Fast-forwarding to September.... at Ribston the Year 7s and Year 12s start on the first Wednesday in September, whereas the rest of the school go back on the Thursday.
Does anyone know what STR does? According to their calendar the Tuesday and Wednesday are both inset days and they start back on the Thursday. Do the Year 7s start a day early?

No, they start the same day as everyone else. However they do have the following:
In summer term they go in on a Saturday morning to pick up uniform and meet their form. A few days later they spend the day at school and take a few lessons eg PE, maths etc. They are also invited to attend sports evening. Over the summer they have an activity day when they do bonding activities. They also go away together to Stratford a couple of weeks into the autumn term.

Thanks Glos18, that's really helpful. Nice idea meeting their form when they pick up their uniform - when do they get fitted for it? I read you have to order everything in advance and blazers take a few months to make?

You get the invite for blazer fitting at the same time as your 'congratulations for getting place at STR' letter in March. I think the fittings were Mid March onwards. The activity day was around the 21st August. I think it is usually around then, so you might want to take that into account when booking your holidays, although I guess they might change it this year.

This is the info I got from Crypt when I asked:

Prior to joining us in September there is a pastoral evening in June, when parents stay with each other and students go with their tutor and others in their group.



There are two induction days in July, again when students are in their tutor groups.



Our pastoral leaders visit students in their primary schools to meet them and their teachers and get to know them a little more.



In September, there is an induction for Y7 and Y12 only, for 2 hours, again in tutor groups.



In about the 3rd week of September, Y7 go on a residential, where they have lots of time in their tutor groups doing lots of fun activities and also get to know their tutors a little better.

It sounds so lovely and well organised. Lucky kids!
Does someone know anything about Pate's induction for year 7 please?

I would be very interested to know about it.

Many thanks

Yes, my daughter is currently Y7 at Pates - From memory this is how the inducation went:
Around April/May you start getting information and have to make a decision between Mandarin or German, as this will effect which House they are in.
June - Head of Year visits children in local Primary Schools - they did a 'hub' school system last year where you were given the choice of a local school to meet at (as they couldn't physically get to the 115 plus primaries!).
July - they go in for a full induction day where they get to explore the school together and meet others.
June/July - there was a parents' information evening.
September - they started the day before the rest of the school (with Y12 too I think).
Something like that anyway!

Think I've just invented a new word *inducation* - clearly I meant induction!!

Hi. Does anyone know what is usually arranged for year 7 induction at Ribston?
Thanks

My DD is Year 8 now but from what I remember:
There was an Induction Day in July and separately there was a barbecue where pupils and parents could meet each other (I think that was before the Induction Day). They also had second- hand uniform on sale there.
At the Induction Day they were told to do everything they would on a normal school day so for example if you'd bought a bus pass for the next school year you were allowed on the bus with it just for Induction Day (I guess the A Level students must have left by then).
There was also an Induction session for both pupils and parents where we were briefed on lots of things like mobile phone policy and homework, as well as their pastoral care, which they are big on. I can't remember when this was though.
I think that was it until the start of term where they started a day before the rest of the school (see my opening post)