Anyone thinking of CHB for 2018 admissions?

[threeses]

Hi everyone, we are looking for families thinking of CHB for their son for 2018 admission. We think our son will be offered a place based on his score, and as parents are pleased and thankful. However he is himself highly apprehensive about the idea of going to school, Camp Hill or otherwise. He has been home educated since the age of three and the thought of going to a school fills him with dread. We are a close family and he has always been very attached to us his parents and me in particular as his mother/ teacher.

In all other respects he is a normal ten year old boy, with his own circle of good friends at Church and also our home educators' group.

We would be grateful for any contact with other parents and boys thinking of CHB, as we thought perhaps getting to know other children going to the same place might help. Any other advice and thoughts also gratefully received.

(Thanks to those who read this previously in '10 more days' and advised a separate thread.)

[nervousmom]

Congratulations to your son.

Many of the children who go to GS will not know anyone else going. Many will be the only one from their primary school, so even though home schooled, he will have exactly the same worries that all others have.

My DS was the only 1 from his primary school out of 150 people who started FW in 2013 and my daughter the only 1 from 180 when she started there last year.

Both were apprehensive and worried, but both made friends in the induction day and both have large circles of friends now.

Although you will no doubt worry, like we all do as parents, your DS will be fine

[Raven07]

CHB normally run a week of sporting activities during the summer before they start in September. That will give your son a chance to meet other boys and I’m sure there’ll be other boys feeling much the same as he does.

My nephew and niece went to the Camphill schools a few years ago having not known anyone there but they loved their time there and seem to have made friends for life. Good luck and well done to your DS.

[threeses]

Thanks so much for the reassurance, nervousmom and Raven07, and also for the tip about sports at Camp Hill the summer before. You are right that his situation will not be unique even though he has not been to a school before. We hope he will be able to work through his fears in the months ahead, some of which are probably irrational, and be able to find good companions when he starts next September.

[crazycrofter]

You might also want to come back on here in March once people know for sure they have a place. We contacted a couple of people in the spring before year 7 to arrange meet ups.

In general, you could work on building his confidence outside the home - sports or extra curricular clubs where he could meet new people for example. Also, does he have any friends who go to school (not necessarily Camp Hill) who he could chat to about school life in general? It's a long time between now and September though - he will mature a lot in that time.