How to prepare for senior school

HIGHER Education is a big step in your child’s life. It means more independence, more responsibility and new opportunities for them to become the adult they want to be. A step like this requires some preparation, the first one is selecting the right school.

When considering the right senior school, think about the type of school that is best-suited for your child. To do this, you can visit the schools that you are considering and take time to speak to the pupils and the teachers when you are there, most schools have open days that prospective pupils can visit. You can also check out their websites, have a look at their social media and gauge what kind of atmosphere and ethos the school has. Overall, trust your instincts, does the school feel right? Simon Wright, a previous governor of three schools, has tips for parents to help prepare their children for a higher education.

Preparing your child to move from primary school to secondary can be a very difficult transition for some children. They are starting to get more independent and it can be a very critical time for some young people. As a parent, it is understandable you want to help your child as much as possible, however sometimes, the best thing you can do to help them is to let them make mistakes and learn from them.

Moving to a new school can be one of the scariest moments of your child’s life, they are leaving behind, sometimes, all of their friends to enter a whole new environment.

As a parent, you can encourage your child to be excited about a new start.

Get them excited about all the new extra curricular activities at the school, use their interests to get them excited about all the opportunities they will have. Do they have sports that the old school didn’t? Do they offer a different sort of club like cooking or drama?

It is equally as important to make your child feel at ease about their first day, starting a new school is scary and exciting at the same time. To ease their anxiety you should try to talk to your child about their new school in the lead up to the first day. Make sure to mention all the things they have to look forward to, but also encourage them to share any worries they may have.

You can offer some advice, however bear in mind they may not take it.

If one step of your child’s new found independence is getting to school by themselves, you can walk the route with them a few times before school starts and make sure they feel comfortable doing it by themselves. Equally, if they are getting a school bus, walk to the bus stop and make sure they know what time the bus comes.

There are many ways you can prepare for a new education path, and any preparation will make the big day easier!