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!

@Eastie77Returns that's really harsh, my dc school gives the year 7's a bit of grace to learn their way around etc before giving out detentions for things that aren't really their fault.

Ds4 is having a whale of a time. He is especially enjoying technology and the school dinners!

Just wondering is it normal for a year 7 class to have a general TA working with the whole class (not 1-1 with a specific child). Ds4's tutor group has a TA with them all the time. Ds4's class has quite a few dc with SEN, including him. In primary school he was getting small group interventions during the day when he and another boy would go to the nurture room for some extra help. Several other children did as well. He didn't qualify for his own full time 1-1 TA so he shared her with quite a few other children and it worked really well. I was wondering if having a class TA is replacing that or if all year 7 classes have a full time TA these days? Ds is meant to be doing various interventions, forest school etc but that hasn't started yet, they normally let them settle in for a few weeks first I think.

Def no TA’s here

I don’t think there are TA’s in any of DD’s classes. If there are several children who require one they might think it’s easier to have one at all times. But it sounds as if he/she is helping the whole class rather than specific children which is definitely unusual?

Forest school sounds fab. My DC’s old primary school did this every week for the entire day throughout Reception and Y1 so the kids were only in formal school 4 days a week. It was very popular with parents although some of the kids were less keen!

DD2's school allocate TAs to be keyworkers for kids with SEN - they don't always support in-class directly (DD1 has one because she's awaiting an ASD/ADHD assessment but because DD1 is academically bright and has settled well - she keeps more of a watching brief ready to step in and support socially and emotionally if that's required, DD2 should get one allocated in the next week or so).

DD2's currently doing really well - I'm expecting her to emotionally unravel a bit in the next couple of weeks as the primary school groups break down a bit (I don't think she's quite found her tribe yet) and fatigue sets in.

Thank you. The senco said last term that she had put ds4 and his friend in a specific tutor group with a tutor who has a lot of SEN experience so I'm wondering if all or most of the children in that tutor group have SEN and that's why they have a class TA.

I'm a bit worried about ds English homework though. It was a worksheet and he has written his answers in his usual handwriting. He's made a good effort and the quantity is good but as usual with his writing I can't read most of it and I doubt the English teacher would be able to either. I wondered if should have got him to type his answers instead but I thought she needs to see his handwriting. Hoping he doesn't get into trouble for illegible homework.

I don't know if you know about this app - but Snaptype Pro is amazing for worksheet homework when a child has iffy handwriting. You can photograph the worksheet and then literally tap and type your responses in the right places on there.

DD2 used it a lot in early primary when her handwriting was still a really difficult skill for her (she's very very dyspraxic) and it was easy enough for her to work independently but did the job better than anything else I've found.

@DoNotScrapeMyDataBishes do you mind if I ask about snaptype pro?
After they have done the worksheets can they print them from there to put in folders:books?

Yep - that's what DD2 used to do with it - she took her ipad into school, did her worksheets on it, brought the ipad home to print them off and they went back into school the next day to go into books. She managed that largely independently at age 6 (printer-related gremlins permitting).

Or you can export them as a pdf to send in electronically if the school has gone all digitally fantatical

What a huuuuge change from primary. So busy, so big, so many rules, homework, strict shouty teachers (good school), my 11 year old is exhausted and feels bit daunted. When do the y7s tend to get used to this busy environment on average? I'm sure some hardy kids take to it like a duck to water but my slightly sensitive one is already feeling overwhelmed. I know her as competent and academic but she is a bit like a rabbit in the headlight.

There has been an influx of e-mails from the school. Baseline tests are coming up for Maths and a couple of other subjects for which they stream pupils. Information evenings. Homework instructions for the various sites they need to use.

@DancingQuinn it’s a lot for Y7 kids to take in. DD has taken most of it in her stride but she gets very anxious about making mistakes. We had a day of angst and anxiety after she received negative points for arriving late for a class. There is a fair bit of nervous energy. I’m hoping by half term she is calmer!

We've had a week of losing things. He came in the door one day and put his keys somewhere in the house but now can't find them. Yesterday he left his gym kit in school so he needs to find it this morning before his next PE lesson today. I'm hoping these experiences will help him to learn to check he has everything before he goes to the next place!

@DancingQuinn it is a lot for them. My son has reduced his out of school activities to give him a bit more down time. The one activity he really enjoys is staying the same since primary for consistency and give him one time in the week when he is one of the older ones.

Weve had a few emotional stress outs at home as her brain has gone into overdrive (I think she has ADHD like I do, but school says she shows no signs....) but working through them. The trampoline has taken a thrashing this week... thankfully I have sensible neighbours who don't mind 8pm jumping sessions! Extra curricular started this week and she's enjoyed that (Cooking and Rugby, she forgot to go to the other choice though!).

We had an interesting discussion on whether the "50 words" she had to write for Literature was the minimum or whether they wanted a concise statement.

