School Transitions

Although the first day of Primary school is possibly the biggest milestone of your child's life, making the transition from Primary to Secondary school carries its own set of challenges and worries for all children. With this transition comes a complete restructure of your child’s routine and schooling.

The first worry a child will face is the possible dispersal of friendship groups.  This can be dependent on the style of secondary chosen by their parents and those of their friends.  With such a wide range of secondary education choices, from Grammar to Comprehensive to Religious, there is a good chance they will not end up attending the same school as all their friends. Most children make it through the first 6 years of their schooling with almost the same class group they joined with in Year 1, rarely having to make new friendships, so filtering into a main stream secondary school can be a sensory overload with not just a new setting but lots of new faces. A good way to prepare a child for Secondary School and equip them with the skills and confidence they need to make new friends and mix easily is to encourage them to take part in clubs or play schemes over the summer holidays.

One of the biggest differences when moving up to Secondary school is the change in teaching and lesson structures.  Through their early years they will have been taught by one teacher in the same class room for an entire academic year but the secondary structure is made up by each subject having its own teachers and class room, meaning the children must move from class to class. Although most schools will provide the children with a map and schedule before the start of the school year, this can still  be very confusing and stressful. This being the case they might find it helpful for you to sit with them and go over the different lessons and routes to prepare them mentally. If they have a good knowledge of their classes and routes before they start it will make them feel much more confident and at ease.

Children can also find the major increase in information and workload very overwhelming. Supporting them to manage their homework can reduce the stress. Work out with them an achievable schedule for working at home that will allow them to have their wind down time too, and encourage them to seek help on anything they don’t understand or need explaining more thoroughly.

The main thing to remember is that, although your child is used to the learning process away from home, the secondary school experience is very different to that of the primary school. As a parent you can help smooth the transition by supporting and understanding the needs of your child, listen to their fears and discuss solutions. Preparing them for the change in a calm and relaxed way so they understand it will make a big difference, and help them feel confident that they are being supported through  the process.