Starting Year 7 at Eltham Hill

A: This was one of the questions we both wanted to know when we joined the school. It might seem scary if you are not with anyone from your primary school in your new tutor group, or form, but it is really nothing to worry about.

There are around 220 students in Year 7, and lots of them start off not knowing many people. By the end, you will know lots of lovely new people your own age. You will soon find someone who has similar interests to you.

In September, your new form tutor will do activities with your form to help you and your classmates get to know each other and feel welcomed into the school. This was a really nice experience for us, as we got to find out more about our form and learn about the people in it.

Remember that everyone is in the same position. Most people are friendly and want to make friends in a new school. Even though it might feel daunting to speak to someone for the first time, it gives you a fresh start to meet new people who you will get to know over the next five years.

Our top tip: Just try your best and be brave. Be yourself, smile and say hello. If you see someone on their own, go over and introduce yourself. Be friendly and kind.

These letters are an abbreviation of the school’s name: Eltham Hill School. The letters also stand for the school’s motto: Excellence – Happiness – Success.

A: There are 8 tutor groups or classes for Year 7. These are E, L, T, H, A, M, G, S. These letters spell out ELTHAM Girls’ School. Each class has a trained form tutor who looks after us and registers us at 8:30 every morning and takes us to assemblies. Each form group is a mixed ability class of about 26 or 27 Year 7 students. We have two Year 10 Form Buddies who are allocated their own Year 7 tutor group and they helped us to settle in to EHS and are with us at break and lunch times.

A: The food in our canteen is really good, varied and inclusive, and there is a lot to choose from. We get to be more independent at secondary school and this means we have lots of choices. Every day there is a hot meal, a sandwich and fresh salad selection, as well as a pasta / jacket potato station to choose from, or you can bring a packed lunch from home. We enjoy ‘meat-free Mondays’ as part of caring for the environment and reducing our carbon footprints; it’s also nice for meat eaters to try something different. We also have cultural celebration weeks, so lunches are often focused on different countries so we can celebrate and learn about their culture, food and traditions. We have to put our rubbish in the bins without being asked or reminded, and we have to use the recycling bins to care for our environment. There is a team of midday supervisors on duty at lunch times, and we can ask them for help or have a chat with them too.

A: At Eltham Hill, there are lots of ways you can take part and work as a team. One of the best is the brilliant and free after-school clubs. We think this is one of the best opportunities offered here because it happens all year round and there is something for everyone. There are different sports for different parts of the academic year, for example badminton in winter and cricket in the summer. These clubs let you meet other people in different forms and, in some clubs, even compete against other schools in the area. Lots of people who are less sporty also enjoy more creative clubs. EHS offers an art club, a science club and, if you like drama and want to perform in the school production, there are rehearsals after school. There are also clubs that happen in form time before school, such as book club and eco club. These are just a few of the free clubs available at Eltham Hill.

A: When we started in September, it was hard to find our way around the school at first. This meant we were sometimes late in the first few weeks, but it didn’t take long before we got used to it.

The teachers are really understanding, so it is completely normal to get lost on your way to a lesson at the start of term. There is absolutely no need to stress about it, as you definitely will not be the only one.

You can always ask your friends in your form, your teacher or another student in the school for help.