Welcome to Big School – your comprehensive guide to the next step of your child’s education.
In this magazine you will find detailed advice on how to choose the perfect secondary school for your son or daughter. This is where they will spend a large proportion of the next five years and that’s why it’s so important to find a place where they will be happy and thrive.
Our guide details all of the factors you will need to consider when comparing different schools as well as information on the application process.
In a bid to ensure pupils leave school better prepared for work or further study, GCSE and A-level qualifications have been overhauled in recent years. Although there is still some time before your child will be ready to consider their options, it helps to understand what they will face in the future.
Once your child starts secondary school, it’s likely that they will become more exposed to smartphones and social media. And they are never too young to start developing good online habits.
Knowing or suspecting that your child is being bullied can be very upsetting, but there’s lots you can do to help tackle the problem.
When your child starts Year 7, you may decide it’s time to play a more active role in their school. Most schools will have a PTA, Parents Association, or Friends of… group, which can be a great way of getting to know staff and other families while making a real contribution to the quality of school life for all.
The amount of homework your child has to do will almost certainly increase significantly when they start Year 7. It’s a daily part of secondary school life, and your child will be expected to complete it all and meet any deadlines they are set.
Your child will need a good meal in the middle of the day to help them process all the new things they are learning.
There is no getting around it. Kitting out children for their first year of secondary school can be expensive, but there are ways to keep the costs down.
Once you know where your child will be studying next September, you will need to consider how they are going to get to school. Are they going to walk, catch a bus, or be dropped off by car?
If your child’s school follows the National Curriculum, then there will be compulsory subjects for them to be taught during the next five years.
The transition from Year 6 to Year 7 can be a little daunting for students and parents. When Year 6 children say goodbye to primary school, it marks the end of an era in their educational journey.
