Is it scary going to secondary school?

Any change can be a scary one. When young people come to Light Hall for the first time they may be worry or excited or curious or feeling any one of a whole range of emotions. The important thing to remember is that, even though they might not be looking it, all the other young people are feeling the same things. Of course, you might have one particular thing you are worrying about. If so, I might be able to help you with that. Remember, we are often scared about things we know nothing about. Before you come to Light Hall School, find out as much as you can from our website and from your teachers. If you have any particular questions you cannot find answers to, ask me!

Leaving primary school is very difficult, particularly because lots of my friends are going to a different school to me. How long is before I get used to not being with them?

Everyone has problems settling into a new place even if they are tiny problems. It’s very normal to be nervous about secondary school and sad about missing old friends. You will very quickly find fresh friends in your new form and new classes. In a secondary school you have so many more young people to make friends with, you are bound to meet up with people who will become firm friends for life. By the end of year 7, most students can’t remember which friends came from their old school and which they had made since starting at secondary school.

What do you do on your first day at Light Hall?

For most students, their first day at Light Hall is one of our induction days in July. On that day you will be able meet your new form group and form tutor, get shown around the school and try out some lessons. When you then come on your first proper day in September, you will have a chance to meet all your teachers and find out where all your lessons will be.

When do you get your lockers and how long will it take?

There are lots of lockers at Light Hall but there are not enough for every student. The lockers for the new year will be available some time in early October. A letter will go out to students through their form tutor and the first students to bring back the reply slips (along with a deposit to cover any damages) will get lockers.

Are you allowed phones in school?

The simple answer is no. Students with phones are more likely to be victims of crime and the targets of cyber-bullying. If a student’s phone is seen in school (whether it is turned on or off) will be confiscated and held until your family can arrange a meeting with the Deputy Headteacher to come and collect it. If you bring a phone into school and it is lost or stolen, the school will do nothing to help you reclaim it.

How many trips do you have in year 7?

We have many different trips at Light Hall School. In 2010-2011, year 7 students had opportunity to go on trips to the Black Country Museum, a local Hindu temple, Outdoor Adventure Residential, IMAX cinema, Bowling, skiing in the USA, and a coach tour of Italy. Every year in the summer we have a whole school trip to either Alton Towers or Drayton Manor theme park.

Are there any fights at Light Hall School?

Very occasionally some foolish students do fight with each other at Light Hall School. The school thinks that fighting is totally unacceptable. Students who physically hurt others are likely to put into isolation and to have after school detentions. Students who continue to fight can be excluded from school. There is no acceptable reasons to fight, not even “play fights” between friends.

What activities are there at Light Hall?

Teachers at Light Hall run lots of clubs, some at lunchtime and some after school. The PE department run clubs including football, rugby, table tennis, trampolining, dance, badminton and fitness club. Non-PE clubs include ICT club, Art Club, Choir, School Band, Chess and Technology. There are several clubs running every night of the week.

How old do you have to be to go to the gym?

If you’re old enough to come to Light Hall, you’re old enough to use our gym. We have fitness club at our well-equipped gym at least once a week. We have lots of other fitness activities and clubs that run throughout the week.

How long is break time?

There are two breaks in the day. The first lasts from 11:05 to 11:25. The second lasts from 13:25 to 14:00.

What food can we buy and how much is it?

You can buy food from our canteen at either break. The canteen sells a range of hot meals, cold baguettes and snacks. You can get a roast dinner some days, curry on others. Sometimes there are hotdogs and burgers. I like fish the best. Most students will spend between £1 and £2 on food each day.

If you bring a packed lunch, do you have to eat it in the canteen?

No. Not only do you not have to have eat it in the canteen, we would rather you didn’t. There are plenty of benches and indoor spaces around the school where you can eat. The important thing is that any rubbish left over after you’ve eaten your lunch goes straight into the bin.

Because I have free dinners am I allowed to have Pasta King for free?

A pasta fan, eh? If you are entitled to Free School Meals (and more students are entitled than realise it) then you are given a fixed amount you can spend each day. That can be spent on any food in the canteen including baguettes, salads, hot dinners and, yes, Pasta King.

Are children allowed to smoke at Light Hall School?

Absolutely not! It is illegal to smoke in any workplace. No one (including teachers) is allowed to smoke at Light Hall School. If students are found to be smoking either whilst at school or on their way to or from school, then they will be punished. Students have been excluded from Light Hall for smoking.

How big is the school in metres?

What an interesting question! I don’t know. I shall have to measure it to find out! What I can say is that it is quite a large school site. To walk between the classrooms that are furthest apart can take as long as five minutes. The whole site is even larger. We have a huge back field for football and other sports.

How many rooms are there in the school?

A lot. Too many for a little bear to count. There are 8 form groups in each year and there are 5 year groups and each form has its own classroom. That means there are at least 40 classrooms. And I know that at form time, there are quite a few rooms that are empty and not in use. When you come to Light Hall, you will have to count them all.

Is there a catchment area for Light Hall?

Quite a few years ago, schools used to have catchment areas. This meant that if you lived in that area you would be guaranteed a place at that secondary school. We don’t have that system anymore. When young people decide which school they want to go to, the local authority makes a list. Students who have certain special needs are at the top of the list, followed by students who already have brothers or sisters at the school. The rest of the list starts with the child who lives nearest to the secondary school and ends with the child who is furthest away. The local authority goes down the list, offering places until the school is full. If our school is very popular one year, the last child to get in might live quite near to the school. If our school is less popular, the last child to get in might live further away.

