What is it going to be like?
I can understand what he's scared about.
YC5 in Transit
Transitioning from primary to secondary school can be an exciting and anxious time for both children and parents. New surroundings, new teachers, new friends, new challenges, and new opportunities are all on offer as children head off on the first days of their new school.
But there are ways parents and caregivers can help prepare them; making the transition easier for both of you.
Based on the original YC5 course (originally written by Elysabeth Williams from Public Health and Dr Martin Powell, a psychologist), YC5 in Transit has been further developed by Merseyside Youth Association to help parents and caregivers to support their children’s mental health, wellbeing and resilience whilst specifically transitioning from primary to secondary school.
Over five sessions, we'll talk about resilience
We’ll explore how we can cope with difficult times and challenges that life throws up for us.
We’ll think about some of the challenges that our children face as they grow up and transition.
We’ll learn about mental health and emotional wellbeing and how we can improve them.
We’ll also be looking at feelings, why we feel the way we do, why we do the things we do, and what we can do to make ourselves and our children feel better.
The overall aim is to promote resilience (resilient families, ways to cope and support):
Understanding children and young people’s mental health
Understanding wellbeing
Understanding why we feel the way we do (emotions)
Life skills problem-solvingThe course also includes additional resources designed to deliver to children and young people alongside parents.
The first session we will be looking at:
- What is mental health?
- What are risk and resilience?
- What is it like to transition from primary to secondary?
- What’s going on in my child’s head?
- What can I do to help my child?
Five key elements of a positive transition
Research by students at Oxford University found five key elements – in the eyes of a child – that make for a positive transition:
- They are able to develop new friendships and improve their self-esteem and confidence
- They settle into school life in a way that causes no concerns to their parents
- They show an increased interest in school and school work
- They get used to their new routines and school organisation with great ease
- They experience curriculum continuity.
There isn’t a simple, ‘one size fits all’ approach to transition into secondary school.
