Article source: https://theconversation.com/it-makes-me-nervous-how-to-help-your-child-prepare-for-high-school-207616

As the school year hits the half-way mark, many Year 6 students and their families will be starting to think more about the move to high school next year.

Moving to secondary school is a big change for young people. In addition to hearing stories – good and bad – on the school grapevine, students today also see stories via platforms like YouTube and TikTok. These may or may not be helpful or reflect what their experience will be like.

To discover the actual challenges Australian students face, in 2021, the Australian Council for Educational Research conducted a series of student forums with 444 year 6 to 8 students at 15 schools around Australia in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

Students do feel excited

In the forums, students talked about their experiences of moving to high school, their main challenges, as well as potential solutions. We also had conversations on what they felt they needed to know about the move to secondary school.

When asked about their feelings about high school, the responses were mixed. More than 30% said “happy”, “excited” or “confident”. But 25% replied “fear” and 13% said “uncertainty”.

But they are also worried

When asked to explain their fears and uncertainties, 44% of students said academic work. This included concerns around both the difficulty level and amount of academic work in secondary school, as well as increased expectations on students’ performance. As one student told us:

Everyone says that there is lots more homework in high school.

About 30% of respondents also said the new school environment was a concern. This included familiarising themselves with a new campus, finding their way around and the culture of a new school. For example, learning “how things are done at this school” as well as the rules for each classroom. As another student said:

It makes me nervous, knowing that I might get lost.

And 21% said social aspects worried them. This included making new friends, keeping in touch with old friends, as well as the complexities of managing the usual ebb and flow of friendships and interactions at school. One respondent explained:

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