&T register, but also on the SEN register for dyslexia.
They have treasure hunts round the science department and lots of clubs.
We have had a meeting with the SENCO and his teachers are taking into consideration his problems with spelling.
The school does a lot of fundraising for charity and the teachers put on a Strictly Come Dancing for Children In Need then repeated it again for the parents as it was so successful.

On the negative side DS did have problems with his primary friends who started making him the but of their jokes and calling hims stupid and idiot, running away from him and hiding.
Then got mugged in the park 3 times by a boy from another school , thankfully we managed to find out who he is and got the police involved. I am hoping that has now been sorted out.

Because of all this DS decided that he didn't want any friends and kept himself to himself and said he didn't want friends .

But last week the top set had an overnight trip to the German Xmas Market in Lubeck and he had a brilliant time. It sounds like he has made up with his old friends and made some new friends, so fingers crossed that he is happier .

His aim for the year was to get 300 merits for the governors certificate at Prize giving and he is half way there, so very proud of him.

DD has just phoned me to say she got a certificate for x amount of merits. I couldn't quite hear how many she had to get, but she was pleased and only one other in her class got one! She's finished for the term now and has gone off shopping with her new friends, who I'm told are all coming back here in a couple of hours for tea and cake!

DS1 went to the high school in the next town. It always gets good results and he has had a lot of homework. They treat them as adults; but I was a bit sad that they don't seem to celebrate Christmas - no tree or parties I threatened ds1 that I was going to ring up the school and sing "Do they know it's Christmas"

He seems fine but as it's a high school he is 14 and now at that grunting not talking stage. We were sent a postcard telling us of his excellent progress in D&T.

The right choice, I think. She's loving the work - it's very challenging and she's finding it exciting to write essays and to think hard about things - although it came as a shock not to be among the cleverest in the form! She's also enjoying new games - she hasn't played hockey before. And she can't get over having an art room instead of a corner of the classroom! She's found making friends a bit more difficult - she said sher expected the work to be a problem and friendships atraightforward but it's turned out to be the other way round. Still, after a rocky couple of weeks, last week was much better and she's going shopping on Friday with three new friends to celebrate her birthday, so, fingers crossed, she's turned the corner.

Oh dear - I killed the thread again!

Not killed the thread Seaker, I am still reading with interest!

Glad to hear another one is going well. Its a learning curve for us, as much as them I'm finding. I feel complete out of control, when she says she's going out with friends that I don't know! DD has finished now for Christmas, so I keep loosing control of the PC! Thank god she's getting her own for Christmas. 6 days and this one will be all mine!

I definitely chose the right school for my DS2. I thought he would be like his brother and be passionate about rugby - but he joined the choir instead. His games teacher said in his report that he is too polite on the rugby pitch. I would rather he had manners than cauliflower ears. He does tend to be fairly quiet with people he doesn't know well (he is one of those children who would very happily sit on his own at the back of the class and would never put up his hand) but he's got a very dry and wicked sense of humour which is totally lovely. The teachers seem to have understood him well, very quickly. At his old primary school he was so quiet he fell under the radar and I swear that it was only in the last couple of terms that his teacher - who he had for 2 consecutive years - properly knew who he was and even then he didn't really get a good handle on him (he is very good at slipping under the radar).

I am so pleased with dd's school, definitely the right choice. Her lessons sound great, she is involved with a lot of clubs, has loads of merits and loves it.

Have also got so much support from dd's tutor - she has a bit of friend trouble, with one of her friends sending dd bitchy emails. The tutor was so supportive and looked out for dd without 'molly coddling' her.

When I met tutor at parents' evening he said he used to work a Cheltenham Ladies College, and much prefered this school as it was more inclusive, had a better atmosphere and students seemed happier!!

I still cannot quote believe that I have a child at senior school, though. Bless my daughter, she has made me so proud

another good term here too

dd loves it and has had loads of merits, certificates and prizes. (they definitely believe in 'carrot' not 'stick' )
dd came home delighted on Tuesday as in the end of term reward assemby she was made Head Girl of year 7!

she was not popular at primary school and has treated new friendships with caution, but the same names seem to be cropping up and hopefully these new friendships will develop.