Transition to Secondary

The two schools we most frequently fed into are:

Selston High School have provided this useful information for Parents and Carers

The move to secondary school, for many parents/carers, is a time of major change which can bring anticipation and anxiety. Some parents who have experienced this move before with older children will be more familiar and probably more confident about the process. However, even for ‘experienced’ parents, and especially for ‘first time’ parents, there can be many uncertainties. At Selston High School, we appreciate that every child is different and will respond to the step up differently.

Moving to secondary school is the time when many parents see their child as becoming more independent. Children need to be able to learn how to manage their own lives with help and support along the way. They need to be encouraged to try new things and to take risks with you as their parents, and us as a school, as their safety net. By encouraging children to be more independent and responsible for themselves when they move to secondary school, you will be helping them to become confident and competent about managing their own lives and making sensible decisions.

We believe in promoting a positive and resilient environment where our students are praised for their efforts and attempts to get things right. Below are a few things that you can do as parents to support your child with the move up to Selston High School.

Do’s

• Listen to your child’s hopes and fears
• Be positive about their move to secondary school
• Think of ways to tackle any problems that arise
• Work out the journey to SHS with your child
• Help your child buy all the equipment they need ready for September
• Encourage your child to talk to you about things they have enjoyed or things that are bothering them
• Visit the SHS websites transition page to find out any answers you may be unsure of and to look at all of the supporting information we have on there

At Selston High, we believe in having strong relationships with parents/carers as well as our students, to ensure a collective support system for your child which will allow them to flourish. Parents/carers can download the ‘ClassCharts’ app which will show any rewards and sanctions your child earns. We also regularly update our school website and Facebook page to help keep you in the know. Prior to your child starting with us in September, you will have been made aware and given the contact details of:

• Your child’s tutor (who you should contact by email in the first instance with any queries)
• Your child’s Head of Year
• Our Transition Coordinator who will visit your child in their primary school before they start with us. The transition co-ordinator is currently Miss A Brooks, who will be responsible for the process of supporting your child from Year 6 into Year 7 and therefore, being your point of contact at SHS whilst your child is still in Year 6
• Our SENCO who is able to support you with any special educational need queries

All of our staff have a contact email which follows the format of stsurnamefirstinitial@selstonhigh.org.uk for example: stbrooksa@selstonhigh.org.uk

A handy checklist for Parents/Carers

• Ensure you are aware of our start and finish times
• If your child will use the bus service, make sure they are confident in where to get on and off of the bus and the timings
• When your child starts in September, have a copy of their timetable up somewhere around the house
• Be aware of our holiday and ‘non-school’ dates (available each year on the ‘Parents’ section of our website)
• Ensure you have a contact number saved for our school – 01773 810321 – to report any absences/appointments
• Ensure you are aware of who your child’s tutor is and how to contact them
• Make sure your child has a full school uniform and all of the correct equipment
• Keep up to date with all of our important dates (available on the website and through Facebook) so that you know when parents evening, trips etc. take place
• Make sure you have information on the homework schedule
• Make sure you have information on our ‘extra-curricular’ programme so that your child can get involved in clubs and events