QUADS William, Jack, Rosie and Jamie Smy will present a ‘united front’ today as they start at Gosford Hill Secondary School.

The excited quads, from Kidlington, had a two-hour visit to the school in their home village yesterday and start in earnest today, entering the gates with four school bags, four sports kits and four lunchboxes – leaving parents Nick and Marina exhausted but proud.

Mrs Smy, 46, a teaching assistant at North Kidlington Primary School, said: “It’s been pretty crazy getting all their uniform together and pretty expensive too.

“We’ve been lucky to have had some given to us by friends and also bought by family, but secondary school means blazers and ties and lots of sports kits, plus new shoes all round, trainers, football boots, socks – the list is endless.”

Rosie was looking forward to her new school.

She said: “It will be a complete change from primary school where everything is tiny, but I’m looking forward to having more art and science equipment to use.

“All of my friends are going to Gosford Hill, except one, and all of my brothers will be there, so I’m not nervous, it will just be a change.

“We have all tried on our new uniforms and they are very smart and formal, but quite nice.

“I think we’ll all get used to secondary school quickly and will really enjoy it.”

The quads were born at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital in September 1998, weighing a total of just over 15 pounds.

Mr Smy, a 48-year-old senior driver for a lorry firm, recalled: “I know it’s what everyone says, but it does seem like yesterday they were born and I can still remember how mind-blowing it all was.

“First the doctors told us Marina was growing so quickly because she was further along in her pregnancy than they had earlier thought.

“Then they said it was because she was having triplets and we were amazed, but started choosing names.

“Then they said they had more news and I knew from the doctor’s face it was serious.

“They did another scan and that’s when we saw there were four heartbeats!”

Twelve years later – and now considerably larger – Jack has men’s size seven feet – the children are all Sea Scouts and share a 125cc motorcycle, which they are learning to ride on private land.

They will all be in different forms at Gosford Hill, but will be part of the same school house.

Mrs Smy said: “They are typical 11-year-olds in that they love computers and their mobile phones and sports.

“But they are also close and helpful as well and they know what they want out of life.”

Jack aims to join the Army, William wants to join the RAF, Rosie plans to join the police and Jamie hopes to be an archaeologist or gardener.

Mr Smy added: “We don’t see their moving up a school as sad. Far from it. We see it as the next stage of their education and their exciting lives.”