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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Is there a Y7 2024-25 support thread?

323 replies

Eastie77Returns · 27/07/2024 08:40

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!

OP posts:
Rhayader · 14/12/2024 20:59

DD’s school suspended the regular timetable and had an exam timetable instead.

Exams were in exam conditions, anyone caught talking etc had an SLT detention!

Is there a Y7 2024-25 support thread?
scissy · 14/12/2024 22:11

Wow that's an impressive setup @Rhayader. DD's homework recently had been mostly "revise for test" with the list of topics and then they just do it in a random lesson. So I guess it's helpful as she HATES the concept of revision, so it's to help her learn it's not a waste of time early on. Or something.

DD's school hosts PGCE students on placements for the local university, so she's used to having teachers swapped in (although the usual teacher is in the room at first from the sound of it)
She often prefers the students!

Rhayader · 14/12/2024 22:22

scissy · 14/12/2024 22:11

Wow that's an impressive setup @Rhayader. DD's homework recently had been mostly "revise for test" with the list of topics and then they just do it in a random lesson. So I guess it's helpful as she HATES the concept of revision, so it's to help her learn it's not a waste of time early on. Or something.

DD's school hosts PGCE students on placements for the local university, so she's used to having teachers swapped in (although the usual teacher is in the room at first from the sound of it)
She often prefers the students!

DD was given an exam summary for each exam with the time allowed, marks for each part, topics that “would”, “might” and “wouldn’t” be on the test. They were given access to loads of revision materials on the intranet but were not forced to do them (just encouraged).

DD took it quite seriously but she’s only had two paper’s marks back so I don’t know if her sets will move that much yet. Just the Spanish writing/reading paper and RE which are weirdly in the same set for timetabling reasons…

They apparently do this heavy testing twice a year and more light touch tests twice a year where they do have them in exam conditions but they don’t move the sets.

I think it’s good to get them used to the concept of revision early on but this does feel extreme. They had an assembly on different revision techniques which DD took to heart. She made up a song to remember some of the geography concepts and lots of spaced repetition for maths and science.

IhaveaYP · 15/12/2024 13:37

So we received a report from school with achievement and effort grades. Achievements based on ongoing tests and ranked the students in their year and were given a number.

Never heard of ranking in secondary school. Is this the new normal? DS now feels he's not good enough

rustyearlier · 15/12/2024 14:06

@IhaveaYP The ranking and number sounds really weird! And to compare herself within the spectrum of everyone - how do those who came bottom feel! Does not sound like a good system. we had something a bit like this based on teachers awarding "points" for certain criteria (creativity etc) and my DD felt she'd let herself down, but when we discussed it I think the criteria are fairly randomly awarded e.g. people who answer more questions in class (picked to answer) get awarded a point, so it's quite arbitrary and in some ways unfair! In maths she only got a good (silver) but her recent test she came top of her class (of the top set she's in) so it all seems quite off and a bit random. I'd tell her not to worry and focus on her work, point out all the good things she got. Also maybe it's a bit early in the year - they might put them as "lower" so by the end of the year they can move them up against progress charts to show "progress". I don't particularly like it as a system to be honest.

Pascha · 15/12/2024 17:18

Ours are ranked in quartiles:
Mastery - top 25% of the year group
Secure - next 25%
Developing - next 25%
Emerging - bottom 25%

Its nonsense in many respects. Ds2 got mastery in music so the top quartile, despite having almost no musical knowledge whatsoever. I think that says more about the general musical knowledge of this cohort than ds's own musical ability.

Ds1's year group were told that since more than half of the year group were within 10 marks of each other for the History assessment, they've had to take some info from last year to differentiate between them. It's pointless.

scissy · 15/12/2024 17:31

@IhaveaYP That sounds grim. DD's school deliberately doesn't give them attainment "scores" in the first term of Y7 for the reasons @Pascha describes above (plus the school seems to do it against their flightpath targets so there's no useful data to go on at this stage?).
Whilst it does mean you're a bit clueless on that front at this point, for the beginning of Y7 I don't mind, I'd rather just know that as far as they're concerned she's meeting their expectations for learning attitude and homework!

Rhayader · 15/12/2024 18:17

Our school do rank but only to place kids in sets. They don’t tell kids how they ranked bur they know what set they are in for each subject so could work out their placement in that sense. They also know their grade which is based on the gcse grades, so 6- in yr7 is equivalent to a 9 in GCSE yr11 and a 2- in y7 is a 4 in yr11.

They call the groups “advanced” (on track for 8-9), “higher” (5-7), “core” (3-4) and “nurture” (1-2).

IhaveaYP · 15/12/2024 23:14

So it seems that some schools do seem to put them into groups of some sort. Strangely DS's school don't put them into sets until Y8 in maths only. It's a grammar school but I expect there is still a wide range of abilities.

Pascha · 16/12/2024 07:21

@IhaveaYP ours is a grammar too and they don't set til year 10.

Snowdaysandhappydays · 16/12/2024 21:47

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arinya · 16/12/2024 22:51

I would 100% go straight to the head of year about all of this, first thing tomorrow morning. And screenshot the proof of the WhatsApp group if you can.

