Get Organised

Schools will have a moving up day. This is time spent at their new school and a chance to meet teachers and other children. It is a chance to get to know the new school and find their way around. Children usually feel a bit more confident after this.

Getting Lost

• Often schools will give a map of the school and classrooms.
• Reassure your child they can ask for help with finding their way around.

Getting to School 

• Work out how your child will be getting to school. There might be other children taking the same route.
• You could practice getting the bus or walk to the school together a few times before they start.

Uniform and Equipment

• Make sure your child has the right school uniform and equipment they need in time for starting school. You could shop for these together.
• Shop together for school bag, note books or pencil case. This will give you a chance to talk about the new school.
• Get you child to practice packing their school bag and checking they have what they need.

If this is a big money worry for your family, talk to your child’s school for advice or you can contact your local Council’s Early Help Teams.

Lunches

• Think about whether your child will have school meals or packed lunches. This will help you get organised.
• Talk about healthy choices with your child. This will help them when more choice is available at lunch and break times than might have been at their primary school.

Routines

• Try and maintain a healthy sleep routine. Try and turn off TV’s, phones and games consoles an hour before bedtime.
• You might be a bit more relaxed about bedtimes in the holidays. In the last week of the summer holidays try to get back to a good routines and bedtimes. It helps to stick to this at weekends too.
• Get your child used to organising themselves when they go out during the summer to practice and grow their confidence.

Making Friends

Many schools have buddy systems where other pupils look out for a new child. This helps Year 7 children to make new friends, feel included in activities and offer support in the classroom.

Think about your child joining clubs where other children are moving up to the same school. It helps to see some familiar faces. Once your child has settled in, they might like to join some after school activities to help make friends with the same interests.

Active Norfolk has some low cost sport clubs. These are often held in secondary schools and some also run during the school holidays.

If you notice your child is low in mood and you’re worried about their friendships and bullying, the following pages might help;

Friendships

Relationships

Anti-Bullying

Additional Needs

If your child has additional needs you may have different feelings about your child starting secondary school. While the basic needs of all 10/11 year olds will be the same, you will know if extra support is needed. Talk to the SENDCo about extra planning and moving up days.

Speak to your child’s new school about their plans to help your child settle. Tell them what your child struggles with and what helps. You could ask:

• What extra help is there for your child?
• Is there a safe place they can go if they are worried?
• Can they have extra help with finding their way around?
• Will they have smaller groups they can work in?
• Who should you contact if you have worries?

Find tips and resources from The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities

Read more about your child’s rights in education from Mencap's

Find out more tips on helping your child move up to secondary school

Other Top Tips

• Talk about any family routines that will need to change – maybe your child will have to let themselves into the house for the first time?
• Have times over the holidays when you can put thinking about new school to one side – maybe a day at the park with a picnic or playing out with friends.
• If problems do come up for your child in the early days let school know. They will want to make this a positive time for your child.
• Give your child the chance to talk about their day when they are ready. Most children don’t feel very chatty when they first get home.
• Help your child workout a homework plan and find a quiet place for them to do it.
• Tell your child that you are proud of them and how they are trying their best.

Your Own Feelings

You may have good or bad memories about your own move to high school. Either way your child’s experience will be different. You can be reassured that schools today are much more tuned in, to what helps children make the move positively.

• You could talk about your own experiences of moving school, maybe get out some old photographs. Your child will enjoy seeing you at the same age as them!
• Remember whatever happened for you, it might be different for your child. Let them know you will be there to hear all about it; the good and the bad.