The Mock Turtle

Jake's school also uses an app - it's brilliant but I have to say I'm glad they didn't exist when I was at school!

Tomorrow we have a 10-minute meeting with Jake and his mentor. Jake has to lead the meeting and so he had to prepare some talking points. He wrote them down last night and just about broke my heart! His first point was:

"I have a bad feeling both at and outside school because I am always stressing about homework. I am always afraid that I have forgotten some homework. The worst thing is, I can't do anything about it."

When I was tucking him into bed last night, he told me that he often wakes up in the middle of the night and lies awake for ages worrying about school and homework.

I do this about my work - there is always a notepad on my bedside table to write down my middle-of-the-night worries - so the poor kid doesn't stand a chance, it's genetic!

They’re all getting so big! Bambeena is at college? Woah!

Where we live is a three tier system, and F moves to middle school next year. Open day at our preferred school is in a couple of weeks, It has a good reputation locally so we’re hoping F gets in and is happy there. Her friendship group has taken a heck of a hit over the past couple of years and she’s become a bit of a loner:( with no one left in her class that she clicks with, so a new group of kids would give her more options.

We have the first parents evening coming up and the children are responsible for booking the appointments. What is the strategy? See the teachers for the main subjects and any others that interest us? You surely don’t try and see them all? Can’t really be arsed it’s PE and Drama for example.

That's what we have always done. Be prepared for random appointments and for nothing going to time anyway.

So far I’ve just seen Maths, English and Form Tutors/teachers. Lex is choosing GCSE subjects this year so I will probably start to throw a couple of those in too. I would also see any where I thought there might be an issue with either the subject or the teacher.

L has announced he has a girlfriend. I am so not ready for this.

Cube was offered his first choice of secondary school today. He’s absolutely over the moon as it was causing some anxiety for him but I’ll admit it’s knocked me a bit as it feels like such a big leap. He doesn’t seem big enough.

Good one!

We find out on Monday. There's a very slim chance he won't get in but you never know!

We were supposed to find out Monday too but the council have spent the last 2 weeks with no computer systems thanks to a hack. The staff apparently worked really hard to ensure they’d get the offers out in time and managed to do it early!

It’s a school we’re not in the catchment for but it’s the only one he wanted so I’m chuffed.

Fingers crossed for F!

Congrats! Might go check my email now. Ours is Monday. Absolutely bricking it. We're out of catchment and didn't move in time.

Good luck!

I've also checked my email but nothing so I'll go back to ignoring it for a bit.

I suspect that there is going to be merry hell to pay in this house on Monday.

Child wanted to go to one school, we've decided on another as first choice. It could get messy.

Congratulations to Cube, Kleio. And good luck to everyone else. Especially TC! Have you been preparing the way it is it going to be a complete surprise for Chop?

She knows our views so she won't be surprised. This won't stop her being utterly furious though.

Shit, good luck for dealing with that showdown, Alan!

I hope it goes better than you expect TC!

We also find out on Monday - we’re in catchment so should be ok but there have been lots of catchment issues in the last couple of years so I’m worried.

Good luck all and hooray for Cube!

Will she have any friends going with her Alan?

I really hope she takes it better than you hope TC!

There will be students going there from her year, but I don't know who exactly. There are 3 secondary schools in the area and from what I've learnt all of the primaries feed into all three schools.

Plus, she's not been at her current school a year yet and it's not anywhere near where we live so she hasn't made any real friends to speak of. It'll be fine long term.

But typically it'll be down to me to break the news because she'll be with me Monday and I have no idea how to approach it really. She's likely going to be furious and I'm going to be the cause of it so scant comfort for her.