The transition from primary to secondary school can have a considerable impact on pupils’ lives. They will be facing many changes such as navigating their way around a new, often larger building, taking on new subjects and meeting new students. It is therefore unsurprising that 65% of pupils have stated that they feel anxious about this time.
Read on for some of the main worries pupils have about their new school and how parents can help to alleviate them;
The new journey
Undertaking a new journey is part and parcel of attending a new school, however the thought of it can be daunting for pupils who are used to the commute to their primary school. Making several trial runs could be beneficial, especially if pupils are faced with a longer journey or using public transport for the first time.
Making friends
The thought of making new friendships is understandably nerve-wracking for some students. Remind your child that, even if they don’t know any of the other children, there will be lots of pupils in the same boat and that there will be extracurricular activities that they can get involved in where they can meet pupils with common interests.
Bullying
Many pupils are worried that they will encounter bullies at their new school, fears that may well be justified with statistics showing that 46% of children have been bullied at some point. Discuss any worries that your child might have and reassure them of the different steps that can be taken if they do encounter bullies.
Ask your child if they’re worried about anything
Different children may find different aspects of the transition stressful and your child could be worried about something that would never even have occurred to you. Therefore it is important to talk to your child about how they’re feeling about the move in order to understand any specific fears that they might have.
Connect offer workshops for schools to help pupils with the transition from primary to secondary school; email us for more information.
