It's my eldest sons last day at primary school toady :) He is very exited about going up to 'big' school after ther summer. Allthough his brother (in the year underneath him), is a little nervous about going back to school without big brother. They do everything together so I am glad they will have a year in different schools, to hopefully, learn to be independant from one another.

Thier year put together a presentaion on Wed evening. The year had split into groups and each group came up with thier own little act to show what they enjoyed/remembered the most about thier time at the school. It was fanstastic, there were some groups singing, some dancing, some acting and at the end the whole year joined in with a song. The whole perfermoance was called 'celebrate' as they wanted to celebrate the time at the school rather than be sad about leaving it. It was very emotional as all the kids obviously get on great, love the school and had put massive effort intot the perfomance, but I never shed a tear as I am so happy about my boy looking forward to going up to secondry school and don't want to do anything to make him feel like this is a big step, as to me, it just how things go and they should take it in thier stride (allthough I am fully aware he may feel a little 'lost' untill he has settled in at secondry school).

I have been speaking to some other mothers who are a little nervous that thier children will be going up to the secondry school and sad that it's such a big step. I am exited for my son and haven't felt sad atall about him going up. Am I alone in not being sad?? Is there any body else looking forward to thier children going up to secondry school?

Mastifflover your not alone at all.

I have a son who starts secondary school in September and he too is really excited.  I've really enjoyed watching him mature this year, he has grown up so much, despite being the youngest in his year. (He'll have only been 11 for 6 days when he start in September.)
My son had his leaving production last night, the theme was turning 11 and they used movies and songs form the years the teachers turned 11.  My was a son was dressed as his headmistress, including wig and 3½ inch red high heals while singing and dancing to a scene from Ghostbusters, the whole thing was fantastic.

I'm really proud of the person he has grown into and is he's now ready to meet this next challenge. Of course as the icing on the cake I now get 6 uninterrupted weeks with both him and his brother and sisters, I can't wait.  :)

I was in your position a year ago and was nervous about her getting bullied and worried had we chosen the right school .
One year on and SHE LOVES IT !   She settled in well , has all new friends and loves being grown-up and getting the bus !
They did an end of year dance production yesterday and it was fabulous and very grown up .
I now look back and realise that fitting in , having friends and being happy to go to school is more important than how many GCSE's the school average is .

> My was a son was dressed as his headmistress, including wig and 3½ inch red high heals while singing and dancing to a scene from Ghostbusters, the whole thing was fantastic.

LOL, Brill!
It's great seeing them having so much fun when they put on a production. :)

> I'm really proud of the person he has grown into and is he's now ready to meet this next challenge.

Ahh, that's nice, it's how I feel too :) My shy little baby is turning into a confidant lad, it's great watching them progress.

> I was in your position a year ago and was nervous about her getting bullied and worried had we chosen the right school .

I'm lucky as a friend of mine had 2 teenagers at the school my son will be going up to. We go to thier house once a week for the evening and both my boys get on with thier teengae boy & girl, despite the age-gap (thier boy is 15yrs old) as we have known them since my boys were toddlers. My son will be walking in to the new school with the 15yr old, so that has helped get rid of any nerves and through them we know the schools reputation (it is also the school my hubby went to MANY moons ago!).

>One year on and SHE LOVES IT !   She settled in well , has all new friends and loves being grown-up and getting the bus !

Brilliant :)
I agree, it helps a lot for them to feel happy about school and to feel like they fit in.

You will not believe how they change in that first year at secondary school. So exciting for them and you parents.
I am so envious of you guys who have the schools holidays coming up. The best days ever. Mine are all grown up now so no break for me yet  :-(

Am I alone in not being sad??

:-D  No! 

When my first son left Primary I really thought that I would cry buckets, I was very close to a lot of the teachers there, some of them even came to my sons Birthday parties and I was priveledged to go on the many school outings and camping trips, so I really felt a part of the school with my sons and felt so upset that he was leaving such good people and a wonderful school.

