Starting school is an exciting milestone for children and families. It is a time of considerable change as you and your child develop new routines, explore a new educational environment, meet new people and make new friends. Parents play an important role in preparing children for a successful transition to school. The following resources will assist you during this exciting time.

Resources

Videos
Welcome to Our Catholic School
Preparing Your Child for Primay School
The Importance of Play for Transition

Supporting PDF Resources
Is Your Child Ready for School?
Welcome to Our Catholic School
Preparing Your Child for Primary School
The Importance of Play for Transition

For many children and their families the move to secondary school represents a significant transition between childhood and adolescence. It can be a time of excitement and anticipation but this is often mixed with feelings of uncertainty and fear.

As a parent, you want to help your child to experience the excitement while keeping stress or anxiety to a minimum. Here are 5 tips for helping your child experience a smooth transition to secondary school.

#1 Tune into Feelings
Most young people experience mixed feelings about starting secondary school. They might be nervous, excited, quiet, joyous, unsettled. Whatever your child is experiencing, the best way to respond is to:

• Allow them to experience the emotion. Don't try to suppress or distract them from it.
• Empathise and show you understand how they feel.
• Discuss specific concerns and plan together how they might respond. For example brainstorm what they could do if they get lost between classes or are in classes without any familiar friends.
• Connect and spend time together with family and friends so they know they have a lot of support during this time of change.

#2 The Power of Positivity
One of the most powerful ways parents can contribute to their child's smooth transition to secondary school and their overall experience of education, is to talk positively about school and learning. The way parents talk about secondary school has a significant impact on a child’s beliefs about education. Parents having high but achievable expectations when it comes to schooling has been proven to be one of the most important factors in young people thriving at school.

#3 Get Organised Early
Help your young secondary student set themselves up for success. Ensuring they have the correct uniforms, books and equipment ready for the first day is essential but it is also important to prepare a positive mindset. Before the school year begins, discuss study habits and develop shared rules about homework and study. You could discuss:

• How many afternoons a week is a good amount of time
• A designated space for homework and study
• Removing distractions like TV and devices.
• Practicing how to get to and from school before the start of the school year and discussing what to do in case of emergencies can help minimise feelings of stress and uncertainty.

#4 Focus on Friendships
Healthy and happy relationships with their peers is a critical part of young people’s wellbeing. Support your child to develop good friendships in secondary school by:

• Talking about the qualities of a good friend.
• Helping your child organise social outings with new friends.
• Making your home a positive and safe place for your child’s friends to visit.

#5 Stick to School Rules and Uniform Policies
Make sure you look through school rules and uniiform policies with your child. Ensuring they have the correct uniform and understand school rules about behaviour, mobile phone use etc will help them get off on the right foot.

Finishing secondary school and embarking on the journey into adulthood is one of the most exciting and highly anticipated moments in a young person’s life. Whether your child is considering furthering their education, gaining employment or trade qualifications or exploring the wider world through travel, there is a lot to consider and plan. In addition to the careers advice available through your child’s school the following resources provide excellent advice and tips for young people and their parents and carers as they navigate a path toward a bright future.

Resources

MyFuture
MyFuture is the national career information service, with online resources to help support parents and carers as they encourage young people to explore options, plan career pathways and discover possibilities.

Students can use the website to identify their interests, build their career profile and explore careers and employment opportunities in Australia's key industries. They can search courses, browse tertiary institutions, and find out more about the work, required qualifications and pathways of possible occupations of interest.

Leaving School - Services Australia
The Australian Government 'Leaving School' pages provide helpful information for students choosing their next adventure.
Discover resources around pursuing:

• Further study
• Entering a trade or full time work
• What to do if you're not sure what’s next
• Other tools and information

My Skills
My Skills website is a great place to explore Vocational Education and Training courses and organisations. It also provides young people with information about the skills that are in demand and explore industries they might be interested in.

SkillsRoad
The SkillsRoad website has advice for young people and their parents on starting post-school life. The interactive Career Quiz, Jobs Board and Job Fit Test are helpful for young people seeking to find a career that best suits their skills and strengths. For parents, this site provides a wealth of information about how to support your young person with career planning and life after school options.

Year13
There are several online resources for young people exploring their post-school options. Year13 is one - they recognise no two post-school journeys are the same, so their website aims to improve the health and happiness of young Australians and provide a place for advice and information on aspects of work, study, travel and life after secondary school.