Is your child due to start school, move school, move phase or key stage in September? The lead up will have been very different this year. What are you most concerned about as a parent?

[ChildEd]

Thank you for reading on, I'm working to support the education system.

What do you feel would help your child? What is your school doing to help, given changes of normal transition due to COVID.

School opening fully and properly

The children not having the closure from primary school, not being able to visit the new school and not being able to meet their new classmates.

Some children have never even visited their new schools so are going into the unknown completely.

The transition from a private nursery to reception, where the class size will be a lot bigger and he won't know anyone there. There can't be settling in sessions/taster mornings this term and usually the teacher would visit the new starters in their current setting, which also can't happen. I worry about him starting this September.

The schools getting on with it and going back as normal.

The lack of closure for Year 6, no transition up to High School, no way to look round the school and get used to the change.
They usually have a transition week and obviously that isn't going to happen.

We're in Scotland. Ds is due to start primary in august. He isn't getting a transition at all. He has been in the school 3 times (various fetes) over the years most recently 18 months ago. We haven't spoken to or met any of the teachers and from the information received so far, he won't until he starts.

He doesn't want to go. He wants to go back to preschool and finish that properly with the "graduation" and party he's attended for everyone else. He's rather angry about it all to be honest.

DD is moving to year 10 - so up a key stage.

School have helped by effectively moving everyone a year so their distance learning timetables are what they will be in September. In DD's case this means they decided scrap the end of year 9 and simply start them on GCSE courses via distance learning half a term early.

With everything going on, I think this is a good plan and means that she can start getting used to the new expectations of GCSE before whatever is going to happen next term.

My very young year 5 wants to sit the 11+. I’m not bothered but agreed to support her if that what she wants. School has no input in this so it’s up to the pushy MC parents (like me) to know the process and sort out the preparation. Lots of SAHM/furloughed/private school/pushier than me parents will be hot housing right now. We’re both WFH and doing what we can but the gap will widen. It never was a level playing field and now even less so.

I'm worried about the lack of transition for my year 6 son and his peers, he is going to a new school with none of his friends, he can be an anxious kiddie anyway but he's now going in totally blind. The lack of govt guidance means high schools can't even give us a clear idea about what this looks like. So, not only have they missed out on all of the 'fun' year 6 stuff, they've now got to spend the summer anxiously waiting to see what September brings. Totally crap.

My Y6 is currently in school and they've had a visit from the secondary school. However they won't be visiting school themselves. Things could be a lot worse, she's not the eldest and she goes to a summer school at the secondary school so already knows her way round and knows some of the teachers.

But I am concerned about her walking to school, it's about a mile and her big sister is refusing to walk with her (she walks with a big group of her friends). Usually this is sorted out by the kids before the transition visits but she doesn't have a lot of friends and hasn't seen any of them since March, the only other girls in school at the moment with her are going to other schools. I suppose this is really about socialisation, she is missing her best friend (family are shielding) and I'm worried a strange start at secondary will really affect her, she's always struggled socially and teachers don't seem to see it, they say 'Oh, she plays with anyone' but really she was on the periphery of many friendship groups (rarely invited to parties etc) and has only got a best friend in the last year.

I'm concerned how kids moving from primary to secondary school or infant school to junior school will cope with the transition.

Those saying 'open fully and get on with it' aren't being that helpful!
I can't control the virus or government response to it, however I can plan as smooth a return for your child as possible, given that usual transition plans rely on a lot of face to face contact.

Thank you for your positive response to help me to do the very best for your child.

So, no visits to the next school. Is there any 'virtual' offer? What is working well? I know some schools are putting on 'virtual tours' and virtual meetings where home visits might have taken place or transition days.
Some of you have focussed on 'friends/not knowing anyone' - have schools addressed this? Have you tried to through virtual friendship groups or social media?
Some children are struggling with change, again have you had any support? Has you child's school offered anything that helps?

We’ve had a virtual presentation from high school for the parents, nothing to help the kids.

Knowing who their classmates are and meeting them is the main focus of transition days so they have a few friendly faces on the first day.

Those saying 'open fully and get on with it' aren't being that helpful!

You asked what would help and I gave you my answer. This is what would help. Not a lot of crap and part time schooling for a virus that fewer than 1 in 1000 people have.

We got a video of the school. Ds found it distressing because it jumps from location to location rather than being someone wandering around with a camera. He wanted to know how to get from his classroom to the toilet etc not just what they look like. He is an over thinker unfortunately.

