Ah, the fun roller coaster of Year 7!
We’re now into the final term of the year and it’s all about end of year exams and then various fun activities and a residential.
I can’t quite believe that it was a full year ago that we were sorting uniform and getting used to the idea of her going to her new school and now here we are in her final few weeks of Year 7. The time has absolutely flown by.
Boo is at her first choice school, one in our hometown, an all girls grammar school. She wanted to go there as soon as she looked around it and to be honest, the viewing and choosing schools seems a long time ago as it feels like she’s been there for ages now.
A few things I have learned this year, if you have a current Year 6 and are starting to think about September….
Unlike primary school, you’re unlikely to be at the school gate, you’re unlikely to be involved in their social plans, so you’re not going to get to know the kids and parents as you might have done up until now.
The kids make their own plans, it doesn’t all come via you and other parents as it might have done before. I don’t see party invitations, my girl just tells me where she needs to be and when!
Work-wise, it really does vary with the school they go to as to how much you’ll know about their progress and work. There might be access to seeing their marks, their homework and so on, or as is the case with my daughter’s school, there might not be. You will soon find out.
There will be more homework than they’ve been used to having from primary school. Hopefully they’ll adjust to this after the first few weeks, my daughter stopped moaning about it after the first term and just gets on with it now! In her case, she doesn’t have that much anyway, there are plenty of evenings where she hasn’t got any, but again, this is going to vary by school.
Despite the step up in work and having to get used to a variety of teachers and subjects, friendships are likely to dominate the year.
In my daughter’s case, she didn’t know anyone else in her form, so there was a huge adjustment as they all got to know one another and friendship groups formed, then changed, then shifted, then changed back, then altered again, you get the idea!
Secondary school often involves a step up in independence too. Travelling about without me was probably one of my girl’s steepest learning curves as she’d only just been used to walking with a friend to primary school and then she needed to get the bus and be responsible for her own timekeeping.
There’s then the independence related to their school work. They need to know their timetables, ensure they have the right books and equipment each day, get to where they need to be on time throughout the day and complete their assignments and revision by deadlines.
It is a lot and a real shift from primary school.
Our daughter has always been quite self motivated with her work and takes responsibility for herself, but I can see how tiring Year 7 has been for her.
Her days are a little longer with her travel but in her case they’re not significantly longer, about twenty minutes either end of the day.
The tiredness stems more from the social side and the fact that she needs to engage her brain during every lesson, every single day! I think her brain got a fair bit more downtime at primary school!
But tiredness, adjustment periods and more work aside, it’s been an amazing time.
You will see your child find their feet somewhere new, without you there to smooth the way. They can do it, they will do it, and it’s good to see them starting to stretch themselves.
As they have subject teachers for everything, they will start to really shine and become passionate about those lessons that interest them.
Many secondary schools offer a wide range of extra curricular opportunities too, so they get to try different things and find new hobbies to enjoy.
Whilst the friendships can be up and down as they settle in, it is lovely to see them forming those new relationships.
And as I look back over the past few months, everything we’ve learned, the new normal that we have become accustomed to, I am so proud of my girl.
It’s a big thing, moving on to secondary school, and it’s had its up and downs.
But as I write this and think about Boo right now, today, I can see how far she has come.
I can see how much more grown up she is compared to this time last year.
We had her progress evening last week and she’s doing well in all of the core subjects. Her teachers are happy with her. She then spent many hours over the weekend with a few of her new friends doing lots of the fun things that 12 year old girls like to do and came back home very happy.
I can’t ask any more of her, she’s giving it her best, getting her work done and is doing it well, and is forming and enjoying some lovely friendships.
Year 7, though you have been a roller coaster, thanks for all you’ve taught my girl. Here’s to a great Year 8.
This school year really has flown over. It sounds like Boo is getting on well at school. Good luck to her in year 8. It is such a learning curve for us parents too. x
It really has! She’s doing well, so much to adjust to at secondary school but I think she’s got it all sorted now. And this is true, we do learn so much too x