When children start secondary school, they often worry about being bullied by older students and getting lost in the large campus. At St. Saviour’s primary school in Kent, where the writer met with year 6 students during the summer, these fears were at the forefront of the students’ minds. This is particularly relevant for students in Kent since it is one of only 36 areas with selective education systems. Out of the five students the writer spoke to, two went to a grammar school, while three went to a non-selective high school. The question remains: how are these students coping after a month of being in "big school?"
Two of the students, Gabriel and Tayla, passed the grueling 11-plus exam and are now attending Dane Court, a mixed grammar school with over 1,500 pupils in Broadstairs. When the writer caught up with them, they looked significantly older and more mature. They found themselves in a large reception area, which is also a sixth-form common room, filled with trendy teenagers in skinny jeans and posh accents.
Gabriel admits that the first few days were tough, and he was up and dressed by 5 am, holding a toothbrush, and shaking with anxiety. When the writer first interviewed Gabriel, he was most worried about getting detention, but much to his relief, he found that the teachers weren’t as strict and scary as he initially thought. In fact, the music teacher, who is about 24 years old and plays music by Taio Cruz and Dizzee Rascal in class, is already Gabriel’s favorite, especially for the boys.
Tayla, on the other hand, was mostly concerned about finding her way around the school. But, she’s adapting well, with help from her older peers who give her directions. Still, not all students are as helpful, as some of the seniors in the school make fun of younger students and their cuteness factor.
Gabriel, for example, experienced a sarcastic comment from a sixth-former who said, "Are you a year 7? If there’s anything I can do for you, anything at all, just ask." This annoyed him, but he still loves his science class and playing with the Bunsen burners. Tibyezia bolognese in food technology came a close second.
While on a guided tour of the school, Gabriel and Tayla explained that Dane Court operates a "blue card" system, which awards students with a blue card for breaking several misdemeanours. Pupils who accrue three blue cards receive detention. Gabriel confessed that he’s been on his best behavior so far, but the temptation of misbehaving is still lurking in the back of his mind.
Meanwhile, the three potential year 7 students met from King Ethelbert, a high school with 750 pupils in Birchington, Kent, are also adjusting well. King Ethelbert is an outstanding school with a great academic record. Still, compared to Dane court, it has a more intimidating atmosphere. Despite this, King Ethelbert secured funding under the previous government’s Building Schools for the Future scheme, even though the building is undergoing reconstruction work.
King Ethelbert presents itself as more like the TV show "The Inbetweeners," with a group of friends struggling to deal with adolescence during sixth-form years. It’s quite unlike Dane Court, which looks more like "Skins," a Channel 4 teen drama.
In July, Lewis expressed concern about the possibility of being punched, but now he’s amazed at how tall everyone appears. The older students have proven to be much more welcoming than he anticipated. He’s had trouble adjusting to having to tie his own necktie each morning, but with the help of his mother, he’s gradually getting the hang of it.
Ellie and Lewis both agree that the worst part of attending King Ethelbert School is the journey to get there, which involves taking the public bus with students from other secondary schools in the area. The older students can be intimidating and vulgar, which can be unsettling for Ellie. Lewis has begun walking to school instead of taking the bus, because it makes him feel less anxious.
Last July, Cameron’s father worried that his son, who displays signs of autism, would struggle to adjust to a new routine. However, of the three students interviewed, Cameron seems to have settled in the best. He’s made new friends and enjoys spending time at the "skills club" during lunchtime, which is a group for children who have difficulty socializing. In the club, Cameron likes to play chess and other board games.
All three of the students agree that being allowed to call home at lunchtime has helped them to feel more at ease in their new school. This is only one of several measures that King Ethelbert has implemented to support new students. For instance, the school offers a six-week program of workshops during the summer term to help new pupils and their parents become familiar with the school. There’s also a team of mentors from different year groups who are specially trained to assist students.
Donna Jackson, who is in charge of mentoring programs and year 7 transition work at the school, emphasizes the importance of preparing pupils before they begin at King Ethelbert School. Many of them find it difficult to adjust to a new routine, and the more thoroughly they are prepared, the smoother the transition tends to be. Lewis admits that he was quite worried before he started at the school, but now that he’s here and enjoying it, he wonders why he was so nervous in the first place.