Starting Secondary School - tips and advice

[doodles]

Ds 1 is now year 10 and has been using the wallets since yr7 and I think they get more useful as they get further up the school where they have more hand outs etc for GCSE work so they are a really good habit to get into if dc's are willing.

[pheasantchick]

A lot of supermarkets sell school stuff leading up to September. These are often reduced by huge amounts a few weeks afterwards. Therefore, if you want to buy spare geometry sets, calculators etc, wait a few weeks and save yourself some money. Ironically, everything we have spares for, dc has never lost.

[kenyancowgirl]

Lol! Ditto us pheasantchick!! A word of caution about calculators, however...make sure you buy the one the school recommends as it means that when they are showing them new functions etc they can put it up on the screen and everyone is aiming to press the same button in the same area on the unit! Obv Ds1 lost his calculator the day before his maths exam - I hared all over town trying to find a replacement but no-one locally stocks that particular make...he then "found" it in his locker, where he had put it for safe-keeping but I did make sure to buy a spare when the Maths Department had their Y7 induction calculator geometry set sale the following year. We also invested in a spare tie and spare rugby socks...

[southbucks3]

And spare gum shield...in fact about 3 spare gum shields, stored in locker, sports bag, school bag and at home, cover all bases.

[KB]

We bought duplicates of most uniform/ sport kit from the school second hand shop for 'emergencies'.
Then returned them for resale afterwards.
Some schools will give you a % of sale price so that reduces overall cost but we saw it as a donation to the school funds having had peace of mind for the duration!

[southbucks3]

Much better than"matrons spare sock and boot box" too I am sure, I dread to think of the bacteria levels in that box, but she has saved my son's neck a few times!

[KB]

At least they aren't allowed to make you do PE in your underwear these days!

[ToadMum]

We bought duplicates of most uniform/ sport kit from the school second hand shop for 'emergencies'.
Then returned them for resale afterwards.
Some schools will give you a % of sale price so that reduces overall cost but we saw it as a donation to the school funds having had peace of mind for the duration!

Schools such as DD's which demand that the pupil's name is embroidered on most items of PE kit make this strategy a bit difficult Some named items do turn up at the second hand sale; I think I might risk the un-picking if I come across a tracksuit in the next size up, as they cost £65! DD joined the school at the end of year 7 so missed the fitting day and I was reduced to guessing the size she needed based on a friend's DD's description of what size hers was and how it fitted her.

Unfortunately, she said hers was a Small but when I spoke to her mum later (after we had had to order and pay for the wretched item), she said that it was actually a Medium. DD has been told that upwards growth - a very small amount - is permissible, any other direction is not...

[3b1g]

DS1 has lost TWO flashdrives this term. I'm starting to wish I'd bought them in bulk.

[Tinkers]

Tip I was told with flash drives/memory sticks was to have a blank word file on there with name and school name as the file name.

Won't stop someone keeping it of they wanted to but at least if they want to hand it in they know where to take it.

(Must do this with DDs )