Oh my, secondary school already! Where has the time gone! We’ve come up with five top tips to help you get ready for your child to start secondary school.
In the UK children start typically start their secondary school education aged 11.
They will take a wider range of subjects than they did at primary school and finish their secondary education with GCSEs, when they are 16. But it’s certainly not time to worry about those yet!
Keep reading for our starting secondary school tips . . .
1) Prepare your child for a change in routine
The school day will vary from what your child was used to at primary school. They may have to get up earlier to catch a school bus and have to do a bit of homework at the end of the day too.
It’s a good idea to make them aware of this before they start so it isn’t too much of a shock. And you and your child will both need a good night’s sleep before their first day!
2) Make sure they know how to get to school
Is your child going to be walking or cycling to school on their own for the first time? Make sure they have a few practise runs to check they can get there in time and most importantly safely.
Even if you are driving them to school it is well worth doing a trial run to see how long it will take you. Remember it will be busier in peak school time traffic.
If your child is catching a bus to school tell them where they need to wait and what they should do if the bus does not arrive.
3) Be ready to give your child more independence
According to the website family lives, which you can visit here, you need to be ready to give your child more independence when they start secondary school.
The website says: “Try and resist the temptation to do everything. Your child needs to learn to manage their time efficiently and they won’t do it if you get everything ready for them.”
4) Stay connected with the school
The Family Lives website also recommends checking your child’s homework diary on a weekly basis so you can keep in the loop about what’s going on at the school.
You may also want to sign up to any text or email updates from your child’s school.
5) Listen to how your child feels about their new school
Starting secondary school can be an incredibly big deal for your child! They will be meeting new children and teachers as well as learning lots of new things.
Make time to talk to your child when they finish school each day to check they are settling in okay and if they have any worries.
