Y7- 2023/24 support thread

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Hi, just dropping in a thread for those of us who have kids starting secondary this coming September. There was a lovely thread going last year and they are carrying it on into Year 8, so here is a place for us the year behind.

How is everyone feeling as they finish Primary and prepare for Secondary?

Dd is moving from a single form entry "family feel" type cosy Primary into a large 8 form entry, multiple building secondary. She's going alone, her primary class are really split up across multiple secondaries.

The transition days helped, and she is excited,but has been really sad this weke saying her goodbyes

Is everyone prepped for uniform etc?

That's great if you have a local dentist! All ours have closed down and we only gave emergency dental services. Also the school stipulate the gum shield supplier as it is branded with their logo!

@Walkingbkwrm he only did two days in the end (was booked for three, camp runs all week) but he was exhausted yesterday morning, so we decided to can the last day. He was torn though, because he had really enjoyed it!

DS had shin pads and a gum shield at his last school, so we have those already - though I suspect I need to remould his gum shield. I’m always amazed he can tolerate it… I certainly couldn’t cope with it!
I don’t know how much he will need it, though they definitely play rugby and hockey at some point. Neither the gum shield nor shin pads were specified on the uniform list (but metal stud boots were 🤔 you’d think shin pads would therefore be a necessity)

@FawnFrenchieMum good luck with your shopping trip for the last bits!

Hi all, I hope I can join in. DS is starting next week, and I am starting to get very nervous - no communication from the school since the end of term. We still haven't quite figured out a lot of the logistics. Is it safer to carry keys/bus pass in blazer or bag? Don't know how to tie a tie. Haven't even thought about the gum shield mentioned above. Does he just go to school on the first day and that's it? Will it all work itself out?

Re keys and bus pass - if you consider which of the blazer or the bag is more likely to be left behind on the bus...? Ours are all past secondary school now, but with DS1 in particular, enquiring about and (luckily, in most cases) retrieving school bags of various descriptions from local bus companies' lost property offices did wonders for expanding my friendship group, so to speak.

Blazers, never.

DD did go through a phase of leaving her house keys attached to random computers in school, though, as they were on the same ring as her memory stick

Ah, thanks @MarchingFrogs for the tip. And I just noticed that the blazers have an interior pocket with a zip, so it looks like the optimal place to store those things. I don't fancy going to the bus company lost property office!

With 1 week to go I've finally persuaded DD to start on the pre-reading materials the school sent over Sunmer. We have negotiated and agreed on 10 mins per subject per day.

DS is going from a small 1 form entry school to a 7 form & 6th form school. He knows one person from school and then 2 from Scouts so it will be a massive change for him.

He is currently at Scout Camp at which he is one of the youngest so I'm hoping spending a couple of days with older kids will help with next week's transition.

Good luck to everyone for the next couple of weeks

We haven't been asked for gum shields, so hoping that means we won't 😂 Shin pads is still on my list

@Aigh are you sure nothing sent out?
Checked junk mail? Ours have clip on tied and blazers are secure storage.. never take them off.

We need nothing specified like that stuff for PE - everything's bought and sorted out for DD1 now, although she's now been accepted onto the ASD assessment pathway so we've got a couple of years in limbo waiting for that to be arranged, but the SENCO is aware of it and that her behaviour has escalated as the first day moves nearer and nearer (this is the typical pattern for DD1's behaviour - she will be very very challenging at home from now until Tuesday the she starts). The last minute purchase was some cheap earphones that they ask them to have in their bags for IT lessons etc rather than having school ones that just get destroyed constantly.

We don't have to worry about buses - well it would be easier if we did, as there's no bus route from here to the school (we moved after applications went in) so it's going to be parental taxis required and a grim year of split school runs until DD2 goes up to secondary next year.

We have plenty (too much actually) of information from the school but I'm hoping for a welcome email explaining exactly what will happen on the first day - I guess I can't imagine how the school is going to herd everyone inside if we're not sure which gate, to use or which tutor group they are in, whether they need PE kit on the first day (I'm guessing not?) etc. I'm sure the school knows what they are doing though!

Ours is only open to Y7 on the first day (Tuesday). Everyone spends the day with their tutor group. We had a letter a month ago with a "Hi I'm your tutor" type info sheet in.

No PE kit required.

Then Wednesday whole school in, but again all Y7s spend the day with their tutor group.

Normal timetable (incl PE if scheduled) starts Thursday

Ours go in 90 min before the rest of school

Ours go in a day earlier (just Y7 and new 6th form students) and they know they need to go wait in the dining room for their tutors. Also that they need a packed lunch the first day as not everyone is going to be set up for dinner payments by then... the communication's been pretty good to be fair on them.

Just year 7 and year 12 first day (Wed) for us too. They've been told morning doing some kind of scavenger hunt to really get to know the school and then lessons in the afternoon. Can't believe it's only a week now. To be fair, DS currently pretty chilled, it's me that's nervous for him!