We've had no support on change at all. The preschool washed their hands of them and whilst the school are emailing worksheets, they aren't engaging him at all.

Mine are moving to secondary in September. The staff at both schools have been excellent at communicating however they're communicating often they would like to do things however they are waiting for government guidance.
The secondary school set up a transition section specifically due to covid and have video walk rounds of the school, students talking about their experiences (this would normally happen in person).
I'd like for the children to have a date where they go into the school, practice catching a bus, have the childrens questions answered (at the moment my dc have questions I can't answer and nor can the schools). Transition is an anxious time for all and this year the preparation has understandably changed however if the schools knew what they could /couldn't do and the guidelines didn't change they could communicate clear messages to the children to reduce some of these anxieties. For example what will their day look like in September?

I'm just going to ignore then sudoku this is a positive thread looking to gather information on how to support children to go back to school and not to derail.

I’m worried about my eldest doing 11+ while not doing her set work as she’s been at school ‘babysitting’ each day while I’ve been at work as a key worker. Our rotas were doubled up for covid so I’ve barely been home. She’s 9 so a bit young to be self directed all these weeks.

Maps of the school classrooms would help. Plus, nearer the time, a list of rooms their classes will be in. My DD is really worried about getting lost. Clear information on what subjects they will do as a class and which they are setted for would help too, so she knows which lessons she might need to find her own way to.

That’s fine. I’m not here to do your job for you anyway.

I have 1 moving to secondary. They are actually still doing a transition visit. Instead of the whole year group doing 2 full days they were meant to have, each form will have a 2 hour visit in the hall. So they will have 30 students in the hall socially distanced throughout. So they will at least have met their form and teacher once before September.

My biggest concern is how they are going to get to and from school in September.

The vast majority travel on buses and it's a good 30-45 minute drive each way at school times for us, more for some.

For my 4.5 year old due to start reception:
Virtual tour of the school showing the way in, his classroom, lunch hall, toilets etc.
Some idea of the daily routine he will follow at school.
An opportunity to meet his teacher somehow. A carefully timed short socially distanced visit to the classroom with only 1 parent would be great and I think could potentially happen on our particular site if it were well organised. Could even meet the teacher outside in the playground and look in at the classroom from there!
Some idea of on what basis we can expect him.to attend (ft/pt/mornings/afternoons/week on week off etc) so that we can prepare - I realise schools probably can't advise on this till the govt gives updated guidance for Sept but a simple email from the school to say this would be helpful as we've heard nothing at all.
Being put in touch with parents from the same bubble so we can organise socially distanced outdoor meetups - my son knows nobody going to his school and he's had almost no social contact with any children for the last 12 weeks (only child).
Information about what information distancing yrR will be required to do in his school. (Have heard various things about what's expected of them from diff places)
Some information about the kinds of home learning/blended learning we'll be expected to do if he is not in school ft. Resources we may need/would be useful, etc. Do I need to purchase a laptop/printer etc?
Practical stuff like are they still providing school meals.

Basically information of any kind will be helpful, so far we've had none except to say that the usual settling in process will be disrupted this year. As a parent to an only child that's not especially helpful.

My year 6 is also the only one from her primary going to her secondary. They had a day there booked for next week, waiting to hear what/if a virtual something will happen.

They usually send the head of year 7 to visit children in their current school, have said a Skype call will replace this. Which is okay but DD doesn't enjoy talking to people she doesn't know like that.

Year 7 also have an induction day where it's just them in school, the day before term starts in September. Hoping this will go ahead as would make a big difference for all the finding their way round, meeting each other things.

The primary is excellent and I expect will talk through all the general things to expect of starting year 7 but as they are only taking year 6 back from next Monday have yet to hear, which is fair enough.

Not sure what else can be done.

Knowing when to expect any of the usual information would be nice. So what class my DC will be in (I’ve one starting reception and one starting junior), whether they will do some kind of virtual bump-up-day, anything like that. But at the moment what can you do really, no one knows what September will look like 🤷‍♀️ We can’t expect miracles!

That said- I remember at the end of reception my DD came home one day with an introductory letter from her new y1 teacher, with a photo and a bit about herself, and inviting the children to draw her a picture or something, can’t remember exactly. That was really nice- DD knew the teacher anyway from having seen her around school, but it was really helpful to have something to back that up as a parent “You know Miss S, she’s the one with black hair and glasses. She likes gardening, you can tell her about your sunflowers when you see her”, that kind of thing, rather than only knowing a name and having nothing to contextualise that for your DC.