Year 8 2025-26 support thread

[Fedupoftheshits]

Come and join here for support as our kids move from Year 7 to Year 8 in September!

Great! Thanks for setting up 😀

Thanks for starting the thread:) I can’t believe DD finishes Y7 in two weeks. She seems quite tired at the moment, has a lot going on with end of school performances, sports events and trips. Think she’s ready for the Summer break!

Signing in here since my two finally broke up yesterday afternoon and I can say I have yr10 and Yr8 kids now.

Today Ds2 admitted to feeling really quite achy and click knees etc. He's spent most of the day on roblox shouting at friends so I guess that's him taking it easy. The last couple of weeks have been full of sports and excursions, they've been incredibly active so I'm hoping it's just comedown from all that.

Today we are hiding from the rain and thunder anyway and nobody needs to move farther than the sofa (except me of course, I'm working).

I'd say roll on September and year 8 but I really don't want to wish the break away.

I hope everybody else is managing to wind down OK.

I waved DD off to Guide camp today. She had a great end to Y7, the school saved up all trips for the last week of term so it was a nice wind down for her and her new friends. I'm pleased she has finally found her feet.
Now a break before it all ramps up again...

Anyone else counting down the days until school starts?😅

DD is insisting she needs a new bag, new blazer, new everything in fact for Y8 even though her ‘old’ stuff is perfectly fine. We’ve had tantrums and stamping feet because I won’t spend £60 on a black Nike bag that is identical to the one she already has🫤 She has also refused to attend any of the sports camps she did in previous Summer breaks as they are all far too babyish for her now. Deep breaths.

A few of her friends are round this afternoon and DS is at football camp so there is relative calm at least.

My elder one is insisting that her blazer, shoes etc are "fine", whereas 12yo keeps growing out of shoes!

This is the only year they will have the same term dates (yr8 and Yr10) so I'm going to enjoy it!

It’s so hard, 12 seems to have aged out of most of the camps unless you pay for the very expensive or residential.

DS hasn’t asked for anything new, but will need stationery as his goes missing at a rate of knots!

My daughter won't go to any of the sports/activity camps anymore either!
we need to start looking at what we need 😂 haven't done anything yet!!!

Which Nike bag cost £ 60? 😮

It’s actually a ‘training bag’ that costs about £40 but she also wants new branded stationery as well that costs an additional £20 or so. She’s not getting any of it!

It's tricky, luckily we've been visiting family and she's had Guide camp so most weeks are taken up. Luckily DH is wfh so she can amuse herself but it's not ideal.
DD's into Legami pens right now, a few of her friends also collect them. I point out she's free to save up her pocket money for them, otherwise she's getting regular gel pens from me!
I need to check her uniform again before September, I had to buy her new trousers in May as her school have branded ones and hers were way too small. She may have outgrown them again already...

How’s everyone found surviving the summer?! Not long until term starts…

DD also had no interest in going to any summer holiday clubs, especially where she doesn’t know anybody. It’s been a bit frustrating as we’ve been trying to encourage her to find a hobby or a sport but she’s not up for it.

I’m hoping Year 8 gives her a bit more confidence to try some of the clubs they offer but not holding my breath.

I'm really ready for both DC to go back!

This summer break has not been great in terms of DD's activities as she hasn't done much, refused all summer camps and activities and has spent a lot of time lounging around with occasional time spent with her friends. On the one hand I think it's ok for her to have some time to just chill, on the other I remember my summer holidays were mainly spent outside and I worry about the amount of time she has just been cooped up in the house. She claims she needs to recharge her batteries before Y8...

DS has been to football/sports camps almost every day for 3 weeks which run 10 - 3pm which has meant I've had to do drop-offs and pick-ups at inconvenient times that clash with work calls, luckily I WFH and it is quite flexible.

We are actually going on holiday for a week which I'm both looking forward to and slightly dreading as they both squabble and fight so much it can be quite stressful. DD is in full on "I hate my annoying little brother" mode. DS is can be a nightmare to be fair.

This late holiday also means I need to have everything school-wise sorted before we leave as we return the day before term starts. Unlikely to happen.

Hope the return this week is going well for everyone.

DD has been looking forward to going back and headed happily this morning. There was a mini drama earlier in the week when she saw her new timetable online and had been placed in the wrong language class. Cue lots of tears and upset but sorted now. The school has also changed form groups but she's still in the same form as her bestie. We await the next big drama:)

DS is in Y5 so I'm still on the school run. Honestly can't wait until he starts secondary school as well!

Slight drama here as they've rearranged the school day and DD and her best friend no longer habe lunch or break together as Yr8 and Yr9 will not mix at all during the day. Previously they at least had break.

Shes got dance, art and food tech this term, so happy there.
Not happy she has lots of overlap in teachers with her sister so will be called the wrong name a lot as apparently the teachers can't tell a Yr8 and Yr10 apart.

Flu vaccs and school pictures on the same day today. Are they mad?

Ours don’t do school photos for year 8, only 7 and 11 I think. That is nuts!

we’ve already had the email about a trip to Belgium next year, the requests for money start early! DS is having drum lessons this year and it’s in break today, which he’s not amused about.

Ours do photos for Y7, Y10 and Y12 IIRC. We've only had a "welcome back" email so far. DD is just miffed that clubs don't start until next week, and she doesn't know what any of them are, or when they're going to be 😅
Although they did do a fire drill, on the first day, in the rain. 😂

Oh gosh yes, I was asked by Ds about clubs this morning, he said something about AV club but I was only half listening. He wants to do the Christmas performance or something and if he’s not in orchestra or choir but does AV he can still do it.

How is everyone's year 8 getting on? My DD is enjoying the fact that her class has been put in sets this year for more subjects, so classes are mixed up and she's not with the same people all the time. A lot of girl politics going on though which is tricky, but I guess it's the age for it! She's feeling under a lot of pressure to fit in with friends at the moment though - they all seem to want identical bags, PE bags, jackets and hair styles etc. I remember so well the desire not to stand out from the crowd, but wish she would have a bit more confidence in herself and be less of a sheep!

My DS went to a birthday party this weekend and got a party bag. He has an absolute blast! We didn’t have any parties last year but now the boys have got a little gang and mine is planning his birthday for April, an escape room!

homework has kicked back in, I forgot the torture of this!

My DD is noticing the uptick in homework from Y7 to Y8. The school aren't giving more per subject, but it is technically harder than Y7.
She's enjoying clubs being back on though and joined some new ones already. She got her 2nd preference for languages, she was just happy she doesn't have to continue mandarin! For context, her school do 4 languages in Y7, then they give preferences for the 2 to continue for years 8&9.

Its School Musical term, with rehearsals up to 3 times a week so the cast don't really have a chance for other clubs this term. Homework... she is looking in horror at what her Yr10 sister has.

DD also complaining about homework but is otherwise happy. I think there is also a bit of friendship drama going on. It’s hard to keep up with it all tbh.

She had to move forms as the result of some kind of mix up over language sets but is fine about it. She chose French which she enjoys but I’m a bit concerned about the quality of the teaching as I don’t think she’s making great progress. I discovered at Parents Evening that her French teacher doesn’t actually speak French(!). I speak it fluently but I’m not a teacher and my attempts to help DD with pronunciation etc have not gone down well! She wants to go to a language Summer camp in France next year so we’ll see.

It’s so hard to try and help them when it’s a skill you have!

DS1 had to do a storyboard for English, due today. We spent a frustrating hour last night while he did it. Art is not his strong point so the teacher is getting at the very least some stick figures and a detective story told over 8 boxes.