Current Year 5

Angus
When I left first school I felt a bit anxious- Chantry was a lot bigger than my first school! After my visit I was really excited about the big sports shed because I like doing sports, especially football, basketball and rugby. I was excited about meeting my new teacher and getting my own locker. The rooms are on different floors which was different and I was thrilled to move around the school and use the stairs....The highlights of my year were the trips and all the sports clubs. I loved going to the school discos and enjoyed hanging out with my new friends.

Molly
After meeting all my teachers, staff and just a few friends on transition day, I was assured I would not be sad nor alone in my new school. Last year we had transition days on different days, because there were so many soon to be year 5s from different schools, so I didn't meet all my friends until the first day back either. After that first day, I knew year five was gonna be amazing! I started to get excited about my new school and all the clubs, amazing trips, my new classroom, computer rooms, tuck shop at break, meeting new friends and seeing who would be in my form class.I was also hoping my English teacher would like my handwriting enough to give me my pen licence which I got after a few weeks.

Charlie
I was really excited on my first day to make new friends but I was worried in case I got lost or went somewhere I wasn't supposed to be. On the first day of Year 5 I made a lot of friends and everyone was really helpful. I enjoyed meeting my new classmates too and we played lots of ‘getting to know you’ games and team building exercises. After the first term I started to understand where everything was and make even more new friends- since there's a lot of people, it's really easy to make friends and people who like the same things you do. Once I knew what school trips were planned I felt thrilled. I overcame many worries such as getting lost….There's so much to do, so I can reassure everyone who is coming to Chantry Middle School that they will love it in every single way because there's always something you will like.

Isla
During my first term I thought the school was so big and daunting but soon came to realise that it is amazing and I settled into a routine very quickly. When I didn’t know where my lessons were or my way around the school I asked the teachers and they gave me great advice! I was also excited because we got planners (otherwise known as a school diary) to help us around the school and use it in lessons! I use my planner for everything- it really helps me stay organised with homework and my parents can write messages to the teacher too.

Aidan
Over the summer holidays I was looking forward to all the new things I would do at Chantry that were different from my first school, such as attend new trips and try the many different clubs. I knew I would have a wider range of lessons such as Food Technology, Woodwork and Music which I was excited about. I enjoyed trying on my new uniform and PE kit and felt very grown up….Some things that took a bit of getting used to for me were the different lunch sittings; however, the staff let you know when it’s your turn and Year 5 is allowed to have first sitting for the first few weeks which is awesome! Another thing I found tricky was keeping track of my possessions. During a school day you have to keep a reading book, planner, water bottle and a pencil case with you at all times. It’s easiest to keep one folder to put all things into.

Daniel
When you come to Chantry you can look forward to things such as clubs, discos, dress up days, whole-school non uniform days, charity fundraising events and visits from different authors and companies. You might be worried about coming to a bigger school and not knowing lots of people, but it’s not that scary- everyone is friendly and it doesn’t take long at all to get used to!

Nathan
Everyone told me ‘it’ll be OK’, ‘it’ll be fine’ when I was about to start at Chantry, and I thought that they were just saying that to try to make it easier, but it really is OK. I get to see my friends at break times (if I don’t see them in class). The teachers are really nice, and supportive: they will help you if you need help and you can always talk to them. The lessons are interesting and there are loads of clubs, both after school and at lunch time. You can do karate, tennis and football as well as a whole load more. I did a coding club just before lockdown, and it was fantastic. You really will enjoy Chantry. Try not to worry about coming here. You will still have your friends and you will meet new ones. Everyone on day one is in the same position. I am sure you will have fun.