Taking the stress out of going to high school

Today I launched new resources developed by Life Ed to help take the stress out of transitioning to high school for year six students.

The transition from primary school to high school is a critical time in the life of a child and like any change it can also be scary.

Almost half of year six students experience stress and anxiety about going to high school according to a study commissioned by Life Ed and undertaken by the Australian Council for Education Research.

The Productivity Commission’s Interim Report into the current National Schools Reform Agreement says that there is clear evidence between wellbeing and student engagement at school.

If students are experiencing poor wellbeing it makes it harder to learn.

That’s why the Guide to Thrive developed by Life Ed is important.

These new resources are aimed at helping parents, teachers and carers of students about to make the switch from primary school to high school do what they can to make the transition easier.

The tools are free to download and include:

• modules for teachers mapped to Australian Institute for Teaching and Learning Standards
• practical classroom activities based on research
• resources for parents and carers to support their conversations with students and help to get the right information.

Topics covered include:

• dealing with fears about meeting new people and learning new things in a new environment
• learning how to navigate to and around a new school
• creating productive communication between parents, teachers and schools
• tailoring support for students with special needs.

I also confirmed that $6 million in ongoing funding over the next four years will be provided to Life Ed to continue delivering its important health and safety programs for children and young people.

Life Ed’s Guide to Thrive resources are available on Life Ed’s website.

Life Ed’s full research report, What Australian students say about transition to secondary school, is available on the Australian Council for Education Research website.

The Guide to Thrive resources were made possible by a $4.4 million investment from the Australian Government.