Transition to secondary school-an adult perspective

First day at secondary school and parallels in adult life.

What would it be like?

This article was written five years ago when my daughter started at secondary school.

It received hundreds of views online and the feedback was that it helped many adults to support their 11year olds with greater understanding!

If teachers could read it, it may also affect their approach! I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think!! I would appreciate your feedback


First day at secondary school.

I remember mine, most of it is a blur, fast and furious but my main memory is that I missed the bus home. I was in the bus layby, one minute surrounded by hundreds of children, most were bigger than me and all seemed to know exactly where to go and which of the many buses to stride and push towards.

The next minute, after a whirl of activity, I was alone—no buses and no other kids.

Just me!

No mobile phone and no idea what to do, just an overwhelming feeling of being very lost and vulnerable. I sat on the pavement and whilst thinking what to do next in my best Girl Guide "Be Prepared" way, a kindly teacher came and asked if I was alright—sort of rhetorical I suppose!!

The kindly teacher took me home in her car and handed me over to Mum who had hot tea and scones ready to eat whilst I told my adventures of the day!
(Very Enid Blyton perhaps but nevertheless true!)

When I wrote this it was my daughter's turn to start secondary school. Quite an adventure:


Think of it in adult terms, what would be a parallel situation for us now?

Imagine the following: ------

You have just left a small and friendly company where you have worked for the last 6-7 years. You knew everyone in your team and largely reported to just one manager at a time. (Rotating managers on a yearly basis)

You were one of the most senior and experienced people in the organisation.

Now…

You start at a new company/organisation with 150 other new starters on the same day (some orientation programme!)

You are put in a team with 29 other new starters (no established employees to show you the ropes!)

There is no appointed leader in the team of 30.

Everyone is uncertain about where to be for each of the 7 meetings during the day.

Each and every day you have scheduled meetings with 7 different managers, all of whom you have to report to, on the first day.

Some managers seem kind yet others are very unapproachable. Some talk kindly and others shout at you and your new colleagues.

You are scheduled to meet many more managers tomorrow.

Each manager has different expectations of you of which you are uncertain and has a separate project for you to work on.

Several projects are in subject areas that you are completely unfamiliar with.

You will be juggling around 11-13 different projects continually for the next 5 years with little choice about specialism.

Several managers give you work to do at home before the next meeting with the threat of repercussions if you don't deliver. (What happened to work life balance?).


You are told that several managers will expect a considerable amount of work to be carried out during each period of your annual leave.

Some of your colleagues seem great but some don't and you don't get to choose who to work with.

Each manager decides to group you with a different set of colleagues from the choice of 30.

You finish the day with very mixed feelings and are exhausted, get home and have to get your head around the 2-3 pieces of work that have been set by different managers all of which have to be completed that evening.

Wow!

Some of the companies and organisations we may have worked for as adults may fit this scenario (did you stay long?) but the last time this happened to many of us, we would have been, like my daughter, just 11 years old.

If you are the parent of an 11 year old who is starting secondary school this year, plan ways to support them and have some fun with him/her!!

He/she is or will be experiencing one of the biggest changes they will ever experience.

I wonder what we can learn from them?!

Bridget Clapham

BSc Hons Psychology. Dip Ed. RGN.
Master Practitioner and Licensed Trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming.
Mum!