But once we had decided on that new school and met the teachers, looked around and my son had his fun day there I was happy and my son was happy, so like you I just thought onwards and upwards and we were all relaxed and happy about it, even though only approx 3 other pupils from his primary were going there, but my oldest is very confident and he was looking forward to it, infact he put his new uniform on and was parading around and couldn't wait to wear it for school. :-D

The Primary School also did the farewell play, which I did do a wee weep at, but the school gates afterwards, oh gosh! The mothers and children were crying for England :-( and my son and I weren't, I really was thinking, maybe I should make some tears come forth, am I not normal!

However, as I did, you also have another child at the school too, so as you are happy with your sons next school, this is why you are not sad. When my second child left that primary school it was another story, I was so upset because I was saying goodbye to the school also to many of the mothers I nattered with at the gate, who were going to other schools and goodbye to the brilliant teachers there, many who were good friends who I would probably not bump into much afterwards, that is what brought me to tears. So I think it is a mixture of things.

I'm sure your little man will be fine, it is amazing how quickly they get used to new routines.  Though it took my second son nearly a year to finally get all his new teachers names right. :-D

my sons last day was today and their were tears all round even i had a little weep my sons very sensative and he really dont want to grow up (bit of a peter pan he is)
so he was not happy to be leaving his school :-( ,
he is Autistic so change for him is difficult on the plus side he has spent the day at his new secondary school a few weeks ago and he did realy liked it and made a friend while their to so im happy with that,
i and his teachers agree he is ready for the move up and it will be good for him he has been very protected in his primary school so its time he spread his wings a bit its worring tho as he is very trusting and easily led, so its a bit scary,
they grow up so fast dont they it makes you wonder where the time goes,
my eldest was 22 years old yesterday im feeling rather old after this week lol

> but I never shed a tear

During my eldest daughter's "goodbye assembly" I did cry it got me when they sang, not to sure of the song but in it the lyric's were "an I hope you've had the time of your life" which indeed got me, I think alot of emotion was sparked because Chelsea had only been at this school for about ten months and had really "grown" proving lots of people wrong.

> Am I alone in not being sad?? Is there any body else looking forward to thier children going up to secondry school?

I was also not sad she was moving up to Senior school, as I thought this would be another clean, fresh start for her, although I was worried how she would cope in mainstream school due to her special needs, and how they would deal with her, being worried she would get lost in the crowd so to speak. We did want her to go to a special school (which is where she is now) from the offset but let her chose. Before she started senior school we did a few dry runs during the holiday's so she felt confident enough with the bus routes and times, which made us all feel better, gave us some piece of mind and indeed looked forward to her moving on.
I also remember being chuffed seeing her look so super in her uniform complete with blazer. :-)

> However, as I did, you also have another child at the school too, so as you are happy with your sons next school, this is why you are not sad. When my second child left that primary school it was another story, I was so upset because I was saying goodbye to the school also to many of the mothers I nattered with at the gate, who were going to other schools and goodbye to the brilliant teachers there, many who were good friends who I would probably not bump into much afterwards, that is what brought me to tears. So I think it is a mixture of things.
>

The youngest of my two children has left Primary school today and I am feeling so, so sad at the moment - I have parted with many tears today because as Carrington explained, today is the end of an era for all of us in our family. For the past 13 years, since my eldest son started we have been involved in the school and it has been a huge part of our lives. I have said goodbye to teachers and parents who I won't see anymore and it is sad. I will miss the Christmas plays and school garden parties as none of this happens in high school.

My Son is not as excited about high school as I would like him to be and is quite worried about meeting new friends and finds it all a bit overwhelming as he is leaving a small village primary school with just 56 pupils and only six in his year group. We are constantly reassuring him as  is his big brother who was in the same position six years ago. Thankfully, one of my Son's  peers is going onto high school with him which helps a lot.

Good luck to all who have little ones going into high school this time.

