Year 6 Transition to Secondary School
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Year 6 Transition to Secondary School The move from Year 6 to Secondary School has always been a significant step in a child’s journey. It’s a big move and a daunting one. PARENTS AND CARERS As a parent, you may ask yourself, how can I support my child and prepare them for that next step over the summer holidays? 1) See below for, 5 Tips For Parents. o Save the Date and get Connected o Friendships and Relationship Building o Mobiles and Money o Journeys and Routines o Independence 2) Explore these useful websites for more tips, ‘What to Expect’ videos and suggestions from secondary school children, teachers and other professionals: o https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbr7rj6 - Parental survival guide & cheat sheet o https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z4k8bdm - Supporting a child moving to secondary school with Dr Radha o https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zhqbxyc - Mr Burton’s top 5 tips for mobile phone and online safety o https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zkb747h - SEND and Secondary School - 5 top tips from an experienced inner city secondary school special educational needs co-ordinator, SENDCo. o https://www.mumsnet.com/education/starting-secondary- school - What does good transition into Year 7 really look like? YEAR 6 CHILDREN 1) Explore these useful websites for more tips, ‘What to Expect’ videos and suggestions from secondary school children, teachers and other professionals: o https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/tags/zh4wy9q/starting- secondary-school/1 - general advice, tips, what to expect and videos. o https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zdwgmfr - Are you Secondary School ready? Take this quick quiz to find out how to get ready. 2) YOUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS Explore your school’s websites: find them on a map (plan your journey), take a virtual tour, see what a school day looks like, hear from current student and teachers. o ARK All Saints Academy - https://arkallsaintsacademy.org / https://arkallsaintsacademy.org/life-school/aasa- way/day-life-scholar o ARL Globe Academy - https://arkglobe.org/school- life/life-ark-globe-year-7s o ARK Walworth Academy - https://walworthacademy.org o Notre Dame School - https://www.notredame.southwark.sch.uk o Oasis Academy Southbank - https://www.oasisacademysouthbank.org o University Academy of Engineering South Bank - https://www.uaesouthbank.org.uk o St Saviour’s and St Olave’s School - http://www.ssso.southwark.sch.uk o St Gabriel’s College - http://www.saintgabrielscollege.org o Platanos College - http://www.platanoscollege.com o Harris Academy Bermondsey - https://www.harrisbermondsey.org.uk , https://hab- insight.blog (student blog) o Harris Girls’ Academy East Dulwich - https://www.harrisdulwichgirls.org.uk , https://www.harrisdulwichgirls.org.uk o Harris Boys’ Academy East Dulwich - https://www.harrisdulwichboys.org.uk o Lilian Baylis Technology School - https://www.lilianbaylis.com o The City of London Academy - https://www.cityacademy.co.uk o Spa School - https://spa-education.org o Archbishop Tenisons - https://www.tenisons.com o Leigh Academy - https://leighacademy.org.uk Starting Secondary School 5 TIPS FOR PARENTS AND CARERS 1. Save The Date and Get Connected Secondary schools will vary in how they involve parents in Year 7 transition but most will offer induction events for new pupils and parents. Make sure you attend and take the opportunity to meet key staff, fellow parents and learn how to stay plugged in to school communications. Find out who your child’s Form Tutor and Head of Year will be. One of the biggest changes to get used to at secondary school is the shift from one class teacher to a variety of subject teachers. Knowing who to reach out to when you need to is crucial. 2. Friendships and Relationship Building Whether your child is moving to a school where they will know plenty of others or not, set aside some time to discuss friendship building and the importance of managing new relationships in the first few weeks of term. Like any large group of people coming together for the first time, relationship dynamics will be changeable. Encourage your child to keep an open mind and avoid looking for that one ‘best friend’ in the first few weeks. Instead, support them to find the confidence to be open to getting to know as many people as possible before fixing themselves to a particular group. Getting involved in the extra-curricular life of the school can be a good way to make this happen. Find out what clubs might be on offer and encourage your child to try a couple they like the sound of. 3. Mobiles and Money If you do not already have a mobile phone arrangement with your child, now is the time to get one in place. Many primary school leavers will already be mobile savvy but not all of them. The consideration should not just be whether or not your child should have a mobile phone but what type: internet enabled smart-phone or a more basic model for calls and texts only? What is the school policy on mobiles? When are you happy for the phone to be used and for what purpose? The UK Council for Child Internet Safety offers helpful guidance on this. The role of money is also worth considering. How much cash will your child need each week and how do you expect it to be spent? A family agreement or contract on these issues can be an effective way of establishing clear parameters from the outset. 4. Journeys and Routines Make sure your child is well-informed and confident about their new journey to and from school. This is especially important for children travelling to and from school alone for the first time. If public transport is involved, take a few practice journeys and talk about contingency plans. What would happen if…? This is a good way to pre-empt possible stressful situations before they arise. Be clear that you trust your child to make the right decision but also be honest with them about the need to be streetwise and protect both themselves and their belongings. Carrying cash and a mobile phone for the first time needs to be carefully managed to avoid attracting unwelcome attention. It is also wise to get your child back into a good bedtime routine the fortnight before term starts to avoid a big shock to the system. 5. Embrace the Independence One of the biggest ways parents can support their children to make the move from Year 6 to Year 7 is to recognise and accept that it represents a change in childhood independence. Face to face parental contact with school staff will reduce significantly. Your child will have to navigate a varied school timetable, a wider range of homework tasks and a number of wide-spanning deadlines. As a parent, the best thing you can do is empower your child by laying the groundwork of preparations over the summer and then taking a step back to support from the .