Helping Your Child Prepare for Secondary School

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Starting secondary school is a big milestone in any child’s education. There will be many new adjustments for your child and you to get used to. Things such as learning their way around a new school, meeting new teachers and making new friends. Children will also need to adjust to a new routine and learn how to become more independent. 

All of these changes can make some children feel overwhelmed. However, there are many ways in which parents can help to prepare their children for secondary school and Surbiton High are here to help with the following advice… 

- Your child is bound to have concerns about starting their new secondary school, so it is important to show your support and be there to listen. Prepare your child as best you can for some of the changes they can expect from senior school, such as having more classes, more homework and exams. Discuss your own positive experiences from secondary school and try encourage your child to focus on the positives and things they are looking forward to at secondary school. 

- It is important to get to know your child’s new school as early as possible. Attend open days and events to allow your child to get to know their way around and try to take your child with you whenever possible so that they get a feel for the school themselves before starting. It is also a good idea to visit the school website to view their prospectuses and read information about uniform and school events. 

- Practice your journey to school to ensure that your child is not late. You and your child do not need to add the stress of rushing, to all the other emotions you may experience on their first day. Getting to know your new route will also help your child to feel more comfortable if they decide to walk to school with friends in the future. Ensure you discuss how your child will get to school as well as having a back up plan in place in case something happens such as heavy rain if they are walking or the bus not turning up if they catch a bus. This way your child won't be worried or anxious about something going wrong as they will know there is always a plan B in place. 

- Let your child know that it is normal to feel nervous on their first day and relate it to a positive experience of your own, such as when you started school or a new job. Perhaps you could plan an event to look forward to at the end of their first week, to celebrate this exciting new milestone. Don't try and brush off their feelings, instead just be a listening ear and let them know that these feelings are totally normal. 

Do you have any tips to help your child adjust to starting secondary school? Share them in the comments below. 

xXx


**This is a collaborative post in which I received a fee.**