Starting secondary school is a very significant milestone in a child’s life. Secondary schools are usually much bigger than primary schools. The children have to navigate their own individual timetable, move around to different lessons and meet many different teachers. They will go from being the oldest in the school, to now the youngest and will likely be getting much more homework to do. So what can you do to help their transition to Selly Park Girl’s School?

Talk

This sounds very obvious, but speaking with your child about any concerns or worries they have is really important. It keeps them from bottling up worries and gives you a chance to reassure them. Should they have any concerns or worries please communicate them back to your daughter's Head of Year, Miss Stott. 

Organisation and independence

Encouraging organisation and independence is really important at this point. At secondary school we expect our students to have the correct equipment every day; Planner, pen, pencil, ruler, rubber and any specific subject books required for their lessons. Teach your child to check their timetable every evening and pack their bags before they go to bed, including PE Kits and any homework due, as well as laying out their uniform.

For some households it works to have some sort of rota for when they do school work, when they relax and wash etc. If you encourage your child to come up with the rota they are more likely to stick to it. Resist the urge to do everything for your child, now is the time for them to be taking responsibility and organising themselves. Some children will be walking to school or getting buses. It's good practice to plan out which route your child will take to and from school and where possible, do a practice run to get them familiar with their surroundings. 

Social skills

Talk to your child about what makes a good and bad friendship and help them understand how to be friendly and approachable by smiling at people and asking others to join in their games. Encourage your child to talk to others who seem shy and lonely. Although, your child may be coming from a school with some of their friends, it is likely that they won’t be in lessons with their existing friends and so it’s very important to continue developing friendship skills. Lunch time and after-school clubs are a fantastic way to meet like-minded people so where possible please encourage your child to join extra-curricular activities.

Being safe

Talk to your child about online safety with regards to social media. Talk about personal safety if they are walking to school or catching a bus, they need to be fully aware of road safety.

Talk to school

If you are concerned about anything, please contact the school and speak to your child’s Head of Year (Miss Stott) in the first instance. We have high expectations for behaviour and attitude to learning so it is important to back that up at home.

Home Learning

Home Learning is important for students to develop their understanding and expand their knowledge. Please make sure your child has a suitable place to complete any home learning, away from distractions. I would always advise to do home learning on the day it has been set, that way it is fresh in the mind. However, your child may have other commitments that prevents that, but finding time to do home learning is very important. At Selly Park our LDC (Learning Development Centre) is open after school everyday between 3:05-5pm (times may differ due to COVID) whereby pupils have access to computer, printers and a quiet, supervised space to complete any given work.

Keeping in touch

We pride ourselves on keeping in contact with parents & carers. It would be brilliant to keep in touch with school by checking our Website and twitter page which are updated regularly.

We publish communications through ParentMail and often through our twitter account so please ensure you keep your contact details up to date with the school. It is essential for you to create a parentmail account, details will be given out. Our twitter account is @sellyparkgirls and we regulary update on feed with news and pictures of pupils work. We have many parents evenings and progress  days throughout the year so it is vital to attend these. Dates will be given out with plenty of notice. 

Rest

It is really important to schedule in some downtime. The first few days and weeks of secondary school can be very exhausting for your child and they might be grumpy and tired. Help your child to relax by doing something they enjoy, whether that’s getting outside for some exercise or watching a film together. Make sure your daughter is getting plenty of sleep every night and encourage them to keep in contact with friends.

Summer Checklist

• Buy uniform and PE kit in plenty of time (www.mansuri.co.uk) 
  
• Put your child’s name on everything - this helps if they misplace something
• If your daughter will be travelling to and from school via bus then arrange a bus pass (if support is needed please contact the school on enquiry@sellyparkgirls.org) 
• Ensure your child has all the equipment they need
• Have a family calendar or daily planner in your kitchen. Write key school events on, after school clubs and family events.
• Have a copy of your child’s timetable pinned up somewhere accessible. (They will be given this on the first week of secondary school)
• In the last week of the holidays, think about earlier bed times and earlier get-ups to get them back into a routine.

It is very important to stay in touch with the latest updates from school, so please check Parent Mail accounts and our website frequently.

Please contact Transition Teacher, Miss Darwood on transition@sellyparkgirls.org if you have any questions. We look forward to working with you and your daughter soon.