Get ready for Secondary School

11 - 16 years

As a parent, supporting your child from primary to secondary school means helping them navigate a big milestone filled with fresh routines, new expectations, and shifts in friendships and school life.

To help prepare, you could focus on building confidence, familiarising them with the new environment, encouraging independence, and maintaining open communication with both the school and your child. Some guidance for parents and carers on adapting to change, could also aid transition.

How you can help at home

• Talk openly about feelings: Excitement, nerves, and worries are all normal. Share your own positive school experiences to reassure them. Use resources like YoungMinds, which highlight how learning to cope with change helps children build resilience.
• Secondary school transition days: If your child is in their last year of Primary, attend transition days, ask your child questions and listen to any concerns.
• Encourage independence and manage increased workload: Practice organising school bags, keeping track of timetables, set routines for managing homework and allow time for relaxation.
• Mental health: YoungMinds provides lots of support for young people who are seeking information about mental health conditions, understand how they're feeling, or find support. Melo Cymru and Mind also provides useful resources, apps and contact information.
• Nutrition and health: Encourage healthy eating at home, with healthy food suggestions on Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.  Physical activity guidelines for children and young people offers examples of activities young people can take part in to keep them healthy.
• Develop friendships: Arrange meet-ups with friends who are going to the same secondary school, join clubs to make new friends.
• Staying safe online: It's important to talk to your child about keeping safe online. This can help reduce online issues such as cyber bullying, too much screen time, exposure to mis/disinformation and the use of inappropriate images. NSPCC  holds lots of information for parents to discuss with their children about protecting themselves online.
• Peer pressure: As children grow older, they increasingly look to their peers for support and guidance. While this can be positive, it may also lead to situations where they feel pressured to participate in activities they believe are wrong. Barnado's provides guidance for parents of young people aged 13–19 years on helping them resist peer pressure. Childline also offers resources that can be shared directly with your child.
• Celebrate successes: The first few weeks of secondary school, might be daunting for your child. Celebrate successes to help boost confidence.

Why it matters for attendance

Poor attendance in Secondary school can have a significant impact on exam results. Research consistently shows that regular attendance is closely linked to strong academic performance, positive social development, and long-term success.

By embracing the above practices, you’re giving your child the best chance to grow into a capable and confident young adult.

The Council's #NotInMissOut campaign celebrates the varied benefits of going to school every day. Search the hashtag on social media to find out what is happening at your local school.

Post 16 Education

If your child would like to continue their education after Secondary School there are options in Torfaen.

Torfaen Learning Zone (TLZ), Cwmbran offers English Medium 6th form provision and admissions to the TLZ are organised by Coleg Gwent.

Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw still continues to provide Welsh Medium post 16 education and administers all processes and procedures relating to sixth form Admissions. If you wish your child to attend sixth form at this school, please contact the school direct.

Reminders for getting ready for School Admissions

Children normally transfer from primary to secondary school at the start of the school year in which their twelfth birthday falls (i.e. 1 September to 31 August inclusive). Apply for Secondary.