Starting secondary school is a big step for young people

Starting secondary school is a big step for young people.

Here are a few tips for pupils taking the 'big step.'

There are no right or wrong ways to feel about starting secondary school. Our experiences in primary school influence how we feel about moving up to high school, so how you feel is completely valid and justified.

It is important however to try and manage those emotions, especially if you are feeling anxious or frightened. Talk to your parents, a trusted friend or an older sibling or cousin about how you are feeling.

One aspect of starting secondary school that often causes feelings of anxiety is travelling to and from the school campus.

You might have lived very close to your primary school or been dropped off by a parent but soon you might be travelling further away from home and cycling, taking the bus to get there. Help relieve those feelings by getting more familiar with the area around your new high school.

Spend a bit of time between now and then travelling to and from school. Work out how you will get there. Check out places you can buy lunch if you are not taking a packed lunch or getting a school meal.

The more familiar you become with the area around your school the less intimidating and strange it will seem. And by the time the first day of school rolls around, you’ll fit right in like a local!

Be prepared for the first few weeks at secondary school/college to feel a bit overwhelming. Starting secondary school could mean going to a new campus and will definitely mean moving around different classrooms, meeting new people, having to become more responsible for your school work and homework. Getting to grips with this will take time.

Working out what you need for starting secondary school well in advance is a great way of reducing feelings of anxiety.

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Rather than leaving it until the week before the new term starts, pick up what you need throughout the summer. With your parent or carer, sort out things like PE kit, your school bag and a travel card if you need one.

When it comes time for the first day of secondary school, pack your bag the night before... there is nothing more stressful than running about in the morning trying to find the right shorts for PE while hunting for your school tie!

Starting secondary school can feel like a huge, scary thing looming on the horizon. It does not have to be like that and in reality is an exciting, rewarding and memorable experience.