From Worry to Ready: Helping Your child Prepare for Secondary School.
Jun 09, 2025Are you or your child feeling anxious about starting secondary school this September?
In this video, I walk you through why the transition to secondary can feel so overwhelming—especially for children who are already finding school challenging—and what you can do to make it easier.
Everything changes at once: a bigger, noisier environment, more teachers, new expectations, and tricky routines can all add up—particularly for children with autism, ADHD, or executive functioning difficulties.
But there’s good news: you still have time to prepare and help your child feel more confident before September.
Here's what we cover:
- How to normalise worry and shift the focus to positive possibilities.
- How to gently explore “what if” worries and build problem-solving confidence.
- The everyday skills you can practise together
- Why familiarity matters—and how to help your child feel more prepared.
- When and how to contact the SENCO or Head of Year 7 for extra support.
Transitions can be hard—but with the right steps, they don’t have to feel scary.
Download the free “What If” handout I mention in the video by clicking here.
If you’re not always sure what to say or do when your child goes into fight, flight, or freeze before school, you’re not alone. I’ve created a free guide that walks you through simple, practical steps to help bring your child back to calm. You can download it here and keep it handy for those tricky mornings.
Nicky Odgers
