Explore 10 ways to prevent anxiety when starting a new school

Starting a new school can be nerve-wracking for any young person but for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) there are additional pressures on the individual and the family. We know how hard you’ve worked to put measures in place in your child’s previous school. You thought it would never come but it did, and you can support them in their new school too! It may feel like a never-ending battle at times, but remember you always achieve it! Keep in mind what your child needs and the steps you need to get there.

With that in mind, we’ve put together some top tips to support your child when moving to a new school that helps them to feel more prepared and prevent any anxiety. Knowing that you’re trying your best to decrease your child’s anxiety will also make you feel less anxious. Let’s not forget that when your young person experiences new situations, it affects the whole family not just the individual with SEND.

1.    Make sure your young person’s new school knows about and can accommodate their needs in advance

This will likely involve meetings with the headteacher and Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. By discussing your child’s needs in advance can ensure the transition goes as smoothly as possible. It’s also important to get your young person involved, what do they want from their new school? How do they think their new school can help them achieve their potential?

2.      Clear communication between parents/carers and school

This sounds like an obvious point but can often be tricky due to busy staff and timetables that don’t match up with your day. Find a way which you can communicate with staff and establish this from the beginning. This may be in the form of a home-school diary.

3.      Visit the new school

Visiting your child’s new school is vital. It allows you to support your young person through transitions and to gather information for a scrap book which you can go through together. Meeting staff also allows your child to experience who they’ll be taught by, and this can ease any anxiety they may have.

4.      Gather information about the new school

Gathering information such as taking photos of the school/classrooms, gathering information on morning routines, the route to school, and what uniform they will be wearing can be used to create a book which you can go through as a family. You can use this is as often as you like to ensure your child’s mind is at ease and lessen any frustration they may have.

5.      Practice different scenarios

At home you could use role play to practice different situations they may come across during the school day (e.g., the journey to school, buying food from the canteen, writing key information down into their homework planner).

6.      Encourage your young person to use the ‘buddy system’ if one is available

Find out from your child’s new school if there is a buddy system in place. This can be useful for your child to gain confidence and be supported by a peer rather than a teacher. Your child may find approaching a ‘buddy’ easier to access than asking an unfamiliar adult.

7.      Keep a visual timetable for the countdown to when school starts

The countdown to starting a new school can feel like a long process. You could support your child to use a visual timetable to count down the number of days until they start. We know that young people with SEND respond well to visual information, so this is a strategy that can be adapted throughout their schooling life.

8.      Try to make adaptations to the uniform

Some young people struggle to adjust to the itchy scratchy uniform. Ensure your child tries on their new uniform in plenty of time so that you can work together to find out what is comfortable and what may need adapting. Talk to the school about appropriate adaptations, (e.g., this could be wearing their PE t-shirt rather than a shirt, or it could be about wearing black trainers rather than hard school shoes). It’s important that all staff know about the adaptations in place so that they know this is the expectation.

9.      Consider sensory needs

It’s important to consider what would help your child in settings that they may find more stressful (such as breaktime or the dining hall). For many young people, this is a time to relax and have fun. But for others, it can be a setting of sensory overload and overwhelm. Consider what parts of the day is more difficult and why, and then you can support your child appropriately (e.g., would ear defenders help? Perhaps finding a quiet place to go during break time would be beneficial).

10.     Create self-help cards to place in their bag

Together you and your young person could create self-help cards that can be placed in their bag. So, when they come across a situation, that they are uncertain of, they can be more independent and find a solution (e.g., if I can’t find my classroom, I can ask an adult).

Every young person is individual and not all these strategies will be successful. Explore which works best for your child and let us know if we can help you further.