Is there a Y7 2024-25 support thread?

[Eastie77Returns]

I’ve been following the 2023-24 one as DD starts secondary school this year so was interested to read about the experiences of pupils who started last September. I’m ancient and things have changed so much since I was at Secondary school. I’m already struggling to keep up with the e-mails and flood of information from her new school and the new term hasn’t even started yet!

Next week she is attending a week long summer school / transition week which I thought was a really good idea to help her get settled ahead of September but she is complaining she doesn’t want to go and it’s unfair she has to spend part of her summer holiday in school (which is fair enough). She has already spent a day at the school and came home overwhelmed saying the buildings are too big, she felt lost and lunch was rushed. On the other hand she really enjoyed the taster lessons and as she likes structure she was excited about having a timetable of different classes.

I’m sensing the months ahead might be a bit tricky and DD is my oldest so the first to attend Secondary and I’m really not sure what to expect!

We have an inset day on Monday. The rumour is that they are using it to re-set all the kids based on how they did in their exams just before half term but I’m not sure if this is true..

DD did okay in the exams considering… she missed the first two weeks of term as she was in from the waiting list and then missed just over a week because she was in hospital for a week after a major seizure. They made her do all of the exams on her second and third day back! She had missed the actual exam times which were spread out over a week. She would be really upset if she goes down.

I would hope they would take that into account but the detention she got for not completing some assessed homework that was set AND due while she was in hospital makes me think it will all be automatic (her form tutor was able to get her out of it by physically walking with her to the detention room but STILL).

I hope she gets good news @Rhayader. We were back to school yesterday after a week off, it really wasn't long enough and a busy week meant no-one really feels well rested.

I went to DD's welcome mass on the Thursday before half term and she was a reader, did ever so well so I was super proud. We were meant to have the opportunity to speak to her form tutor afterwards but, sadly, three other parents monopolised her in turn and I had to leave after 45 minutes waiting 🙄 I was particularly amused by the mother who was loudly stating that it was fine for her son to walk out of class if other people were disruptive, while my DD mouthed 'he's the disruptive one' at me.

My DD had the same in Y6. Her “friends” actually went to the teacher to say they didn’t want to be friends with her anymore, rather than just tell her to her face 🙄. Then just completely blanked her. Teacher told me directly that they couldn’t give any reason for it either. He had observed no issues with their group and he was just as baffled as we were. He was great, he picked her confidence up and actively helped her to form new friendships within the class, with children who were generally kinder. It was a tough couple of weeks for sure, but she got through it. She is happier now and looks back and sees those kids were not real friends. I realise secondary school is different and they prob wont get involved but if you give it a few weeks and think he is struggling maybe speak to the head of year. They maybe be able to observe and see if there is anything else going on.

Ah it's heartbreaking isn't it when things like this happen. Kids can say cruel things which can have a big impact.
You've done the right thing. Being positive, trying to brush off their comments and link
In with others is a good idea. Are there any lunchtime or after school clubs he can join to make other friendships?
My child's form teacher has also been really good with our year 7s and has encouraged us to get in touch with any concerns, not sure if you have someone you can get in touch with at school if things don't improve in a couple of weeks?

I would definitely encourage the lunchtime participation at clubs as you are.
It always helps to keep busy. I'm sure he will find his people. It's so hard in this first year especially. Really hope he gets on ok.

@Snowdaysandhappydays it might be worth having a call with the pastoral lead for year 7. They should be able to suggest ideas for him and support him too.

@Snowdaysandhappydays that sounds really hard. Children can be exceptionally cruel at times. I’d echo other posters and have a chat/send an email to his HOY or get in touch with the pastoral team. The good thing is I think friendships can be quite fluid at this age and he will find another circle of friends. Are there clubs like Chess or Programming that he might be into? They often attract quieter kids who prefer smaller groups to interact in and it’s easier to join in. DS is very quiet with people he doesn’t know but he flourished at Lego club and made new friends. I’m with your DS as I am quite shy and understand not wanting to join a busy/established club.

DD was picked for the football team and has a game this afternoon against a local school. The school has a series of formal test weeks coming up (seems to never end) during which the kids will have back to back tests on every single subject so she’s got some revising to get on with.

