Secondary school visits

[andyb]

My DS didn't have such a great day. He felt everyone had friends from other schools and he didn't. A hard evening telling him it will be OK.

DS2 started off by saying the other boys from his primary were all put into form groups in pairs apart from him and he wished he wasn't on his own, but buddied up with a couple of other boys and was really positive about the day. I think it's bit of a security blanket having someone you know in the form to start with as it all seems quite daunting, especially as they go to induction day in primary school uniform so the odd ones out are easily spotted, but come September, after the long summer break, when they are all kitted out in the new uniform, primary school will be in the distant past.

DS1 started Y7 in the same form as a boy from primary but apart from lift sharing (for our convenience) they had little to do with each other in school and new friendships were made very quickly. It will be OK .

[wodev]

My DS didn't have such a great day. He felt everyone had friends from other schools and he didn't. A hard evening telling him it will be OK.

My DD attended the SWBGS induction day and had a great time. The headmaster gave them all a task in his speech at the start of the day to "buddy up" with someone that was not from their school. Seemed to work quite well. SWBGS also do a week-long summer induction camp at the start of the summer school hols which breaks even more ice.

He will be just fine, just listen to him and empathise, then encourage. Try and find others from the same school and arrange a play date or two. The school may be able to help with names of people local to you.

[jabba7]

Thanks for all the kind words. I know he will be OK just hard seeing him so upset when they work so hard to get there.

[faitaccompli]

Mine enjoyed himself - to the point that he told me he doesn't need me to come with him in September on his first day - so that is positive. Mind you, he is pretty independent so I had not expected a problem. He also came back with a library book which I thought was an interesting idea - book on architecture (he wants to be an architect). They were offered books btw - he didn't just "obtain" it!

The buddy idea was not that well adopted in his class - he did not come away knowing any new children at all - there were no children from his school in his class either, but one of his football team was there, so they stuck together most of the time and then met up with his existing school friends for lunch.

However, the end of the day was a shambles - with the parents leaving the headmaster's address to meet up with the children at exactly the same time as the school's 1000 students finished their day. It was pouring with rain, there was not enough room for everyone to stand under the shelter, children were coming from every angle and I was there for 15 minutes trying to find my child! Perhaps next year they could finish half an hour early and avoid the chaos ...

[wodev]

Mine enjoyed himself - to the point that he told me he doesn't need me to come with him in September on his first day - so that is positive. Mind you, he is pretty independent so I had not expected a problem. He also came back with a library book which I thought was an interesting idea - book on architecture (he wants to be an architect). They were offered books btw - he didn't just "obtain" it!

The buddy idea was not that well adopted in his class - he did not come away knowing any new children at all - there were no children from his school in his class either, but one of his football team was there, so they stuck together most of the time and then met up with his existing school friends for lunch.

However, the end of the day was a shambles - with the parents leaving the headmaster's address to meet up with the children at exactly the same time as the school's 1000 students finished their day. It was pouring with rain, there was not enough room for everyone to stand under the shelter, children were coming from every angle and I was there for 15 minutes trying to find my child! Perhaps next year they could finish half an hour early and avoid the chaos ...

DD came away with "White Fang" by Jack London, because she wants me to get a huskie. Go figure. Turns out she is in the same form class as her best friend that she was in nursery with many moons ago. Small world.

Agree about the chaos at the end. But all in all I enjoyed the day and the tour around a "working" school as opposed to the sanitised version you get on open evenings.