The move to secondary school can be daunting for children (as well as parents!). We understand that there are many questions about how to prepare your child for the next stage of their education. The Choice Home Tutoring team are parents too, and have embarked on this stage with our own children; we can therefore offer some tips and hints to make the transition to secondary school as smooth as possible.
For me, there are 3 C’s which lead to a successful transition from Primary to Secondary. Each of them is just as important as the other, and together, they can make for a smoother transition, allowing children to feel not only ready to make the next move in their educational journey, but excited for it!
Curriculum
Following the academic rigour of preparing for your child’s SATs, there is often a dip in academic achievement within the summer term. Having a six-week learning gap between schools can also be tricky to mitigate. The curriculum should be a key focus, particularly in the summer term, to ensure that children are as confident as they can be with the key skills that underpin the rest of their learning. To support your child’s continuous learning and transition, why not try revision games and take a peek at the curriculum your child will be studying at their secondary school. The Head of Year 7 and the pastoral team will be happy to share this information with you. You can also ask their Year 6 teacher which key skills may require extra support.
Here at Choice, we have a range of summer clubs and tutors on hand to make sure your child is best prepared for September. We also recommend that you obtain a list of key vocabularies required for their new subjects. Helping your child to familiarise themself with these will pay dividends in the next school year and beyond. Another top tip is to take time over the summer to help your child embed their timetables, spelling, punctuation and basic grammar – skills which are not only required for the SATs assessments. The more confident children feel, the quicker they’ll settle in September.
Community
One of the important stages of transition is becoming part of a new school community. Your child’s new secondary school will host welcome days for their new students. These days are so important so your child can immerse themselves in the ethos and culture of their new school as well as making new friends. Over the summer, you could research your child’s new school’s values, policies, and procedures to ensure both you and you child can anticipate what to expect in September. There may even be summer camp opportunities to meet the teaching and pastoral staff.
Communication
Ask your child what they feel they need for their transition and include it whenever possible to give them additional support. You can help your child get excited by arranging a special shopping trip for new stationery, uniform and kit. You could also set up a WhatsApp group with parents from your child’s current school as a source of support and sharing of information.
If you’d like more information or would like to see how Choice Home Tutoring can support your child’s transition, please contact a member of the team at info@choicehometutoring.co.uk