How to prepare for secondary school

The summer before children start secondary school can be a daunting time, for kids and parents alike. There could be mixed feelings, excitement at one moment and apprehension the next. Thankfully there are many tips for making this transition as stress-free as possible. Here are some ways to soothe those worries:

The journey to school

One of the major concerns for children is the complete change in morning routine. Whichever mode of transport you’ll be using to get to and from school, it’s a good idea to practise the route a few times to familiarise your child with it. If you plan to drive, practise at least once at the right time of day during term-time so you can anticipate where hold-ups or congestion might occur.

If your child is catching a school bus, walk with them to the bus stop and arrange for them to meet a friend there. School bus services are excellent and highly reliable, so you have nothing to worry about as a parent. For school routes and Coach hire Gloucester, consider Coach hire Gloucester service by John Dix Travel

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Chat with your child about what to do if they lose their bus pass or miss the bus etc. Have an older student or sibling reassure them that everything will become normal and easy to understand in a short space of time.

Organisation

Another large cause of worry for new Year 7 pupils is the need to read timetables and locate classrooms. As soon as possible, get your child to copy out their timetable and hang it up at home so you can all get used to the codes, different coloured exercise books and additional kit that’s needed on certain days, like PE kit or cooking ingredients.

Children are expected to remember to bring their books on the relevant day, so you’ll likely need some storage space at home for their stuff. A set of plastic drawers or storage boxes are a good idea, one for each day so they can immediately put their hand on what they need.

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New uniform

Involve your child in choices about the right rucksack for their books and you’ll probably have to give in (if you haven’t already) and purchase a mobile phone for them. They are at least good for keeping in contact in case of emergency. Make sure you are aware of the school policy regarding the use of mobile phones.

When purchasing uniform, remember not to do it too early as your child will grow over the summer. If you do buy early to be organised, don’t remove labels in case you need to exchange items at the end of August.

Making Friends

Talk to your child about how everyone will be feeling the same way when they start secondary school. Don’t worry if they don’t bond with anyone immediately as friendships take time to form. Encourage them to immerse themselves in school life and join clubs etc.