What’s it like in Year 7?
When children join us in Year 7, many feel a mixture of excitement and nervousness – we understand that. Your tutors and school leaders will introduce you to our school, to help you settle in and support your learning so that you can make the best start to your school career.
Watch our welcome video, where you can meet Miss Lamb, Head of Year 7, as well as Mr Morgan and Mrs Carter, who are looking forward to seeing you!
Lily, Chris and Jody are among the many children who volunteer to become student mentors. After all, they know exactly what it feels like to be new at secondary school!
“How will I find my way around?”
Emma says, “When you first join you may feel overwhelmed by the size of the school, but by the end of the first week you already know your way round, and even if you don’t there are plenty of people to guide you.”
“Will I make friends easily?”
“Sometimes it may seem that you have no friends, or feel particularly lonely but there are lots of people at The Cotswold School looking for new friends and this happens easily.” Dan says, “We don’t want anyone to feel lonely or left out.”
“How do I get lunch?”
Lula has some advice: “At school we have a machine that reads your fingerprint, linked to an account. It tells you how much money you have left to pay for lunch. You can also buy things at The Quad Pod for a snack at second lunch.
“What’s it like on the bus?”
Lilly says, “On your first few days there is lots of help with finding your correct bus. Your bus pass should say the number of your bus, so there is no need to worry. They pick up and drop off at the turning circle, just at the front of the school.”
“How will I make friends?”
Lillian says, “Don’t expect to have a big friendship group on the first day as it happens fairly gradually. It isn’t too difficult as everyone is looking to make friends. There always is someone like you. You just need to find them!”
How did Ben find joining The Cotswold School, moving from Year 6 to Year 7?
When I was in Year 5, and again in Year 6, I visited The Cotswold School with other children from my primary school. As I looked around, I was surprised how big the school really is and how many staff and students there are. Since starting, I’d say one of the main differences is that we get more homework in secondary.
What about making friends and finding your way around?
One of the best things about coming here is that I’ve made many new friends, but I’ve kept old ones from my primary school and also people I know from my rugby club. Finding your way around gets easier after a while, when you know your timetable and get used to your routine.
What’s learning like at The Cotswold School?
The best thing about learning here is being challenged by my teachers and also having a good time with my friends. Two of my favourite lessons are IT and Art, which are quite different from in primary. In Art, there is always something to do with painting or drawing; and in IT we get to use the computers.