Ours did CATS yesterday, which threw DD for a loop. Very different style of tests and she was wobbly that she hadn't done well last night. TBH I think it's all caught up with her a bit.

Still, she skipped off happily this morning. Lazy weekend ahead, I think!

DD does Stagecoach and football outside of school. She is doing a specific swimming course as longer term she wants to be a lifeguard. She also wants to sign up to Padel Tennis but I’ve said for now she has enough going on. The homework and expectations are ramping up and she feels overwhelmed quite easily.

Does anyone else have a year 7 that has morphed into a grumpy teenager overnight since starting school? It's like that Kevin & Perry sketch when the clock struck midnight😂 The sarcasm is off the scale. It's so unlike her! I know it's a reaction to the stress of starting school and I need to cut her some slack, but my goodness it's not making home life easy!

It's been the same here, DD is absolutely shattered and has been a bit snappy.

I think it's the stress and overwhelm of adjusting to the new environment and trying to remember everything and not be late anywhere!

I'm glad we've got the weekend to have some wind down time as I think she needs it. It's a massive learning curve for us all!

Yep, snappy, tired and sarky. Joy

Dgs1 seemed to have settled really well but there was a bit of a problem with a girl asking him out and not taking no for an answer! Her friends joined in the pressure and from what I gather it turned rather nasty but his friends both male and female, old and new rallied round and after about an hours worth of messages and apologies all seems to have been resolved and he is much happier.
Buses have been a bit of a problem on the way home as he has a number of options for his 2nd bus depending on where he is going after school (home, mine or other Nan's) and he is getting a daily text telling him where he is going, which no. buses he can catch and where each one stops! We did practice runs over the summer but unfortunately we couldn't replicate a 100 or so kids trying to catch a bus to the town centre at the same time and subsequntly having to wait for the next one then buses in the town centre being delayed/failing to turn up or sailing past his stop. He is getting home much later than expected.
No leniency for year 7 with regard to detentions, his best friend from primary earned the distiction of being the first year 7 to get a (break time) detention for being 2 minutes late and another got a lunchtime detention the next day for forgetting part of his pe kit.
Dgs volunteered to help out at the school open evening earlier this week and was proud of himself that he knew where everything was and that he was able to answer parents' questions. He learnt quickly not to ask older kids for directions after being sent to the other side of the school when he only needed to go downstairs!

Did things settle over the weekend at all? I'm really struggling with DS now. I've had untold amounts of patience for the losing things, and disorganization and tiredness and general grump but honestly I am SO stressed with it now.
Found his lunch fob today but left his blazer at school. And his uniform was a total crumpled mess as he had football after school and shoved it all in his bag. Politely suggested he could make an effort to fold it or he'd have to iron it in future and he got so fucking snarky at me.

I haven't reminded him to pack his books for tomorrow or anything so he'll either do it or he won't and deal with consequences. Or be in a mad strop in the morning because he's doing it then and is running late.

Send help. Or chocolate and alcohol.

DD is very emotional.

But I got a phone call from a teacher today to say how well she hD done in a particular lesson and how impressed with her "mature debating skills" he was.

I just need to help her find her self confidence!

DS did football training after school and definitely felt deflated. There are some great players and he didn't make an impression (he does play for a club but they're C league and hes not as great a player as he thinks/hopes he is)..

I get that everyday is hard for them right now. I do. But I'm finding it so hard to feel like he's talking to us like dirt all the time.

But then I'm shattered because I didn't sleep at all well last night. Why? Because the very same DS had a bad dream and called me out of bed last night...

DD has also treated us to stroppy behaviour, shouting and occasional tears. She is enjoying school but little seemingly inconsequential things seem to set her off.

Tomorrow is parents information evening and a presentation from the head teacher so I will get a chance to meet a few teachers.

She will be trying out for the football team. She has been playing for a local team for a while but I’m told the standard at the school is generally very high so will have to see how it goes. There are a few other sports she could try but she is very attached to a group of girls in her form and if they are not interested in trying something she won’t do it either🙄 Unfortunately DD has always been a bit of a follower but I’m hoping she grows in confidence and finds her own path.

The crumpled uniforms thrown on the floor and refusal to sort her bag out the night before (so rushing around stressed in the morning) is driving me mad.

TAs are not the norm in secondary. Most schools will have a nurture group outside of the cohort with SEN kids and those flagged by primary teachers and parents. These are usually monitored and baseline tested a bit more at this stage.

Some comfort in knowing they're all the same I think.

I think the moodiness is normal and to be expected. It’s a big change and it’s a pretty steep learning curve to find out you can be in detention from week 1 just for quite minor things. DD is doing well and seems quite relaxed but I can tell she’s peddling hard under the water to make sure she doesn’t “get it wrong”. I have told her it’s fine to make mistakes sometimes, it’s how we learn. I think she’s also aware that a selective school means an expectation of trying your best. She will be fine with that but yes, it’s a lot for them isn’t it.