Unless you happen to be home-educated, the chances are you spend most of your time at school… and if you’re not happy there, that has to be a problem. So how can you sort your school hassles and learn to take it all in your stride?

School’s Cool!

Hi Cathy

I am starting high school after the summer and I can’t help thinking the worst even though I try not to. I loved primary school, but I’m worried that I’ll be really out of my depth at secondary.

Jacqui, age 11

Dear Cathy

Do you have any advice on going to a comprehensive school? I’m going into Year Seven and I am really scared. My friends will be going to the same one, but we won’t know which forms we’re in until the first day back. What if they split us up? The more I think about my new school, the more upset I get.

Ellis, age 11

Changing schools is a big milestone. It can feel like the end of childhood, and saying goodbye to primary school is often an emotional time. Jacqui needs to change her attitude to secondary school and start seeing the pros rather than the cons!

Starting high school is a new beginning… and that has to be a good thing! A fresh start is something to look forward to… new friends, new teachers, new subjects and LOTS of new opportunities. OK, the school campus will almost certainly be bigger, and you may get lost a few times in the first week – but every Year Seven (or S1 if you are in Scotland) will have the same problem! The first few days are bound to be confusing, but trust me, pretty soon you’ll know where you are going.

Another big change is adjusting to being the youngest and smallest in the school again, after a year of being a cool, confident Year Six (or P7) at primary. It’s kind of daunting to be the new kid in a crispy-new uniform and shiny shoes, surrounded by gruff, towering lads and curvy, grown-up girls in lip gloss and eyeliner! Don’t be scared of the older kids, though – they look pretty sussed, but they’re still kids underneath! Most will take time out to help you if you get lost or have a problem. Sometimes, the scariest-looking kids can be the kindest!

Everyone feels a little out of their depth at secondary school, but this feeling rarely lasts for more than a few days. Jacqui can make things easier for herself by listing the things she’s looking forward to about switching schools… making new mates, discovering new subjects, inspiring new teachers, cool after-school and lunchtime clubs and being treated as more grown-up and independent are all definite plus points! If she catches herself thinking negative thoughts, she can banish them by repeating the list of things to look forward to. By the time term starts, she’ll be raring to go!

Ellis too is letting fears cloud her mind and spoil her summer. There are no guarantees you’ll be put in a form with your friends, but most secondary schools will do their best to keep you together. If you are split up, try to see it as a bonus… You’ll soon make new mates in your form group, yet be able to meet up with your old friends at break and lunchtime.