Transition to High School

Starting high school is an exciting milestone for students and families. Moving from Year 6 to Year 7 can feel like a big change. We help every child feel confident and supported during the transition to high school.

Find out more in the Getting ready for high school guide.

What to expect in high school

High school brings new experiences and routines, including:

a larger school with more subjects, teachers and classrooms
a timetable with different lessons each day
moving between classrooms and carrying books and equipment
more independence and responsibility for homework and study
new friendships and opportunities to join activities and clubs.

Before your child starts Year 7

Enrolment interview

Before your child begins, families may be asked to meet with our principal. This is a time to share:

medical conditions or allergies
family circumstances that may affect your child’s start
any learning or wellbeing needs.

We will also explain the supports our school provides, such as:

support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through personalised learning pathways
extra support for students learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D)
support for students with disability or other learning needs through inclusive education programs.

Learn more about additional learning support and enrolment requirements at our school.

Our transition program

We work closely with local primary schools to help students feel ready. Our transition to high school programs help Year 6 students get ready for Year 7. Activities may include:

orientation days and school tours
parent information sessions and meet the teacher events
subject tasters and classroom visits
peer support activities with older students.

Students, parents and carers can join these sessions to learn about daily schedules, uniforms, lunches and communication. If you need an interpreter, let us know.

Getting ready at home

You can help your child prepare by:

talking positively about starting high school
buying uniforms, shoes, stationery and school supplies
checking if a laptop or device is needed
practising their travel route to school
making sure they know your phone number and emergency contacts
encouraging routines such as packing their school bag
encouraging them to check their timetable and school bell times the night before day 1 of Term 1.

For more advice, see the Getting ready for high school guide.

Changes to expect

New experiences

From Day 1, there will be many changes to get used to including having a number of different teachers and different classrooms, often spread across a larger campus. Set class periods on particular subjects may also be of a longer duration than in primary school. Students carry around notes and books, sometimes heavy, from class to class.

New teachers

In high school students usually have 8 or more teachers and a student or year adviser to coordinate their activities. There are also head teachers for different key learning areas and classmates can vary from class to class.

New subjects

Year 7 students will be introduced to subjects they haven't experienced before. They will also be expected to be more independent, self-reliant and self-motivated than in primary school. Lessons will often be more student-centred and teachers will become resources and guides, rather than instructors.

Timetables

Students are given timetables with subjects, times and room locations listed. They need to check their timetables each night to make sure they have the correct books, equipment and homework completed for the next day's classes. Reading and understanding timetables can take some time to get used to and moving from room to room might unsettle and tire them.

New friends

Making new friends can be a daunting task for Year 7 students. Students often come from a variety of primary schools and they may find themselves in classes filled with children they don't know. Fitting in is often important to Year 7 students – finding people they like and who share their interests helps motivate them and increase their self-esteem. Discuss their new school experiences each day, the people they've met or observations they've made – that way there is an awareness of difficulties when they arise rather than when it's too late.

Peer pressure

Making new friends and a desire to fit in sometimes means students do things they might not normally do – just so they can be liked or be one of the crowd. Letting children know they don't have to do everything their peers do is an important way of ensuring the friendships they make are genuine and positive – not based on pressure or conformity. Telling them a real friend is someone who likes them for who they are is a valuable message.

Homework and study

Homework set will vary in amount and type because of the number of teachers and subjects each day – most students will need to do some homework every night – whether it be a review of the day's lesson, completion of exercises or starting an assignment that is due down the track.

Study time is different to homework. During study time, students should go over the day's work, read their textbooks or notes, create summaries and try to increase their understanding of concepts covered in class.

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