Preparing for secondary school

General forum for Secondary Education

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now
Grace

Preparing for secondary school

Post by Grace »

Our son has a place at a Bucks Grammar school (after an appeal).

Does anyone have advice on things it would be helpful for him to have experienced or learnt in the next 6 months ?
I am continuing to kick him out into the big wide world as much as possible but was wondering if there was anything else people may have wished they had done earlier.

Grace
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

Hi Grace

My children have yet to make the transition (grrrr! - well done on getting the appeal!), but at their Prep school the school routine is very similar to that of a senior school from year 5 - moving from room to room for different lessons. Apparently the GS Heads can always tell the ex-Prep School kids because they are so much better organised from day one.

So, my hot tip would be encouraging personal organisation - make sure he packs his own school bag and his own kit bag every day/week and takes the responsibility for not forgetting anything. (And copes with the consequences when he does forget something!)

Also, looking at the kids pouring out of our local GS this afternoon and spilling all over the road in front of my car without a care in the world, road safety!

Sally-Anne
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

Can he organise his homework and organise his bag?

Many Primaries are good at getting pupils moving round - some even set and get them to experience different teachers.

Make sure he does the journey on Induction Day don't be tempted to take him or pick him up -


Sally-Anne - I've never heard that one about Prep school pupils - the way I spotted them was things like asking how much a print out of their Maths work in the ICT room would cost!!
Guest

Post by Guest »

Our son started grammar school last year and is not the most organised person in the world. To begin with he had a bag for his books and a separate bag for PE/games. Very quickly he'd lost almost an entire PE kit, a pair of football boots and two coats! My advice would be to provide him with a bag big enough to carry absolutely everything (including a winter coat). The bag might be almost as big as him, but at least he doesn’t loose things anymore :-)
jah

Post by jah »

Familiarity with the area around their new school. I was bussed to secondary school, as it was 8 miles from my home. Take the opportunity to visit the area and walk around the streets; check where bus stops are; find out fares ( I took school bus so needed to pay on public bus if I stayed for after school activities); how long it takes to walk to and from bus stop; what times the public busses are.

My daughter goes to school only about 3 miles from home; but it's 2 buses if she misses the school bus or stays late. (Theoretically she could walk it in 3/4 hour, but not laden down with all the luggage!!!) Make sure your son can do the connection if this applies in your case. Where to cross road safely at this point in journey.

Make sure your son can unlock front door!! My daughter had never done this before, and had to learn to undo chubb before Yale!!

Make sure your son knows someone whom he can trust who lives locally if he is sent home during day. This can happen if there are severe weather conditions and schools call busses early. I made sure that I was always in when my daughter got home for at least the first term of year 7, but after that she was confident enough to enter an empty house. Knowing a safe neighbour meant she had someone to go to if she felt there was anything wrong about the house. Thankfully she has never had to do this.
jah

Post by jah »

Tip for girls. Get them a bumbag for keeping money, keys, smart cards, bus passes etc. My daughter used to keep all this in blazer pocket, but didn't have to wear blazer in summer, and now in year 10 doesn't wear blazer at all. Plain black bumbag blends with uniform and keeps everything safe and on her person. Not officially part of school uniform, but has never been told not to wear it in 3 1/2 years.
guest4

beyond 11 plus

Post by guest4 »

It will be strange letting our children head off to school by themselves when only a few weeks earlier we were dropping them to the gates of their primary. It is quite weird at this stage now that the excitment of getting a place is over. The practical side of things comes to your mind. It is going to be difficult letting your child off on their own but I do think it is very important to let them get the bus by themselves. This is where they will meet friends, after all a lot of children who got into their Grammar school may be the only child from their school to get in. It will give them a chance to meet new friends and give them confidence which is just as important as the academic side of things. I am nervous letting my child get the bus to school in September but I am just going to have to grin and bear it and hopefully within a couple of weeks she will be well used to it.
Guest

Post by Guest »

I have one daughter in Year 8 at a local grammar (I say local, it is 17 miles away, but is the closest) and one in Year 6 about to join another grammar in September (not the same as her sis). We tried to prepare both daughters by allowing them to take the bus in a group of friends on a Saturday, having some lunch, looking around shops and coming back home, all contactable by mobile phone of course. Our eldest knows the area much better than I now and has made so many new friends both from her school and other local schools who travel on the same bus.

My youngest who has now carried out two trips is already becoming confident for September. She has her own bus timetable and knows exactly what to do if she misses the first bus, to call us and what time the next bus is due, etc.

I think it is so important to build confidence in them before they set off into the big bad world.
grace

Post by grace »

Thanks for the suggestions.
It does seem organisation is the key.
I better practice being patient!

Does anyone know of a good typing programme? I would like to encourage his speed so that homework on the computer is not so painful.

Grace
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

Hi Everyone

Some advice needed please! He's going to be able to walk to school from September, and will need a front door key of his own.

What tips do you have to stop him losing it by the end of the second day of the autumn term? :roll:

Thank you!

Sally-Anne

P.S. Grace - I notice that no-one came back to you on a typing programme. I am told that Timon & Pumbaa is the best programme for kids. Failing that, the classic is Mavis Beacon, but it's a bit dull.
Post Reply
11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now