Many of these activities will have an accompanying demonstration video which you will be able to find on the Unlocking Potential Youtube Channel and on the site below. We hope you enjoy receiving our Weekly Well-being activities and find them useful!
This fun quiz is designed to help your child start thinking about what it will be like to go to secondary school. Make sure that they take it first before they start on the other activities, and then in 5 weeks’ time take it again to see how much more they know.
This week we are sharing a memories book for year 6 children. It has spaces for your child to draw and write about their special memories from Primary school. Over the next 5 weeks we will add another page each week.
** Click the Transitions button for these pages **
This is a quick, easy and colourful test where your child can have a think about who they are, see what is important to them right now and think about areas where they can grow when they move up to secondary school.
These are some tips and ideas for your child on how to make new friends when they start Y7. We know it can be scary being somewhere new and not knowing as many people, or even anyone at all. These ideas will hopefully help your child feel more confident in getting to know their new classmates.
This is a fun game that you can play with your child, or that they can play with a friend or sibling. Playing this game can help your child with their visual and spatial memory. You can watch an instructional video below.
The move from Year 6 to Secondary School has always been a significant step in a child’s journey. It is a big move and can be a daunting one. This year is somewhat extraordinary in that the virus pandemic has impacted that transition. We have put together 5 tips to help parents support and prepare their children for secondary school over the summer holidays.
Communication
This is a good time for you and your child to talk about transitioning to Secondary school. Have a calm and reassuring manner, try not to catastrophise, and instead normalise the change. Ask your child what they feel about the move and acknowledge any worries. They may not have the same concerns that you have. Work together to problem solve and remember the challenges your child has faced over time, perhaps learning to ride a bike, or swimming a length in the pool; they are up to this task!
Friendships and relationship building
Take some time to discuss friendship building and the importance of managing new relationships in the first few weeks of term. Support your child to find the confidence to be open to getting to know as many people as possible before fixing themselves to a group. Getting involved in the extra-curricular life of the school can be a good way to make this happen. Find out what clubs might be on offer and encourage your child to try a couple they like the sound of.
Expectations
Discuss your expectations and ask your child what their expectations are. Set out how things will change – they will be expected to become independent learners, taking responsibility for getting prepared for school, completing homework, organising their school bag, getting to bed early and getting themselves up and out on time for the journey to school. Check out the school policy on mobiles, be clear about when are you happy for the phone to be used and for what purpose! The UK Council for Child Internet Safety offers helpful guidance. Carrying cash and a mobile phone for the first time needs to be carefully managed to avoid attracting unwelcome attention.
Journeys and Routines
Make sure your child is well-informed and confident about their new journey to and from school. This is especially important for children travelling alone for the first time. If public transport is involved, take a few practice journeys, look on Google maps and plot various routes. Talk about contingency plans, what would happen if…? State clearly the times you expect your child home and set clear boundaries and expectations about any trips with friends after school. This is a good way to pre-empt possible stressful situations before they arise. Be clear that you trust your child to make the right decision but also be honest with them about the need to be streetwise and protect both themselves and their belongings.
Embrace the Independence
Recognise and accept that the transitions represent a change in childhood independence. Acknowledge and praise every step your child takes on this path. Your child will have to navigate school, with several subject teachers, a varied timetable, and a wider range of homework tasks. As a parent, the best thing you can do is empower your child by laying the groundwork of preparations over the summer and then taking a step back to support from the side-lines and encourage them along this new adventure with optimism and positivity.
Watch the video below for a short introduction on occupational therapy (OT).
