The beginning of High School can be overwhelming and confusing….

Children leaving the protected Primary School playground for the jungle of High School not only have to deal with new teachers and academic demands, but also an entirely different set of students. There are more students in their own year and now they are the youngest in the school – with some students five years older and much more mature.

To help you, we have listed below the important areas you need to be aware of to give your child the best possible start to High School. We hope you’ll find some tips that will get you through this often crazy time.

It is a Fast-Paced Environment with a Larger Workload

The pace of instruction is faster at High School and there is a noticeable step-up from Primary School. More educational vocabulary is used, more content is given and students are expected to learn more. They are expected to take notes under the guidance of the teacher and to complete independent work. There is also an increase in volume and level of difficulty of homework.

Suddenly, in High School, the goal becomes very clear: get good grades, which leads to a good tertiary education, and finally a good job that will set you up for the rest of your life. No more fooling around, this is the real deal.

Children who aren’t ready for High School can be in for a nasty shock during the first couple of months. The key is to get organised and develop the right habits from day one. Or even better… start those habits now!

Classes are Split into High and Low Achievers

Like it or not, children are put into different classes based on their ability. And being behind at the start can mean your child is always in a class with lower performing students. Clearly being in the ‘lower’ class affects their self-esteem and puts them in a potentially more disruptive environment – you do not want your child’s peers determining your child’s future.

Lower classes also restrict future options. Once allocated a class level it is sometimes quite difficult to move between levels in later years. Even the poorer performing students of higher classes are often kept in that class on the hope of improvement.

As an example, have a look at this Pathways of Learning diagram from the NSW Board of Studies on Maths Pathways. Although it states there are other pathways are possible, it is clear that there is a “usual” pathway and changes between pathways are restricted and more difficult to do.

Start thinking about this well before your child reaches High School – even years before. It is essential that your child gets into the best class they can from the beginning. If they are achieving to their best ability in the last years of Primary School, then everything is in their favour to achieve their full potential in the future.

There is a Different Teacher for every Subject and less Individual Attention

Gone are the days where your child has their own permanent teacher who understands their unique needs. They will have many teachers, all with their own methods, standards, workloads, moods and idiosyncrasies.

There’s definitely a lot less hand-holding in High School. Older students are expected to be more responsible and independent, so they (in theory) don’t need as much attention from their teachers. And a child who’s not quite ready for the task can end up falling through the cracks.

Which means they will be getting less personal attention and they need to be an independent learner from the word ‘go’.

You can help your child to be prepared for High School by instilling independence in them from an early age.

When younger you want to encourage curiosity, let them do things for themselves, don’t jump in a give away answers (no matter how tempting), try and set up routines, and just be available for their inquisitive minds.

For older children you may wish to schedule daily chores, encourage them to ask for assistance when needed, promote friendships, provide options and choices when possible, help them manage their own time (especially around homework), keep increasing their responsibilities, and just show them you believe in their abilities.

What can we do to Help my Child get Ready for High School?

So the bottom line is that we must do everything we can to make sure your child gets off on the right foot before they enter Year 7. Starting High School can be challenging for your child. And they need to start off on the right path, otherwise it can do damage they may never fully recover from.

Preparation and awareness is the key – for both you and your child. Talk to your child about High School, engage them on what their thoughts may be, and enlighten them on the information you now know about it.

With a knowledge of the key points on this page you will pick up quickly on any issue that will impact your child’s preparation for High School. The trick is to act quickly on any hunches or indicators that your child is struggling and may be behind their classmates at school.