By the time a child reaches their final years in Primary school, they will be totally familiar with their school environment. They will know their teachers and classmates very well and will probably know most of the other faces in the school too. By Year 6 (in a British school following the English National Curriculum), they are the most senior people in their school and tend to be looked up to by the younger students.

Within a few months, they revert to being the most junior again in a brand new social environment when they transition to Year 7 in Secondary school. Change can be a daunting task for any one of us but when you are 11 or 12, it is a change that takes quite a lot of adjusting to.

The important thing to remind yourself is that children are more resilient than we are. Remember too, that typically in a short while, their new surroundings will become more familiar and they will be running from the gym to the Science Lab and on to the Art room without the slightest stumble. The first couple of weeks can be difficult, though.

Below are some tips for parents on how you can help support your child in making a successful transition from Primary to Secondary school.

What are some of the things children worry most about?

• Making new friends
• Getting lost in the new building
• Being the smallest and youngest in an environment filled with older and bigger students
• Whether or not their new teachers will like them
• Coping with greater academic expectations and more homework
• Having different teachers for different subjects

Remind children some of the great things about moving to Secondary

• Having more freedom (what to do and where to go in your break time)
• Learning new and interesting subjects
• Being treated as more of a grown-up
• Experiencing new ways of learning with new friends and teachers
• Increasing control over what subjects you study
• More exciting tools and gadgets!

How can you feel confident that both you and your child are well-prepared?

• Keep an ongoing dialogue between you and your child and be honest about both the positive and negative aspects of transition.
• Talk to your child about your own move to Secondary school – your child may have different experiences, but it will help you be empathetic and understanding.
• Ensuring your child eats well and get enough sleep.
• Drop by the school whenever you can or visit for a school event.
• Support and encourage your child to get involved in school activities.
• Suggest time management techniques or help set up a study area.
• When needed, don’t hesitate to make an appointment to talk to your child’s Teacher or Head of Secondary

Another big adjustment in Year 7 is that students will study a diverse range of subjects. It is important to encourage a balance between all subjects. Discuss all the subjects at home. Everyone will have their favorites and will excel in certain subjects. Problems occur when a subject is neglected in the early stages. This may happen because of the perceived difficulty of the subject which may have an impact on subject choices in future years.

As a parent, you want the best for your child. So do we! At The British School of Beijing, (BSB) Shunyi, we promise to support your child to be their best and achieve more than they ever thought possible. Our world-class teachers provide an engaging learning environment to ensure your child will love coming to school. Students are well supported by their teachers and excellent pastoral care system. Parents are always welcome to contact us for support.

To ensure that the move from Primary to Secondary is as smooth as possible, BSB Year 6 students have attended trial lessons in each Secondary subject during the last month of school. This helped students get to know their new teachers and familiarise themselves with the Secondary classrooms. They learnt new words in Spanish, created logos in Design and Technology and created masterpieces in Art. They are all very excited about their move to Secondary in August and have used their iPads to make a video to explain what Secondary at BSB is like. Please see some examples of their creative videos here.

Mr. Jim Hartland, Assistant Head of Secondary – Pastoral

The British School of Beijing (BSB), Shunyi is a large International School offering Primary through Secondary education to 1,000+ students from over 60 nationalities. Driven by a philosophy of ambition, we inspire every child to achieve more than they ever imagined possible.

BSB students follow an enhanced English National Curriculum completing IGCSE exams at aged 16 followed by the IB Diploma at aged 18. We also offer a German Curriculum for native German speakers in Klasse 1-4. As part of a family of 60+ Nord Anglia schools, our curricula are enhanced by collaborations with preeminent organizations such as The Juilliard School, MIT, and UNICEF.  Year-on-year our world-leading teachers ensure that students experience accelerated learning and achieve excellent academic results to enable them entry into the world’s leading universities.

This post is provided by BSB Shunyi
Photos courtesy of BSB Shunyi