DD did really well in Cross Country today and was appalled to find out she might make the team 🤦🏻‍♀️😂 she's not very sporty but has always been a decent runner so I suspected this may happen!

🤣

Hope all the year 7s are getting on well! Is anyone else's child still having tests? I thought the sets would have all been done by now!

DD’s tests are still ongoing. She has 3 last week and another bunch this week. It seems never ending. I also thought sets were done.

Otherwise all going well. She is loving the sports activities and is on the Y7 Football and Netball teams. Seems to enjoy most subjects but is scared of her English who allegedly shouts at everyone. She doesn’t particularly like Maths but is in the top set and was selected to take part in a Maths enrichment programme for advanced pupils. It starts in January and she was not impressed to find out she will be doing a weekly tutorial.

Just come across this thread - DD started Y7 in Sept but they do tests at the end of every topic to get them used to the concept of revision "early". Apparently they even use the main hall for end of year exams (before GCSEs/A levels start) to get them used to the setup! It's going to be a long 5 years...

Funny anecdote though, DD and her friend from Y6 joined the running club at the start of term thinking it was sprinting. They were so disappointed when they discovered it was to run 5K before school 😂

Ah seems like the tests are pretty standard then. Glad kids seem to be getting on well even with extra maths or 5k before school 😂 my daughter hasn't been impressed she's been doing rugby on the frozen pitches! 😂
Other than that she seems to like most of her teachers and settled in well. Although I mainly get 'boring' when I ask how the day has been!! She's doing netball, book club and classics.

DD is off on another school trip this week... to the local race course. For Maths. I'm eagerly anticipating discovering exactly what maths they are learning there...

They have tests at the end of every topic here too.

The race course - that sounds exciting! Good they are already going on trips - mine hasn't been anywhere yet.
Guess they need to keep testing to make sure they are in the right classes- glad it's not just our school.

Grammar school here, no sets until Y8 and no proper tests until end of the school year.

DD’s school closed today due to flooding. She was delighted🙄 She has actually gone to the library with two friends, allegedly to do some homework although I’m not sure how much will get done.

No school trips here so far. There was meant to have been one earlier this month but it was cancelled due to staff shortages. DD has mentioned having supply teachers for a couple of subjects already and I wonder if there is a recruitment issue at her school as they have quite a few vacancies on line. One of my neighbours worked at the school (non teaching role) and left after 6 weeks🫤

It's parents evening tomorrow night. I can't imagine they have very much useful to say as yet but we've dutifully booked slots for all the important teachers and cancelled tennis as it clashes.

Ds had a trip come through for December for the British museum. He entered the ballot but there's only 40 places so I'm not hopeful he'll get in.

They are busy picking trips and events for enrichment week at the end of the summer term this week. They have to pick 5 or 6 activities, one if which will be a day trip to somewhere. He's got big fingers crossed for the watersports. The rest of it is either in school such as murder in the library, sports, escape room, chess tournament, board games etc or local town trips like swimming and bowling.

So DD’s online account shows a deduction for a school lunch yesterday even though school was closed and she obviously didn’t eat lunch.

There have been several occasions in the last few weeks when I’ve quizzed her about spending excessively on breaktime snacks or unhealthy things at lunch that we agreed she should limit and she has insisted she didn’t buy the things showing up on the app. I didn’t believe her as as far as I knew, payment is taken via the pupil’s fingerprint so I didn’t think it could be anyone other than her but now I feel bad, it looks as if she was telling the truth!

DD is about to start quarter 2 assessments. They have a suspended the timetable for the week! Instead of classes they either have exams or “semi supervised revision”. Full exam timetable, in exam hall conditions.

Apparently they do this twice a year and then they also have lighter touch assessments at q1 and q3.

My Y7 DS seems to have constant tests in various subjects. Anyone else's child in the same boat?

Yes. I’m wondering if it’s a good thing in the end because it helps them to consolidate information as they go along, and also by the time their GCSEs come they’ll be so used to sitting tests that it won’t feel like such a massive thing?

Constant tests for DD as well. I’m not sure what is happening with the various sets as she keeps saying so and so might be moved down/up a set in Maths because they did really badly/well in the latest test etc. My understanding was once you were in a set there wasn’t much movement but who knows.

I do agree that it’s good prep for the real thing and hopefully they do not find the concept of an exam daunting after years of testing!