The Transition to Secondary School

How to help your child through the challenges.

The end of the academic year for our Year 6 students brings excitement, anticipation and a whole load of fun! The summer is ahead and we can’t wait! Let’s put the year behind us and focus on all the excitement yet to come! High school is approaching, meaning that things are REALLY about to change.

We can’t ignore that with this change comes new challenges. Challenges that us tutors know all too well. But we are here to help!

Help! I’m lost!

One of the main differences between Year 6 and Year 7 is that for most schools, children don’t have just one classroom! Your child will be expected to move from classroom to classroom independently, maybe even line up outside, and most importantly not be late! This challenge brings with it an awful lot of anxiety for our new Year 7 students, so what we recommend is before the term begins, see if you can attend an open day, or take a look around the school! Introduce some form of familiarity for your child’s first day and maybe even talk them through a school map! We imagine that teachers will understand this scary transition, and there will be a small amount of teething time, but try to make sure your child understands exactly what is expected of them.

Can we be friends?

Unfortunately, this is the one that our students generally fear the most. New schools mean new students, which can create amazing friendships, conflicts or even bullying. This fear of making new friends is completely understandable, so we advise students to get stuck in, be yourself, and most importantly try to find common interests! This could be in the form of extra curricular activities like sports, chess club or even school debate.

What am I supposed to be doing now?

The transition from Year 6 to Year 7 not only brings a new school and new students, but also a massive change in routine. Your child will be expected to be in charge of their own learning by following timetables, completing large amounts of homework, and maybe even catching the school bus. One way to do this is to help your child take as much care of their school planners as possible. It should become their “go-to” for organisation! Writing down homework, following their timetables, writing notes or even noting contact information! A good planner usually means an organised student, which can be crucial to enjoying the school year.

These tips are just the tip of the iceberg for transitioning from Year 6 to Year 7 and hopefully there will be LOADS of support… But our biggest tip - ENJOY YOURSELF!