high school ready?

Transition to High School can be daunting. Masterclasses up at Leftwich and school and home increasing our expectations of what children can do will all help make a successful transition into adolescence and young adulthood. While young adults and their carers expect teenagers to have more independence, their brain is undergoing big changes (one reason why they can't get up in the morning) and there's a big pruning of connections going on. Useful connections are kept and strengthened and unused ones are pruned. Characters are becoming more fixed although it's not until our mid to late twenties that adult characters are formed.

High school readiness will require young people to take instruction, advice, guidance, support and challenge from a much larger number of adults and interact with a far larger number of peers than they are used to. Children are more likely to thrive in High School when:

• They can walk and or cycle independently to their new school - we lead Lets Walk, Let's Bike and Bikeability in school but it is for parents and carers to assess their child's level of independence out of school
• Parents and carers know what their online activity is, who they are interacting with and comply with age restrictions for games and apps (social media is one of the biggest vehicles for causing or making worse mental health issues, bullying, friendship difficulties and a sense of isolation and loneliness)
• They can follow a timetable and organise equipment to be prepared for learning the next day
• Complete homework and read regularly
• They can respond politely and listen to adults, following instruction without arguing back
• They understand about healthy eating - it's far less easy for adults to control when they are teenagers

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/50-things-to-do-before-youre-11--activity-list