If your child is moving into Year 7 this September, you’re probably feeling a little daunted – not least
because our children have had such a turbulent time in the last 18 months. Here are our top tips.
Forward-plan
Find out what your child is looking forward to and what they’re worried about, too, so you have plenty
of time to work out strategies and talk through issues. Familiarity can be comforting, so if you can, do
the route to school together to help your child visualise what it will be like. If your child has to wear a
tie, make sure they know how to tie it – don’t leave it until the first morning of secondary school!
Encourage responsibility
It’s likely your child will have to organise themselves far more than when they were at Primary school.
You can help this by ensuring they get their bag ready the night before and having a homework
schedule on the wall. It’s also a good idea to create a quiet space for them to do their homework –
perhaps this is something you can organise together to encourage a sense of ownership.
Online resources
Have a good look at the school’s website and encourage your son or daughter to do the same. What
is the school layout like, and where do they go for break and lunch? Some schools have pre-paid
cards for this, so make sure you do all that in advance. Follow the school’s social channels; this is
often the best way to quickly get updates and important information.
The jitters
It’s a scary thing to go from being the eldest at school to the youngest, and for many, the transition
can be daunting. A good strategy is to talk about how you felt when you started somewhere new – let
them know it is normal to be nervous. Do encourage them to ask if they don’t know where they are
going or what they are doing and reassure them that everyone else is probably feeling the same!
And finally..
Prepare yourself! You’ll likely have far less contact with the school, and that can be hard. You won’t be
standing in the playground to pick them up, so it’s unlikely you’ll get to know other school mums and
dads either. This is a big step, but trying to hold on to them too much may mean they settle far less
quickly. Children are usually far more resilient than we give them credit for, so trust your child and give
them that space to grow – however difficult that might feel! If you need more structure and think your child might benefit from tutoring, we’re delighted to help.
Get in touch and you’ll get a FREE assessment and FREE first lesson. That way, you can
see if our approach will work for you and your circumstances.