How long do you have to do your homework? What happens if you don’t do it?

All subjects will set you homework at least once a fortnight. Most homework should take about half an hour to complete. Teachers will give you several days to get each piece of homework completed. If you are struggling with a piece of homework you can ask your teacher for help. There is no excuse for turning up to a lesson without even trying to complete your homework. Students who do not bring in their homework will almost certainly be given a detention, either during break or after school, to complete their work.

How old is Light Hall School?

There was a school where Light Hall now stands around 60 years ago, but a lot has changed since then. The original school was for boys only and the buildings were very different. Our newest building, the G Block, only opened in 2008.

Will I get into trouble if I am late for a lesson?

Because you may get lost in your first few weeks, teachers will not punish you if you are a little bit late to lessons. Also, it can take time to walk between classrooms that are very far apart. However, teachers are very good at spotting when students have been dawdling or turning up deliberately late to lessons. If (after those first few weeks) you are significantly late to lesson, the teacher may probably ask you to stay behind at the end to make up the lost time.

Will year 11s tease or pick on year 7s?

It is very rare for the older children to be unpleasant to the younger children. You are more likely to fall out with students in your own year. Indeed, the people you are most likely to fall out with are your best friends! Light Hall students look out for each other and the year 11s often step in to gently stop arguments between younger students.

Can I choose a friend to have in our form when we go to Light Hall?

You certainly can! When the Head of Year visits your school in the summer, you will be asked who you will like to have in your form room. We can guarantee that you have at least one friend you know in your form class. However, you must remember that you are only in your form group for registration and may have different people in your regular lessons.

Why do we have one hour lessons and not two?

Our school day is broken up into five periods of an hour each. Each of your different subjects will be with a different teacher and you need to move around the school to go to each lesson. Although you will have every subject for more than one hour per fortnight, our timetables are arranged so that you don’t have the same teacher for two hours in a row.

How big is your school?

There are 250 students in each year group at Light Hall School. Each year group has 8 forms of about 31 students. That means there are roughly 1250 students in the school. It sounds a lot and it is. The only time you will see all the students together is when they are on the field for a Fire Drill. There are about 60 teachers at the school and lots of support staff as well. Light Hall School is made up of nearly ten buildings, some with three floors and there are over fifty classrooms in the whole school. Don’t be worried about the size of the school though. You will soon get to know your form group and your teachers very well.

How long does it take to find your way around school? Will I get a map?

It’s no surprise that everyone gets lost when they first arrive at Light Hall (even me!). However, you will be given a map when you first arrive and if you are ever lost you can ask a teacher or student for directions. Everyone is happy to help. Soon enough you will get used to the place and be helping other new students.

Am I allowed to wear make-up at Light Hall School?

The simple answer is no. There is no need for girls to wear make-up at school and it is not allowed as part of our uniform. Girls who come into school with make-up on will be given a wipe and told to remove it.

What kind of trainers do you wear for PE? Do girls need to have football boots?

The PE kit list that you will find in your school planner (which you get on your first day at Light Hall) is the definitive list of PE equipment required in the school. PE clothes and shoes are allowed small logos on if the list does not say otherwise. Some kit has to have the Light Hall badge on but the list will say if that is the case. If the list you currently have does not say that girls should have football boots then do not buy any for the time being. If you are unsure about any items, wait until your first PE lesson. You will not be required to bring your PE kit on the first day at Light Hall.

What would you do if, let’s say, I got bullied?

It is a sad fact that there are always some people who are bullies. At Light Hall, the staff do their very best to deal with any bullying that goes on. If you are being bullied or know that someone is being bullied, the most important thing to do is tell someone. You can tell your form tutor or your head of year or the year 7 Pastoral Manager. You can also send me a message and I will pass it onto the right people. When the staff uncover bullying they ensure that the bullying stops immediately, even if that means the bully has to spend their school lessons away from everyone else. Their number one priority is to ensure that everyone feels safe and happy and can enjoy themselves at school.

All my friends say that the school is making a Facebook type page for students at Light Hall. Is this true?

Yes and no. We use a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Frog which students are encouraged to log on to every day. Frog tells you news about what is happening in your year group and provides information from the subjects you study. Frog can also be used to send homework electronically from school to home and back to your teacher. It also allows everyone who logs on to have a profile picture and status updates (a bit like Facebook). Frog has lots of other extra special features, many like the features of Facebook and MSN, but the school has not made them all available yet. So, log on to Frog (with your ordinary network logon name and password) and use it as fully as you can. And remember, it is illegal for anyone under 13 to use Facebook, so until you’re 13 years old, Frog is the next best thing.

Do you have a family to support you, Charlie Bear?

I spend my time in the different year 7 form rooms. The form that has the best attendance and punctuality gets to look after me that week. The students are always pleased to win me.

Do we have pets in the classroom?

What a lovely idea! I have had a look round and can’t see any pets in any rooms at the moment. However, if you think your form room at Light Hall would be brightened up by some easy-to-keep pets then suggest it to your form tutor!