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we have kept Simba's birth name and just tacked mine on the end partly because it represents his African heritage and I didnt want him to lose that. But then we have no security issues and his first name is very distinctive so its not so much of a problem for us. I'm not sure that she needs to say anything to her class mates. Simba is 9 and isn't aware of anyone else's surname. I go into a few primaries regularly and I only ever see first names on coat pegs etc. Why don't you check with school to see how often surnames are used and how aware the children are of them- might not be as much of a problem as you think

and congratulations on adoption day. You made it mummy !!!

Congratulations! I can't help much as my eldest was 6 when she came to us and had been anxious about people knowing she was adopted when she changed her surname, which we used as a reason for her to be "known" by our surname from the start. However, my experience is like Serrakunda's - the children rarely use surnames (only where two children share a first name, and there is a Zoe B and a Zoe H or whatever). Practically I'd work with the school to make sure everything changes at once - so school books if they have her surname, clothing name tags etc. Perhaps you could print off some sticky labels with her new name and a picture she likes to put onto her books? As for why it is changing, how about "so that all my family have the same surname"? LB BTW, her not wanting people to know she was adopted had all changed by the time she was 7 or 8, by which stage she was telling everyone!