Changing schools

Having to change schools – either because you’re moving up to secondary school or because your family is moving and you will have to go to a new school – can seem scary.

Everyone feels nervous about change. It’s because we don’t know what will happen.

• will you feel unhappy?
• will people like you?
• will you find it hard to change to new ways of doing things?

Usually there is a lot of support for children who change schools so you needn’t feel you’re doing it all on your own.

Changing schools

Many children move from one school to another, and there are lots of different reasons why:

• their parents get jobs in a new city or area
• they move house and their old school is too far away
• their parents have split up and they are moving to a new place
• their family is moving to a new country
• they didn’t get on very well at their first school and are moving to a new one that might suit them better

The main thing to remember is that the people in your new school will do everything they can to make life enjoyable for you. Sometimes schools ask a particularly friendly person in the class you’ll be in to look after you and show you around. But normally the pupils there will be interested in having someone new and will be asking you lots of questions and asking you to join in!

Moving from primary to secondary school

It will feel exciting and worrying when you move to secondary school. For the past five or six years you will have been at the same school, seeing the same people

• although many of your friends might move up with you, you might still worry that you will lose touch or that they will go off with different people
• at your old school you will have been the oldest child. But moving to a new school means starting as the youngest again
• you might be worried about being bullied by older children
• you might also be nervous that you won’t be able to do the school work given to you

The good news is that teachers know how worried newcomers are and will help you in whatever way they can. You will probably go to your new school the term before you are due to start so you can meet your teacher and find out what life at secondary school is like. You will learn how the school day runs and what is expected of you. For example, in secondary school:

• you will have to be more careful about being in school on time
• you will be expected to do more homework and to hand it in on time
• you will be expected to be more independent than you were at primary school

You won’t be expected to do this all brilliantly though from the start! You should be eased into this new way of learning so it’s not too much of a shock.

Remember: everyone feels nervous when they start at a new school even if they seem confident. Just accept the way you feel and in time you will be happier. And if ever you do have problems, talk to a teacher, a parent or another adult you trust.

Boarding schools

If you have to go to a boarding school, this means that you will live at the school as well as study there. This might seem especially frightening if you’re not able to go home at the end of the day but boarding schools are set up to provide the support you need to make your time there as happy as possible.

The reasons why you might attend boarding schools are varied but the most common are:

• your parents think the education you will get there will be the best possible
• you might live in a place in the middle of nowhere and it would be difficult for you to travel to and from school every day (but you might go home at weekends)
• you might have special educational needs that are best helped in a boarding school
• your parents are in the Armed Forces and instead of moving you around a lot, they would rather you stayed at a school where you could make good friends and feel more settled.

You will have to prepare more for boarding school than for day schools but you will be given lots of support from the school beforehand. You should have information on what to bring, what you are expected to do, what life is like at the school and any rules you must follow. Some boarding schools run a ‘buddy’ system, where a child already at the school is given the responsibility of looking after you and being someone you can talk to. Ask about this when you visit the school.