Transitioning to secondary school can be both exciting and challenging for your child. It’s a significant step in their educational journey, and as a parent, you play a crucial role in helping them settle comfortably.
By following our guide to ‘Helping Your Child Settle Into Secondary School’, you can make this a positive experience for your child.
Help your child get organised
Children are expected to cope with a lot more once they start secondary school. There will be new teachers to meet, unfamiliar subjects to learn and new buildings to navigate. Then, there’s a timetable to remember and making sure they have what they need each school day!
To help you child manage it is essential to be organised. Help them start a new routine of packing their own bag each night with all the necessary school books and any sports kit they need the night before. School mornings are stressful enough and it will take the pressure off knowing everything is ready to go.
The way your child eats at school will change from primary school. Instead of having to follow a set menu they will have more freedom over their lunchtime meals and snacks.
This can be really fun for your child and another step in becoming more independent and making choices for themselves. Encourage your child to take time whilst at school to explore the canteen and the different meals and snack options available to them. Food can be a nice treat in those early days and something to look forward to during a busy school day.
Also, it’s important to make sure that you have set your child up on any necessary payment account systems with their new school. Many now use fingerprints to pay rather than cash. This method links to a school meal payment account where parents can add to a cash balance. Whatever system your child’s school uses make sure you know what to do well in advance. You certainly don’t want your child to have difficulty purchasing food during their first week!
Be prepared to feel a range of emotions
One minute your child will be talking excitedly to friends about their new school. Then,they will be sad at the thought of leaving their primary school and all that has been familiar to them. It can be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster!
Reassure your child that this is natural and that it’s all part of the process of handling big changes in life. Encourage them to talk about any worries and their feelings to help with the transition to secondary school. Learning strategies and how to handle change will help them throughout life.
Both you and your child may feel extra tired and overwhelmed in the first few weeks. Afterall, this is a big change for all the family with new routines and lots of new information to take in and remember. It’s a good idea to make time on the weekends and evenings to unwind and relax. A few early bedtimes would be good too. Although your older child may not be so keen!
How to handle bullying
As awful as it is to think about your child being bullied. It is important that they know what to do if it happens at their new school. In the first few weeks take time together to familiarise yourself with the school’s bullying policies and procedures. Plus, any child safeguarding information.They will be different from any primary schools they have attended.
Make a note of any school contacts and emails that you may need as a parent. So, if the worst happens you know which school staff to approach. Then, you can get the necessary support and help for you and your child to deal with the issue.
Encourage them to build relationships
As a parent of a secondary school child you won’t have the same daily contact you did when they were at primary school. This at first feels strange. There is no meeting up on the school yard outside their classroom and speaking to school staff at pick up time. Secondary school children are encouraged to independently leave school and often make their own way home by walking or via public transport. This is all part of your child growing up and learning to manage things on their own.
Therefore it’s important your child starts to develop the skills to build positive relationships with school staff and other pupils. Without a parent being able to speak to teachers each day at pick up, they need to learn ways to solve problems and get help independently.
Encourage your child to have the confidence to talk to teachers about their schoolwork and any other issues they may be having as a first step. It can be tempting to rush in and help. However, teachers will be happy to have a pupil who is showing the initiative to get help and this will help create a positive relationship with them.
We hope your child settles in to their new school and our guide has helped them. Why not plan some family fun days for the next school holidays? We have loads of ideas on our website.
Enjoy a family game of laser tag, climb high above on a treetop adventure or visit a National Trust house or garden.