One week to go until the first full day! Also my DD’s first day at her new school. My nerves are really starting to kick in now! But DS still seems reasonably relaxed at the moment.
2nd hand shop has just reopened so I need to try and get a couple of sports kit bits I’m still missing.

What does everyone have planned this weekend? I think we are going to keep it pretty quiet…

Our school is just Yr7 on Weds, Yrs 7, 11, 12 & 13 on Thurs, then whole school on Fri.

DD had her best friend for a sleep over last night and they were both talking about how nervous they are. They've agreed to meet on the first day to walk in together. They are in the same form group so hopefully things will go ok.

I know from regularly driving past the secondary on my way to work that there are ofter teachers, HOYs and the deputies or head teacher standing outside the gates to give support / direction / chivvy along.

Last weekend I was feeling very emotional about it but I've calmed down as the week has gone on.

Uniform wise we have everything except shirts! The shirts we bought that fitted at the beginning of the hols are too tight. I'm collecting an online order of shirts today. Also DD is not happy with her blazer so we need to go back to the suppliers and try on a smaller one to see if she is happier with that.

Stationery we have been buying over the hols so think we're sorted.

The school gave the kids homework for the hols at the transition assembly: demonstrating how you meet the 6 core values of the school and providing evidence. DD has two of the values left to do. Anyone who doesn't do the homework has to stay behind to complete it on the first day.

DD's best friend lost her homework booklet but luckily DD's dad (who is a bit OCD) had photocopied DD's booklet so we've been able to give best friend that!

Oh my goodness @gingeristhenewblack43 that sounds really harsh! The kids who don't have parents pushing them to do it are set up for disaster on the first day poor kids.

DD starts on Tuesday. No Yr 7/12s only everyone starts at the same time at the same day. I'm surprised to hear everyone's starting a day earlier or maybe two!

Stationary and bags sorted. I need to go in to collect the last bits of uniform from the supplier but the overall for art/science is out of stock and probably won't be available until early next week. Hopefully she won't need it for the first week.

But other than that, I think we're all sorted!

Is anyone else finding the school requirements and rules extremely strict? Have to take stationary I get but must include whiteboard markers? All stationary checked every morning, if anything is forgotten it must be purchased from school that morning and if they forget anything 3 times in a year it's same day detention!

Wow!! Not had anything like that from our secondary!

I'm hoping we've seen the back of whiteboard markers. Bliddy stuff never washes out!

Starting on Weds with Yr12 and everyone else back Thurs here too. DS2 is sad (and I’m a bit worried) about this as it means he can’t walk in with his brother on the first day. We have practiced the route but still. Anyone else nervous about them getting to school ok?

No holiday homework here thank goodness - DS2 is now refusing to discuss school at all, getting him to do it would have been interesting!

I really hope his uniform still fits and he hasn’t grown in the last month. When did you check @gingeristhenewblack43 ?

@MumSi87 that sounds like a nightmare- how much time must checking all those pencil cases take every day too! Mind you, our stationary requirements are pretty vague and do not include some things that DS1 did in fact need a year or two ago so at least you are clear on what they want.

@Walkingbkwrm didn't even think about uni fitting still!!! So focused on everything else! I think it's great we have a list (however long) it's just the must purchase on the day and detentions! Tbh the school has changed so much since we put the application in its not the same school. I've already had 2 battles with them over educational needs etc. I hope it calms down when the school year starts

I bought the uniform with the prerequisite that I wanted blazer sleeves down to her ankles (the uniform supplier moderated that requirement down somewhat) so it had better bloody fit still! Bit worried about this school buildings thing since our entire school is a 1960s falling apart at the scenes concrete thing (they're building an entire new school over the course of the next year) - trying not to panic until I know if I need to but the fear of online learning still looms large!

We had a reminder about equipment needed the other day - no really outlandish requirements but one that might have caught some out was a pair of cheap earphones to plug into school IT when needed, and the model of scientific calculator they've specified has been discontinued - I'll leave that one for the Maths department to figure out and work out what their alternative is going to be (or if they've bought some in and can sell them on to the kids).

I picked our school specifically because they're the least stroppy and quick to go to detentions school locally - DD1 will be OK, but DD2 will follow next year and she's likely to get so anxious about having everything and not be told off, that she'd learn nothing and forget everything she needs to bring because she's so busy trying to remember it. Our most local school with the best academic results is usually in the news for sending half the kids home on day 1 for falling foul of constantly changing uniform rules - and we wanted to avoid that!

@Walkingbkwrm I did a full uniform try on on Monday. Ordered the next size up in shirts and collected Tues. They didn't fit either. Ordered more Tues and collected today. Not tried them on yet!

We've been back to the school suppliers today to try on the size down blazer. The arms fit but it's too tight across the middle. DD has decided to stick with the blazer she has which is too long in the arms.