IhaveaYP · 16/12/2024 23:26

@Snowdaysandhappydays my heart breaks for your son. I would email the form tutor in the first instance but cc in the head of year as well as pp has suggested. This needs to get resolved asap

HollyIvie · 16/12/2024 23:44

This is heartbreaking and unacceptable. I would be speaking directly to the form tutor to get some kind of discrete help or support in place - this behaviour could be classed as cyber bullying. I hope it all works out!!!

Snowdaysandhappydays · 17/12/2024 08:14

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Withdrawn at poster's request

rustyearlier · 17/12/2024 11:11

@Snowdaysandhappydays your poor DS. We have had something similar. I think it does take a bit of time to settle though. Is there another local school you could put him on the waiting list for? I enquired with a local one and they said it's pot luck who gets a place, there were a lot of people on the list but there's no need to accept the place if when their name gets drawn you don't want to take it? So in that sense it might be worth applying and waiting and having it as an option b if things don't work out at the current school - it could be months before you might get a place anyway - so could be used as a back up option perhaps?

Original poster
Eastie77Returns · 17/12/2024 11:31

@Snowdaysandhappydays I'm so sorry to read this. It sounds absolutely hearbreaking for you and your DS. Please go to the school with a screenshot of that awful WhatsApp group as this is serious bullying and needs to be nipped in the bud. DD is in several group chats and I monitor the conversations as I'm really concerned about cyberbullying. It's insidious in that it follows a child home and permeates all areas of their lives whereas at least in our day (or my day, I'm old!) it was confined to the school as we didn't have phones.

I understand why your DS thinks it's too late to make new friendships but it really isn't. Friendship groups are still so fluid in these early months and it can take time for him to find his tribe. That said, I'd also take on board some of the other advice about considering another school if you think he'd benefit from a fresh start and/or this school does not put the support he needs in place.

OP posts:
Pascha · 17/12/2024 11:41

@Snowdaysandhappydays your poor DS. Is it one or two kids stirring things up or more than that? I know one boy in Ds2 year who has changed Form and House to avoid something similar. He's been moved to the other side of the year group so he doesn't have any linked classes and almost no contact. I don't know if it will work though.
Please do show school every single thing that comes up so they are aware. The right friend group is out there for him, I'm sure.

Snowdaysandhappydays · 17/12/2024 11:59

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

rustyearlier · 17/12/2024 12:07

@Snowdaysandhappydays we have had a fairly similar situation with DD. One thing I have realised is she reflects back to us our feelings and thoughts and what we say about the school as a whole. I realise that things are not perfect but we've noticed that when we big up the school (go on about what a great school it is, how well she is doing in lessons, how the teachers absolutely seem great and want to support her) she seems to fare a hell of a lot better and be positive about the school experience. On the other hand if me and her dad go on about how annoyed we are with the school, other children and so on, how crap it is or badly it has dealt with XX, she seems to take it on and hate school even more. I wonder if this approach might help you. By all means support her in sorting out the bullying issues, complain to school etc but try to keep your thoughts about school and what's going on a bit separate and private from her so she realises she is being supported but doesn't get more anxious and hate school more. All the while stressing the positives of the situation and school on the other hand. Not sure if it will help you but we've noticed a world of difference with this approach here. Hope it is helpful!

Tiswa · 17/12/2024 12:12

@Snowdaysandhappydays I am so sorry we had an awful year 6 as well with friendships being a factor in it and chose a particular school bexause of it

changing classes or schools are definitely options

Original poster
Eastie77Returns · 17/12/2024 13:08

Oh yes DD’s Y6 was dreadful. There were issues with both pupils and parents. At one point the headteacher considered getting the police involved. DD was not directly involved with all the drama but it still impacted her.

Almost every child in her class went to one particular secondary. I deliberately chose a different one as it was time to break the unhealthy dynamic she had developed with some of her classmates. DD was devastated as she wanted to go to that school with her bestie but several months on and she is happy in her new school. I bumped into the mum of the bestie who said most of the class have gone their separate ways in the new school and formed new friendships and the terrible old Y6 cliques are no more.

OP posts:
Snowdaysandhappydays · 17/12/2024 13:18

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

rustyearlier · 17/12/2024 14:28

just sending solidarity for everyone struggling a bit with bullying issues now and in year 6 last year. Sounds like it is super common. One thing I have realised since DD went into year 7 is that kids can be just as awful as in year 6. This age seems to be peak meanness in lots of children and set off all sorts of tribalist bullying nastiness. I keep telling DD it's not about her but about them - they are the ones with the problem - and these things will ease off as she grows up. Kids can be so nasty!

HollyIvie · 18/12/2024 00:04

I'm glad the school are looking into this and hope a solution is found. It's horrible for your child to feel like this. It's a real struggle when your child is unhappy and you can't help.
Hopefully the Christmas holidays will give time to reset. I think all the kids are a bit tired after this term.
Cannot believe the kids have been in their new schools since September! Gone very fast!!!