I did cry it got me when they sang

my sons year did Bugsy Malone and i was choking back the tears when they all sang , give a little love and it all comes back to you la la la lalalala, sob sob,
then the head came and said a few words about how the last few weeks have been a very difficult time for the school (refering to the 2 children and the mother who died in the fire at the tower block the other week) well that was it i couldnt hold back the tears after that , very sad day ,

I just went to my gddaughter's graduation ---- from Nursery to Reception!  I ask you! - they will hardly notice the difference because they only move across the middle space to the opposite classroom.  Never mind it was nice to see how grown up they have all become in the last year. 

It sounds really nice that the children did their own presentation.  I was shocked to see the leaving juniors here having a 'prom'.  The girls were done up in make-up, hair styled, evening gowns!  There were at least 3 stretch limousines arrived while I was there.  I call that extravagant and not fair on folks who don't earn too much. 

As for secondary school - was quite happy with my daughter moving up but worried about my son being bullied - didn't have to worry though -he coped in his own way.  Now university - that is so remote - no-one gives you any feedback and your children really are on their own there. 

he is Autistic so change for him is difficult

Chelzeagirl, a good friend of mine has an autistic son, he had the most wonderful LEA (if that is what you still call them) for almost all of his 6 years there, she understood him so well knew how to get the best out of him as did all the children who had grown up with him, he was very well looked after and enjoyed going to school. She was very worried about him starting secondary school, mainly because he was going to be with people who did not know him or understand him.

I take it that you had all of the SENCO meetings etc in the new school and got to meet the new LEA, well do you know he started that school and he just clicked in, the new LEA was lovely and he didn't miss his old one at all, which was a bit sad as she was devastated when he left, he knew no matter what he had the love of his parents and he could cope with it.

Just make sure if your son mentions any children being mean to him to stamp on it quickly as unlike primary the new children haven't grown up with him.  My friends son is doing fantastic, of course  he loves his maths and science. :-D

Ours are having a leaving disco as well. The theme is beach party although they aren't allowed to wear swimwear and there will be a bar-b-que. My son is going in shorts, t shirt, flowery shirt and flip flops. They will definitely not be any stretch limos. :)

Ahh thats so nice to hear i do hope my son settles in that well,
it is a special needs school he will be going to as it was felt by me and the SENCO that he would not cope well in main stream , tho his primary is mainstream it has an Autistic unit within the school and he was doing half a day in their and half a day in main class,
i do worry he will pick up the habbits of those who are more disabled then himself once he starts as i did notice when picking him up from the day visit he was talking strange and kept rocking i had to tell him to stop this its not his normal behaviour but i do feel he mimics others , we had issues when he first started the unit in his primary but they didnt last long,
i hope that their are other kids on his level their i hope iv done the right thing sending him to a special needs school , but then i really do feel he would be totally lost and alone if i had have sent him mainstream, and with the gang culture in our area i would be worried he'd have been an easy target for the bullys and the gangs and god only knows what trouble he could be coaxed into if the wrong crowed got their hooks into him so i think the special needs school was best and safer option for him and then lots of love and surport for him when his at home,

> Bugsy Malone

> give a little love and it all comes back to you la la la lalalala,

I love this film and this is one of my favourite songs from it.

> last few weeks have been a very difficult time for the school (refering to the 2 children and the mother who died in the fire at the tower block the other week)

Must be a terribly, terribly sad time.

My great niece has just had her prom. I can not believe the fuss. She had her make up, which included two trials, manicure, spray tan,3 visits to the hairdresser to decide on the best look, a  dress that my niece will be paying for until next year, a hummer. I can not believe the fuss. I felt so sorry for the pressure put on my niece, as it was a  real case of beating the Jones.This is the local comp which has one of the big council estates in its catchment area.
I dont know many people who have that much fuss for their weddings!

They did all look stunning though!

>I have parted with many tears today because as Carrington explained, today is the end of an era for all of us in our family.

Ahh, I can understand why you feel sad about it. :(

>Good luck to all who have little ones going into high school this time.

That's nice :) i second that - good luck everybody :)

I hope all the kids moving up school enjoy thierselfs and continue to grow and that those of you that are loosing a whole network of friends will make many new ones :)