{"id":8969,"date":"2013-09-05T14:18:52","date_gmt":"2013-09-05T14:18:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kidstart.co.uk\/blog\/?p=8969"},"modified":"2014-03-24T12:57:21","modified_gmt":"2014-03-24T12:57:21","slug":"successful-transition-tips-to-secondary-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidstart.co.uk\/blog\/successful-transition-tips-to-secondary-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Successful transition tips to secondary school"},"content":{"rendered":"

At this time of year, I work with many parents and children aboard the magical mystery bus that is heading for big school. They’ve swapped familiar faces and favourite teachers for bigger buildings and even bigger children.<\/h3>\r\nSecondary school is a symbolic step towards adulthood and autonomy \u2013 the process of leaving childhood behind can be overwhelming for both children and their families.\r\n\r\nIf your child is making the transition from primary to secondary, this September,\r\n\r\nit\u2019s important to be aware of the impact this can have on you and your family. For some, it can be an exciting and enriching change, but for others a difficult and uncertain period.\r\n

The signs of a successful transition<\/h3>\r\nThere are a few tell-tale signs that will help you gauge how well your child is settling into their new school.\r\n\r\nMaking new friends and showing an interest in work<\/strong><\/span> will indicate a settled start to their new school life, this, in turn, will raise their self-esteem and boost their confidence.\r\n\r\nEasing into a daily routine with little drama would also suggest a smooth transition<\/strong> and will bring continuity to your child\u2019s learning.\r\n\r\nFeeling comfortable in their environment<\/strong> and support with lessons or homework are essential, as are a general relaxing of normal school rules within the early weeks. Children are more likely to relax into their new environment if they receive the right level of help and support from the school.\r\n\r\nTrying to gauge your child\u2019s understanding of the points above isn\u2019t easy. On one hand it\u2019s important not to smother them, enabling them to find their feet, but nevertheless, asking them how they feel things are going will give you an insight into their transition and also the school\u2019s approach to supporting them.\r\n

But there are things you can do to help your child, and things you can think about that will help your child adjust.<\/span><\/h3>\r\nStart by helping them build confidence. Settling in well is all about self-esteem. The more confident your child is, the easier they\u2019ll find it to make new friends, and the less likely they are to be influenced by others and led astray. By simply paying them daily compliments it will help develop confidence that will manifest at school.\r\n\r\nGive them an opportunity to express their fears. Your child is probably anxious and worried their fears aren\u2019t valid. Talk through how they can overcome their fears in the event they become reality.\r\n\r\nMake sure they have emergency money and credit on their mobile phone \u2013 if it’s allowed in school\r\n\r\nGently encourage them to join lunchtime or after-school clubs \u2013 a great way to make friends.\r\n\r\nPractise the route to school beforehand. It\u2019s important to discuss potential scenarios, eg. if they miss the school bus, what they will do? Or you\u2019re running late and won\u2019t be at home, where can they wait?\r\n\r\nGet up earlier during the last week of the holidays so that early starts for school aren’t a shock to the system.\r\n\r\nThink about any changes you might need to make at home so they have the time, space and energy for homework: what hours can they watch TV; what time is dinner; when does homework begin? Check-in with the school to see if they have any suggestions\r\n\r\nIn the early days you should check their homework diary daily and, if it looks empty, check with other parents or the school. Your child may simply forget to write it down.\r\n\r\nFinally, allow a good few weeks to settle in. It\u2019s important to know who to contact for any situation, and the school’s preferred means of contact. A few simple steps can really help your child hit the ground running and have a happy year 7.\r\n

If you need any help or support please contact Al via his practice at http:\/\/www.counsellingandtherapy.org<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h3>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At this time of year, I work with many parents and children aboard the magical mystery bus that is heading for big school. They’ve swapped familiar faces and favourite teachers for bigger buildings and even bigger children. Secondary school is a symbolic step towards adulthood and autonomy \u2013 the process of leaving childhood behind can","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8970,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3503],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-great-family-life-tips","category-parenting-advice-from-parents"],"yoast_head":"\r\nSuccessful transition tips to secondary school - KidStart Magazine<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kidstart.co.uk\/blog\/successful-transition-tips-to-secondary-school\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Successful transition tips to secondary school - KidStart Magazine\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At this time of year, I work with many parents and children aboard the magical mystery bus that is heading for big school. 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