Pupil and parent guide to starting life at Holy Trinity
Starting secondary school can be daunting, even for the most confident of children. Here are some top tips to help you transition to Holy Trinity, including how to approach a suddenly increased workload.
Travel
- Have several trial runs of the journey to school, building up your level of independence gradually..
- Consider downloading an app which allows your parents/carers to track where you are (such as ‘Find My Friends’, ‘Life 360’) – also useful after school trips.
- Try to travel to school with a friend and allow plenty of time.
- Keep emergency phone numbers in your bag, in case you lose your phone and need to contact home.
Getting organised
- Use coloured folders to keep the work for each subject together.
- Ensure you pack your bag the night before: don’t be tempted to leave it until the morning
- Check off what you need against your timetable ie PE kit, Maths homework
- Put a reminder in your phone for anything extra to remember.
- Buy a key ring with stretchy chain to attach to your bag, to avoid lost door keys
- Make sure there is a secure place for bus pass/ emergency coins in your bag.
Homework
- Get yourself logged into the student portal. Ask your Head of Year about this. When your homework is complete, click ‘hide’ on the student portal so it no longer appears.
- Create a to-do list with the pieces of homework needed soonest at the top – whiteboards are great for this.
- Get into a routine for getting homework done and make sure you have a suitable space to work in. A quiet shared area can help you to ensure you are not getting distracted! We also have homework club at school on a Tuesday and Thursday evening.
Taking time to settle
- Try not to panic if you have not made a new circle of friends immediately: this is very common. It often takes time for new friendships to form.
- Join a club at lunch time or after school. Sometimes these start once the term has begun, so this can be a good time to meet new people, now that you have got used to the new routines of school life.
- If you are still not happy by half term, speak to your form tutor. They should know your form well by then, and may be able to give some suggestions and will have noticed if there are any specific problems.
