On Friday, my heart was in my throat and my stomach was doing somersaults. Can you imagine, the
Listen, I know I like to feel I’m a young mum, and in some people’s eyes, I guess I am. I was 23 years old when I had Princess. But honestly, sometime that feels impossible as it feels like barely a decade has gone by since I walked up to my own secondary school open evening with my mum and brother in tow. I still remember that evening, namely because my mum had on a fuzzy jumper, much like those a la Beverly Goldberg. I kid you not. My mum will probably deny this fashion faux pas ever happened but it’s ingrained in my memory. Funny what kids remember.
Princess didn’t have an open evening for the secondary school she’s gotten into. Instead, the school hosted primary school children during regular school hours, so we could get a real feel for the school. A novel and brave approach. We found ourselves hugging the walls as swarms of teenaged children, some taller than me, escaped classrooms at the sound of the bell and hurtled their way, noisily to their next lessons. It was such an eye opener for Princess and the other children in our group, who up until that moment, had been used to being the loudest, tallest children in their respective schools. I think, at that moment, the reality of what it would be like being the smaller fish in the big educational pond hit home.
We don’t have many choices of secondary schools near me. When I was growing up in North London, there was at least ten schools to choose from and it took weeks of deliberation to first whittle the list to my top six and then put them in order of preference. With buses and public transport in general being amazing in London, there were so many secondary school possibilities. Village life in the ‘shires means that we were limited to the two schools that had bus links to the village. If we could have afforded to send her to a private institution, our choice of school could have doubled. That’s it. Four possible schools. As luck would have it, the two state schools in our catchments with bus links to the village are both exemplary. They come highly recommended by students, parents and Ofsted so we would have been pleased either way.
Princess is overjoyed that she got into her first choice. It means she’ll be able to stay in the same school as the majority of her friends. Having moved into the primary school halfway through year two, I think staying connected was something she was nervous about. I understand that, having moved into my London primary school half way through my primary school lifetime too. It felt like you’d just started to make real bonds with your friends and the thought of leaving them all behind seemed unfair. At my secondary school, a small handful of children from my primary were present and seeing them in the hallway of form class was magical in those first few months in a new, bigger, scary institution.
We’re counting down the months until September. It’s going to be the beginning of a new era. Princess is pinching herself about the reality of being in secondary school in a matter of months. I’m pinching myself that I’m really old enough to have a child in secondary school. Me. Tinuke. Who still wakes up with a start sometimes when she hears her kids shout “muuuuum!” It’s a beginning of a new era all right. Now to make some p’s and get the smaller mini-me into nursery and we’re good to go!
Do you remember starting secondary school or am I the only one who holds onto these random memories? Did your kids get their first choice for their secondary schools?
Say what?! she’s going to secondary school. I can imagine how you feel but that looking from a distance she comes across as sensible and centred. You did that. Good luck to you both
Thank you! I think as parents, we forever doubt our choices!