Big school, big pencils …
This week marks the transition to secondary school for thousands of young people across Trafford. Most children absolutely love Year 7: it’s a time of discovery when they are introduced to many new subjects and gain a degree of independence. It’s an exciting time, but it can also be stressful and overwhelming. You can help your child settle in happily if you keep your eye on a few key areas.
Organisation
In every Year 7 class there are always one or two unfortunates who insist on carrying around half their bodyweight in books and PE kit on their back. These are the children who don’t have the organisational skills to work out what they need each day. They spend half their lessons sifting through mountains of murky bag-stuff, hunting hopefully for a homework sheet that all too often turns out to have been annihilated by a forgotten banana. DON’T LET YOUR CHILD BE THAT CHILD!
Your child will be issued with a planner (or journal or diary – schools use different names). This is where they will keep their timetable and write homework tasks. Get them into the habit of emptying their bag each night and checking their planner for books and equipment needed the following day.
Lots of children don’t bother to write in their planner: parents are generally expected to check and sign the planner weekly, and it is important to do this, as teachers sometimes send messages home via the planner.
Homework and Class Work
You are probably wondering whether your child will cope with the work in Year 7. With so many new subjects the homework can really mount up. Add to this the tiring effects of finding your way around a large, unfamiliar building and getting used to lots of new teachers (who often seem rather severe at first!) and you may find your Year 7 child can get rather stressed. It is vital to keep on top of this because there is a pronounced dip in attainment in Year 7.
Talk to your child about school at the end of each day and check they are keeping up. Secondary teachers don’t have as much time as primary teachers to speak to parents (many teach over 200 students per week) but they are almost always as keen as you are to help your child settle in, so raise any concerns you have via the planner, a phone call or the Head of Year (or Pastoral Manager – again, schools use a lot of different titles for these).
Homework is a major source of stress in Year 7 and the scope and amount can be overwhelming. Make it easier on your child by helping them organise their homework schedule. They will often have a full week in which to complete individual pieces of homework, so help them spread it out over a few nights.
Bear in mind, though, that your Year 7 child should be growing more independent, so aim to have them organise their own homework schedule (under your watchful eye) by Christmas or thereabouts.
The Emotional Side of Transition to Secondary School
Transition to secondary school can be tough emotionally. This is especially the case if your child is not going to be going to the same school as many of their friends. In Trafford we have a fairly harsh system whereby some children go off to grammar school, others attend faith schools such as St Antony’s and most of the rest of them enter into single sex education at Wellacre or Flixton Girls’ (Stretford and Lostock High being the exceptions in Urmston and Stretford). This does mean that many children are taken away from their friends at a time of transition.
How can you make the situation easier? Firstly, you can reassure your child that they will be able to keep in touch with their friends, whichever school they go to. You can facilitate this by arranging to have their friends round at the weekends.
Secondly, remember that they are unlikely to be the only Year 7 student who has been separated from their friends. Speak to your child’s form tutor or Head of Year and let them know your concerns. They can keep a special eye on your child and if they don’t make friends quickly (although most of them do), they can give other members of the class a discreet nudge in their direction.
You can be reassured that secondary teachers are very aware of how difficult it can be for Year 7 students to settle in. They will be monitoring the children in their care and making sure they settle in.
Finally, if your child needs a little boost, in confidence, maths science and/ or English, contact Better Tuition to book a FREE assessment and some lessons in our friendly, professional tuition centre in the heart of Urmston.
Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
