How is your year 7 doing in their local comp?

HoliHormonalTigerlilly · 2022-02-01T18:16:06+00:00

I have a really bright boy who loved learning. He's telling me he likes his school. He's still getting good grades, but I'm not feeling like he's really inspired. Is that too much to expect?

TheChip · 01/02/2022 18:19

I think year 7 is more focused on finding themselves and their place in the school. From the child's point of view anyway. There is a huge shift with kids from different schools etc.
Year 8 is when they become more settled and focused on the schooling.
Especially with so much missed lately.

Original poster

HoliHormonalTigerlilly · 01/02/2022 21:47

Good point @TheChip
I'm probably expecting too much aren't I?

OP posts:

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 01/02/2022 21:56

DD is enjoying her new school and has made some new friends. Academically she is doing well but socially struggling in the louder, mixed ability classes where behaviour isn't as good, they are too loud and she finds them frustrating.

She got into our nearest Girls school but we couldn't accept the place as we didn't receive a bursary. The school understandably decided to support the girls already at the school whose families had been hit by covid financial problems so didn't offer many yr7 bursaries this year. I still think she would have been better off at that school, smaller class sizes, single sex etc but she only has to walk 10 mins to school instead of being an hour on the school minibus and fits in with OK their students.

Zinnia · 01/02/2022 22:45

Year 7 is a funny year, my DD is Y9 now but until she had her Y7 cut in half by Covid, she was settling in slowly but hadn't yet quite found her groove. Anecdotally a lot of friends with DC at different schools, in different parts of the country in some cases, said the same.

Within a couple of weeks of being back in school in Y8 something just clicked and she was off. Don't underestimate what a massive transition it all is for them, it could well be just time that's needed.

breakdown19 · 02/02/2022 00:20

@Zinnia

Year 7 is a funny year, my DD is Y9 now but until she had her Y7 cut in half by Covid, she was settling in slowly but hadn't yet quite found her groove. Anecdotally a lot of friends with DC at different schools, in different parts of the country in some cases, said the same.

Within a couple of weeks of being back in school in Y8 something just clicked and she was off. Don't underestimate what a massive transition it all is for them, it could well be just time that's needed.

This is my ds Covid killed his opportunity to join in on anything extra curricular and now I really struggle

OP does she have friends?? That's the main one imho at y7
Inspiration comes a bit later I think

Original poster

HoliHormonalTigerlilly · 02/02/2022 11:00

He does have friends.
He's just v bright (all reports from teachers say this, it's not just my opinion).

I am worrying about whether they are stretching him enough really.

We've had just one 5 minute zoom parents meeting with his form tutor since Sept.

So all I have to go on is what he says about what he's doing. He just doesn't seem very inspired. If that makes sense?

OP posts:

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 02/02/2022 11:53

What we're you expecting in terms of inspiration? That really needs to come from him, a spark to learn more to come home and find out more about a subject.

He has been at school about 16 weeks, several of those would have been bedding in expectations and routines, assessments getting to know each other and getting the sets sorted due to not having data from Sat's.

Is he getting involved in extracurricular or taking music lessons after school?

Coughee · 02/02/2022 11:56

I'm not sure what you mean by inspired? What would that look like? My dd has settled in well, enjoys some subjects more than others and is doing well academically. Seems to particularly love English and her English teacher. I'm not sure I'd describe her as inspired though?

Trolleedollee · 02/02/2022 11:59

Really really good. Socially took a while but he has found a few nice little friends. Academically, I'm blown away. They have hit the ground running and his workbook are full, handwriting is excellent, the books are marked and he's doing some really challenging work and is really motivated in his learning. Couldn't be happier. He tells me that apart from in form and drama all the children behave really well so can't complain about that and looking at his books it certainly doesn't look like the learning is being compromised by poor behaviour.

RedskyThisNight · 02/02/2022 12:28

Moving to secondary school means they really grow up compared to primary school. I'm not sure what you mean by "Inspired" but you are fast moving towards the time where if your child grunts at you twice you will consider he is being chatty. So the fact he isn't talking excitedly about school at home doesn't mean he's not "loving learning". Particularly if he says he likes school.

The school will be bound by the curriculum, so there is a limit to how much they can stretch him, but many subjects can be tackled at multiple levels depending on your interest. If he finds the work easy, if he raising this with the teacher?

GiantSpider · 02/02/2022 12:35

If he's happy and doing well then it sounds good to me!

I have a bright year 7 boy as well. He's taking the opportunity of moving to secondary to make new friends and try things that weren't available to him at primary (playing hockey and basketball, playing a new instrument and joining the school band). At the moment those things are more exciting for him than the learning, which I think is to some extent a re-cap of year 6 to ensure that all the pupils are starting from the same base. It gets more challenging further up the school (I also have DC in year 9 and year 11).

HariboMaroon · 03/02/2022 19:04

My boy seems to have found his way. Went up on his own.

He’s in top sets, very bright, has a girlfriend (apparently they all have??) and plenty of friends. Been on a few school trips which he’s absolutely loved but does complain a lot of the lessons are “boring”. Death by PowerPoint I think.

Today his tutor rang and apparently he was involved in some sort of scuffle with another boy at lunchtime but I don’t think it was anything major as usually they’re friends.

A few online dramas but having worked in secondary schools there does seem to be a lot of drama in year 7. They settle down a bit until year 9 (horrific) and then become lovely young adults in year 10/11.

massiveblob · 04/02/2022 23:27

Mine is loving it. Academically I'm not too fussed right now. Doing loads extra curricular,making friends, finding feet etc

DaisyWaldron · 04/02/2022 23:33

He's doing fine. Bringing friends home after school, occasionally getting into trouble for forgetting things, has worn through a pair of shoes and lost a tie, joined a couple of clubs and brought home a certificate for getting one of the best reports in his year. He's enjoying more specialised science lessons, and is enjoying English a lot more this year because he really likes his teacher.

MrPickles73 · 05/02/2022 07:53

Do you mean he's not sufficiently challenged? Are they streamed for subjects or are they all mixed ability?

Hersetta427 · 05/02/2022 10:17

I think you may have slightly high expectations of what year 7 is about. He is happy, settled and doing well. I think that is all they expect - lots of children struggle with the transition to secondary school. Do they set classes at all? The school may not have been able to run a full range of extra curricular activities so as things return to normal, more may be on offer.