5 days ago
Starting secondary school: How to cope with a steep learning curve
THE transition from primary school to secondary is a milestone, involving significant change, including new teachers and classmates.
We ask five well-known people to share their memories of starting secondary school. And what's their advice for students on the move this autumn?
Luke Saunders, teacher and Studyclix co-founder
'I went to an all-boys school, Marian College. It was on the Dart line — there were fellows from all over. I'd come from a national school with just boys from our locality and was thrown in among boys from the inner city, from the Northside, from all walks of life. It was an eye-opener. In hindsight, a great education in life.
'I remember the size of the sixth-years; fellas with big beards and giant jumpers, the size of a teacher. Me thinking, 'Oh holy God, these are giants.'
'In national school, you walked in with your books in your bag, sat at one table all day. Now, there was this sudden independence, figuring it out for yourself, getting the right book for the right class on the right floor; walking to the train to get home.
'Being suddenly responsible for myself was a step-up I really enjoyed.
'Being able to walk around where you wanted at lunchtime was really refreshing; you could walk to the local shop with a group of your mates.
'Apprehension was big in the early days. It was a whole new world. I was always in to soccer, played football — it gave me a common language with a lot of the fellas I wouldn't have known.
'Nowadays, parents send their children to lots of activities. It has definite benefits: Spending [time in] new environments with different kids develops a helpful skillset for secondary school.
'For kids starting second level, who don't know anyone else going, I'd recommend parents organise a meet-up for their child with someone you know who will be going there. Even if they don't become best buddies, at least it's a friendly face.'
Aileen Hickie, Parentline CEO
CEO of Parentline, Aileen Hickie photographed at home with her dog Scout.
'It was a big transition, moving from a small primary school with 13 in my class to boarding school: Drishane Convent, Millstreet. I was 11. I knew nobody; everybody else was going to Millstreet Secondary School.
'I had two entirely separate school uniforms: A green one for weekdays, and a royal blue with blazer and pleated skirt for Sundays and special occasions. There were lots of bits to my new sports uniform — special skorts for camogie, shorts for gym, and a different uniform for hockey than you had for tennis.
'I remember my mother bringing me to Cork to get the uniforms, but also to get the labelling done. Everything had to be labelled: Nightwear, underwear, socks. We had to bring our own sheets, quilt cover, pillowcases — two lots.
'I was now living with 200 strangers, as opposed to my family. It was a strict boarding school run by a French order. There was a lot of etiquette — we were never to have our top button open. At mealtimes, you were watched to ensure you used the right cutlery and didn't have your elbows on the table.
'I was in a six-bed dorm, with a seventh bed for the head of the dormitory, a fifth-year. For washing, you pulled a curtain around you at the sink. There was a timetable for your bath and for your hair wash, which was done in the sink. The two weren't at the same time and you strictly couldn't do them outside of what was timetabled for you.
'There were feelings of loneliness — you'd hear a lot of crying at nighttime in the early weeks. We were all trying to get used to the transition.
'I really enjoyed boarding school. I'm glad I did it. It made me independent. I went to college in Dublin when I was 17. I wasn't afraid by then — the big wrench was when I was 11.
'Everything about secondary school is about being organised: Around timetable, sports, what you need to bring into school, what you need to bring home for homework. Teaching your child to be organised is a huge part of getting them settled. It helps build confidence and independence.'
Children's Ombudsman Niall Muldoon
Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children Michael Dillon Photographer
'Coming from a small national school of boys and moving to the Abbey Vocational School, Donegal, was a big transition. The school had outgrown itself, so we had classes in other buildings around town: The Methodist Hall, the Club Room, O'Cleary's school. We went to the St John Bosco Centre for PE.
'It was a real bit of independence; you had that freedom, fun with your classmates. I enjoyed it.
'I loved the variety: There were girls in the school, people from the country, from farms, from the posh part of town, kids who loved sports or cars. I remember one boy, really bright, a Protestant from a farm. We were from different backgrounds, but we got on like a house on fire. I really enjoyed that experience of mixing with different people.
'I was overweight in first year. My Irish teacher suggested I'd be good at the short putt. He arranged for me to go to the local athletic track. I wasn't good at it, or at the long jump, but I became very good at the high jump. That encouraged me to stay in athletics and by the end of first year I could run four miles.
'My weight stabilised. I grew to six foot. It made me fit and healthy. That small gesture was life-changing for me.
'With my own kids, when they were starting, I told them there'd be lots of difference, but to enjoy and embrace it. Acknowledge your child may be nervous, scared, but paint it as exciting. Encourage them to make different friends, enjoy different subjects; it all becomes very positive because of that.'
Author Amy Jordan
Amy Jordan, author
'We'd moved house prior to my starting secondary, so I didn't go in with my class. I went straight from sixth class in Carriagaline to first year at St Peter's Community School, Passage West. I felt a bit lost in the first weeks, but my overall experience was very positive.
'I was very excited to get my first locker. I thought it'd be amazing. You're handed your padlock and it's so cool. I quickly realised the locker had to be managed. You have to get your timings right: Get books out for the next three classes, at the end of the day put books in and run for the school bus.
'Having to run your locker is very grown up. It's a good thing for a child, a soft introduction to being more responsible.
'And the number of teachers you have in the day. You go from one person in primary who takes on a parent role, to six or seven different adults a day teaching you.
'It's a lot of different temperaments and teaching styles for you to get used to and it all happens in one day.
'I'll allow my children, aged 12 and 11, to go where their friends are going. I feel schools are all of a certain standard; they all offer the same subjects. The deciding factor will be: Where do you want to go, and where are your friends going?'
Mike Mansfield, director of communications at youth mental health support charity Jigsaw
Mike Mansfield
'I went from a small, rural, boys-only primary to the large, uniformed Galbally College in Ballinasloe, a mix of day pupils and 150 boarders from all parts of the world. A definite change. You had the cool kids sent down from the city, and I remember a boy from Zimbabwe.
'It was an anxious time. Secondary school was louder — I remember the noise. And worrying about finding the next class. You had a piece of paper with a bit of a map, but where was the history class? Mr Kelly's maths class? That fluidity compared to primary was difficult to get used to.
'A level of anxiety in a 12-year-old transitioning to secondary is completely normal. It's not something parents should instantly react to. Trust that children are resilient and can cope with a bit of anxiety — it's important to let them sit with it for a while. To feel it, find their own way to cope and respond to it, as opposed to a parent trying to eradicate it.'
