Finishing yr 6 starting yr 7 - useful to know (a year on).

Poppy9

TK max is good for school bags too. DD likes fashion bags but a £25 New Look bag won't last more than a couple of months whereas the same money in TK max bought a bag that is still going strong at the end of the school year.

Mrs_Arcanum

DD has a YacPac - these were specifically designed for High School. DS has just got a rectangular Animal one with three big pockets as he shoves everything in and at least this keeps his lunch & PE kit separated.

kazd

Poppy9 wrote: »

The majority of senior schools have a foreign trip open to all pupils each year but I don't know of any of DD friends who have been on one each year.



I really haven't felt under any pressure to pay out a fortune for school trips. I often don't see letters offering trips as DD won't mention if she has no interest.
DD trips:

Y7 - London overnight, show and theme park about £150
Y8 - nothing
Y9 - Eurodisney £140 two days, one night.
Y10 - London as above
Y11 - nothing
Y12 - nothing
Y13 - Skiing in US and shopping in NY (9 days) - £1400 (been paying this off since Sept 2012 and they go early 2013

Fab trip for Year 13, she will have a great time.

My son's and my daughter are at different schools, my daughters school has less school trips on offer.

I should point out that my eldest hasn't done every trip available to him, over the years (he is now lower sixth) he has been to Holland, three ski trips and the Cornwall trip.

They have changed things now at the school so the ice breaker trip in year 7 now takes place in year 8 and it is in the Uk as opposed to Holland when my eldest went. However, youngest came home with another trip letter to Tunisia for later this year, he didn't express much interest as he didn't think his friends were going.

We are lucky in that we have been able to afford to let the kids go on these trips but I still like my savings pots though as it is prudent planning.

However, this year we are not having a family holiday as my husband works away and there is only one week available at the end of the school holidays for us to all go away together. I though, just cannot bring my self to pay the extortionate prices for just one week.

We will probably wait now until Easter next year when we can just about swing two weeks.

cyclingyorkie

Re coats- at the school mine went to they weren't allowed to have them on in the school building ( possibility of carrying a knife apparently) and i know of Yr 7's who got lines on the first day for falling foul of this rule...

dan536

Just thought of something else with regards to the trip costs.

If (and only if) you suffer with financial hardship, schools are obliged to offer some help with the cost of 'curriculum' based trips. You can approach the school and ask about this at any point.

Do not, however, see it as a way of saving money if you can actually afford it - remember every penny that comes out of the school budget is money that can't be spent elsewhere in the school - but, if you really are going to struggle - get in touch, there's no shame in it.

Same goes for free school meals - not only do far too few parents actually sign up for these when they are entitled to them, they probably don't realise that alongside this comes a 'pupil premium' payment that goes towards the school. This money has to be spent appropriately and for the benefit of the students in the school. It's not a lot, but the school usually has the freedom to use it for anything sensible (not a new toaster in the staff room).

Don't be embarrassed to sign up for free school meals - it's no stigma and isn't public knowledge either and you benefit yourselves, you children and the school by doing so.

Spendless

Mrs_Arcanum wrote: »

DD has a YacPac - these were specifically designed for High School. DS has just got a rectangular Animal one with three big pockets as he shoves everything in and at least this keeps his lunch & PE kit separated.

Any chance of a link? I googled the YacPac brand you mentioned but couldn't find an animal one.

Darren_G

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

OK this is maybe a stupid question but I see kids walking to school with no coat in the rain. Do you just accept this and let them get on with it? My son will have a 10/15 minute wait between school buses and no bus shelter. Is it pointless trying to find him a "cool" coat???

You give up eventually, as they always find a reason to forget or simply stuff the coat in their bag as soon as they get round the corner unless you escort them to the gates, which is not cool... My youngest are in year 9 now and I just make sure there is an emergency pack a mac in their bag and hope common sense prevails.

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

Another thing that has just occurred to me is to make sure there is a mobile signal where he waits for the connecting bus. We live in a rural area and this isnt guaranteed. And yes I need to make sure he knows what to do if there is a problem with the buses.

The school mine go to forbid mobile phones. If one is found on a student, it is confiscated and will only be handed over to a parent at the end of the week.

One thing any parents who are having their first experience of children in high school should mentally prepare themselves for is sudden attitude changes by the end of the first term! Mine all had the transition from a one form entry primary school and without exception, all three turned into 'Kevin the teenager' by their first christmas in year 7.

Mrs_Arcanum

Spendless wrote: »

Any chance of a link? I googled the YacPac brand you mentioned but couldn't find an animal one.

This is the nearest equivalent (same size and shape) Got DS one similar for less than £20 from the same place a month or so back so worth checking later.

kazd

Darren_G wrote: »

One thing any parents who are having their first experience of children in high school should mentally prepare themselves for is sudden attitude changes by the end of the first term! Mine all had the transition from a one form entry primary school and without exception, all three turned into 'Kevin the teenager' by their first christmas in year 7.

My son's school warned us of this but a few months later, they called it the year 8 blip. No longer the new boys and start to develop a slightly cocky attitude. Definitely noticing it in my 12 year old though can't say I noticed it with eldest.

Darren_G

dan536 wrote: »

Also - do NOT let them get onto Facebook before the age they should be. I know it'll be tempting to think 'all the other parents let their kids, so maybe I should and surely it can't be that bad.'. Facebook is a huge source of uncontrolled bullying in schools - and it's incredibly hard to monitor as parents and teachers.
Good luck.:D

I was very strict with mine over social media - they were not allowed on MSN or Facebook. Finally gave in to FB when they were 13 - but expected them to earn the privilege. Three months later I had to take that privilege away because of some of the cr*p their friends were discussing online