School have asked what would help our year 6’s to transition over the next 7 weeks-any suggestions?

[Opoly54]

The teachers would like to know what topics they could cover or any ideas for what would help the year 6’s over the next term. For any of you who have been through it was there anything that school covered that helped your dc? Many thanks.

If a lot of them are going to the same school then a map of the school, info of staff members they can talk to if they need help whilst at the school, etc. Also basic skills like how to format an email to teachers, how to attach documents to an email

Covering how the school day will be different to Primary school (could they get info from the secondary schools). E.g longer day, children will be have lessons in a range subjects with different teachers and not always with the same child. Making them aware that secondary school is much bigger and busier the Primary school. Etc

*children

Packing away quickly! Year 7 are SO slow.

Prepare them that it won't be school as normal. It's likely to be a blend of online and at home stuff. Schools may expect that they aren't attending full time unless they are vulnerable. Preparing them to be home alone for short periods would be valuable. Things like who to contact in an emergency, how to lock/unlock doors etc.

My idea was to put children who are going to the same high school in the same bubble, if they are going to a number of different high schools. I.e. DS is going to a Grammar School with only 2 other boys so it makes sense to put them together to allow them to bond. He likes them but they are not in his close friendship group.

Other themes are; friendship, change, bullying (without scaring them), dealing with money, time, road safety, bike safety theory since bike ability probably won’t go ahead, catching a bus, homework planning, uniform.

I'm a secondary teacher and have a Y7 tutor group this year.

I second packing up! Equipment, if they can get lists of what equipment they need from the secondary and practice getting it out, putting it away five times a day :)

Getting on with it, a lot of secondaries, because of the movement between rooms, have students trickle in to classrooms, and expect them to get their stuff out, write the date and title, and start a task, either without being prompted or only having been told once. I'm not sure how this will go in Sept but still. So, being able to get on with something independently from instructions on the board or a worksheet.

Telling someone if they have an issue - lots of them will struggle with homework systems, they need to know to speak to the right person (usually their tutor), not leave it and tell their subject teacher once they've missed a deadline.

Many thanks for all the great suggestions.

How to read a school lesson timetable

Map of the school

How to get your bag ready (secondary school gave them all a small laminated checklist) and that it's not down to mum/dad to do this for you!

If they know what tutor groups they'll be in, encourage working in those groups.

Reassurance that all the other year 7s will have the same worries about getting lost, getting confused, forgetting things.

That their tutor is there for support, even though they might also teach them one of their subjects. So it's ok to let the tutor know if something is worrying them.

I'd cover off social media and email. A lot of the children will be using WhatsApp for the first time, and with large groups. It can get very mean. So think about what you are writing - would you say that to someone's face? If not, that means it's not ok to write it either.