The first day of secondary school is a day that sticks with everyone forever, there are so many different emotions around transition and it is certainly a rollercoaster ride for our children.
From when you receive that letter in April that confirms the school that your child has been allocated your mind will wander to the first day of secondary school. The key is in preparation and in this post, I am going to share how we prepared for the change.
The past few years have been anything but normal for our tweens and their experiences will be different to what previous cohorts have experienced. Yet there are still a number of transitions that all will have in common. There is the ending of primary school and the starting of secondary school. My biggest conversation with Erin was that it was ok to be sad and upset about leaving primary school and those friendships and also to be excited about new adventures that were waiting to happen.
Erin found herself caught between the two emotions and felt conflict around transition. Over the past year, I have made a sustained effort to record the moments that matter in order to capture the high points of year six, so that she will carry those memories on.
Taking the 11+
Year 6 has a number of key priorities for us it started with taking the grammar test otherwise known as the 11+ Preparing for this during lockdown was challenging and it fell to me to get her prepared as best we could. The test was delayed by a month and it took place in October. There were of course nerves surrounding this but Erin took it in her stride – which again shows that she was embracing the challenge and keen to be successful. We celebrated with a meal out after the test, because it was the effort we were celebrating not just the result.
Results came out in November, letting us know that she had passed the threshold for entrance and then it was just a waiting game until national allocation day. If you’d like to read more about Important Info When Preparing for the CEM 11+ or Fail-Proof Atom Learning Resources for Smashing the CEM 11+ click the links. For us preparation was key for more than just the first day of secondary school.
Leaving Celebrations
Thankfully we were able to have a leaving party, this year we tore up the rule book on what had happened before. Gone were the expensive limo rides followed up with a disco. We switched it up and booked go-karts and big games for the playground. We hung bunting in trees and made a magical safe space for our kids to be kids. Chips came from the local chippy and the ice cream van came for cones and lashings of sauces and toppings. The DJ played the tunes outside. The kids wore what they wanted and we had a photographer on hand to capture those moments that matter.
The children were encouraged to be children and after the past 18 months, we wanted to hear them laughing.
These celebrations are important to record with pictures because those friendships will change and many won’t go to the same secondary school. The images we captured can be made into photo books, photo prints or personalised items. It helps keep the memories alive and will be a snapshot of their time at primary school. I love just how creative you can get with personalised products now!
Over the Summer
As the summer holidays rolled around we made the most of day trips with friends. Erin and I went away with her best friend from school. A little holiday where they talked about their time at primary school and talked about starting secondary school.
Preparation for the First Day of Secondary School
A Summer school was facilitated by Erin’s new school because transition days had not happened and we had actually never been around the school summer school helped her find her feet. She met other girls from her tutor group and a whats app chat was quickly made. This helped the girls get to know each other enormously.
At the end of the summer school, the new yr 7’s were able to show us around their new school.
First Day at Secondary School
Taking the bus to school is a big step, especially when a couple of schools share the same bus. Erin was apprehensive about where to sit. For the first three days, I walked her to the bus stop and waited with her. On the fourth morning, I walked but stayed on the other side of the road and watched her get on. Even the bus driver gave me a little as he watched that growing independence. On the 5th day I waved her off from the front door and now I don’t even leave the sofa as she goes! This gradual process gave her confidence and went at Erin’s pace rather than one set by someone else.
Things like trying on school uniforms, packing bags, printing off a copy of their timetable so that you have a spare are all little hacks that help our kids prepare for the first day of secondary school.
All of these firsts have been moments that matter to us as a family and I made sure that I was capturing them on camera. Many of us now leave the photos on our devices but I have made sure that they are printed and put into a memory book of such a special time in her childhood.
One Response
Aww! The leaving celebrations sound fantastic. Who needs limo rides and disco’s when you have go karts and chips.
It sounds like Erin is getting on great getting to school. Getting the bus is such a big step. I hope she has settled in well at school x