When I was in Year 6, back in 1996, I remember thinking to myself: I think we need more homework, after all, we’re going into Year 7 next year and I just don’t think I’m going to be ready! 

Surprisingly, I was not a studious student. At all. If I could cut a corner, find a hack, I would. If I could get out of reading a novel, I would. If I could make up an excuse for why I needed an extension on an assignment, I would. I even tried to convince my parents that I was too dumb to get good marks at school, so there was no point trying for university. Luckly, they weren’t having a bar of it! 

But I did have one thing right. And that was, that I was just not prepared for Year 7. I seemed to have been able to cruise pretty easily through my primary school years, getting good marks with pretty minimal effort. I even got into the second highest class at the highly academic school my parents sent me to in Year 7 after the placement tests they gave. 

But, as I started Year 7, and the assessments rolled in, my marks, and my confidence, went right downhill. And didn’t recover until, dare I say it, after my HSC Trials.   

In our current education system, there is a dramatic jump in standard whenever a new stage is started. So for Year 3, 5, 7 (that’s a big one!), 9 and 11, students can often be shocked at how elevated the standard is. But for Year 7 specifically, a big reason for this change is: 

• Students finish Year 6 at very different levels depending on their school

• Primary school tends not to be as academic as High School so students can have many gaps when moving into Year 7 content

• Students are suddenly in a completely different structure, having to change teachers and classrooms up to 6 times per day 

This can be a big shock for students entering Year 7, and it’s sad to see students who have so much confidence in Year 6 suddenly drop because they weren’t quite ready for the jump. That was definitely me. But, now I have the benefit of hindsight.

When students start Year 7 on a strong footing, particularly for Maths and English, it can have a DRAMATIC impact on how confident they feel in Year 7, and how well they end up doing throughout their high school years. Of course, gaps can always be filled later, but for your peace of mind, and the confidence of your children, have a look at ways you can support your children before they Year 7, at least for the academic basics of Maths and English, to really give them a boost that supports their transition between Primary School and High School.