When your child starts high school, there will be many new things to get used to. Different teachers, new friends, and often a much larger school. Read our Year 7 Guide for tips and advice.
What to expect
In Year 7 (Year 8 in South Australia) students start high school, and that’s a big deal. There will be many changes, for starters having several different teachers and different classrooms, often spread across a much larger campus. Staying in touch with your child’s progress will not be as easy as it was when they were in primary school, as they now have a different teacher for each subject.
The approach to homework and study time will be different, too. This year introduces a new way of learning as Year 7 students will be expected to be more independent, self-reliant and self-motivated than in primary school. They’ll have to be super organised and prepared, follow their timetable and ensure they have the things they need for each class.
At the beginning of Year 7, your child may undertake a Best Start Year 7 assessment. This assessment is used in many high schools to help identify students who may require additional support in the development of key literacy and numeracy skills. Teachers also use a range of other assessments to identify students’ literacy learning needs and teach the skills they require.
What does your child learn in Year 7?
The national curriculum is designed to equip students for senior secondary schooling, including vocational pathways. The Australian Curriculum is taught mostly by subject-specialist teachers. At this age, there is a focus on developing students’ abilities to maintain personal health and wellbeing.
In Years 7–10 the Australian Curriculum supports the deepening of knowledge, understanding and skills in all eight learning areas. These are:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Health & Physical Education
- Humanities & Social Sciences
- The Arts
- Technologies
- Languages
The curriculum continues to prepare students for civic, social and economic participation and personal health and well-being whilst providing increased opportunities for students to make choices and specialise in learning of particular interest.
You can find a full description of the content descriptions of the Australian Curriculum in Year 7 here.
NAPLAN
Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students in Australian schools sit the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). NAPLAN is held in May and involves 4 different tests:
- Language conventions (spelling, punctuation, grammar)
- Reading
- Writing
- Numeracy
What NAPLAN does is assess students’ general literacy and numeracy skills, which are required in all subject areas. Texts used in NAPLAN come from a variety of key learning areas. Students with disability or additional learning and support needs may require adjustments to support their learning. Part of Cluey’s English program focuses on revision, skill building and mock tests to help your child practice ahead of NAPLAN.
To find out more read our Guide to NAPLAN here and check out our NAPLAN Test Prep Programs here.
Students develop knowledge, skills and dispositions to become confident users and communicators of mathematics in the world around them. The list of Maths topics in the Australian National Curriculum also reflects a jump in learning. Things like indices, equations and angle relationships are just a few of the areas your child will cover this year.
The mathematics curriculum draws on previously established mathematical ideas to solve non-routine problems and develop more complex and abstract ideas. It makes connections between mathematical concepts and their application in the world. It lays the foundations for future studies, including introducing all students to the benefits of algebra and applications of geometry.
Find out how Cluey can help your child with Maths: https://clueylearning.com.au/year-7-maths/
In high school, students will develop and use literacy skills in all their subjects. Strong literacy skills, including good vocabulary knowledge, can influence success in all areas of learning throughout high school. Year 7 English focuses on more complex texts and a deeper analysis of symbolism and metaphor, while also encouraging your child to form his or her own opinions about characters and events within the texts. The curriculum continues to provide opportunities to practise, consolidate and extend the knowledge, skills and understanding of previous years.
Students learn how literature can be discussed in relation to themes, ideas, and historical and cultural contexts. They will be expected to critically analyse and evaluate texts to develop understanding of purpose and audience and how language techniques are used to position the audience.
Find out how Cluey can help your child with English: https://clueylearning.com.au/year-7-english/
Ways to help your child prepare for high school
It’s fair to say that Year 7 is also a year of personal challenges for kids. At this age, there will be growth spurts, hormonal changes, and suddenly they are the newbies at school again. All that may make your child feel a little insecure. The challenges of making new friends, managing schedules and puberty can be quite overwhelming for new high school students.
Many teens aren’t eager to share their feelings and emotions with their parents and caregivers. But just because they haven’t said anything doesn’t mean they aren’t worrying about the first day of high school. It can be a really stressful time, especially for kids who learn and think differently.
Fortunately, parents and their children can take some steps to make the transition easier. Before the first day, make sure your child is familiar with the school space and the route. Allow them to adjust, and try not to overschedule your child, at least in the first term. Be prepared for ups and downs, and make sure you check in on their emotional wellbeing.
For more information and tips, read our blog article Five tips to prepare your child for high school here.
Things you can do to help your child in Year 7
High school students often find different methods and times to study to suit themselves, but the key is regular study, not cramming before a test or exam. A homework and study planner or diary is a useful tool. Some will prefer scheduling homework and setting reminders on their phone or device.
You still need to check they are keeping up with their homework and study each week but be mindful of the fact that creating a foundation of independent study is important.
You can make things easier for them if there is a clear routine for them before and after school. It should include time for homework, hobbies and sport, and relaxation. Try to make sure your child eats healthy food, gets plenty of physical activity and plenty of sleep.
If children are struggling with the transition to secondary school, they may:
- not want to go to school
- say they feel sick on Sunday nights
- seem uninterested in schoolwork or activities
- avoid talking with you, especially about school
- seem low in confidence – say things like “I’m dumb” or “nobody likes me”
- get lower marks than they used to
If your child is having trouble, don’t wait for things to improve on their own. Try to get your child to talk about how they’re feeling and let them know that it’s normal to feel worried, stressed or overwhelmed. Listen with intent and see if you can work out some strategies together. If it persists, it’s okay to ask for help.
How Cluey's tutoring can help your child succeed
Cluey learning tutoring programs provide the right individual support and focus for single subjects, including specific content and tutor matching. With an innovative online learning platform and tailored tutoring, we’re helping students all over Australia with their schoolwork. We map our content to the curriculum, so it's aligned to exactly what your child is learning at school (including state-by-state variations).
All sessions are face-to-face and take place online between 7.00am and 10.00pm via Cluey’s virtual learning platform, which means you can work the lessons around your schedule. In a fun and unhurried way, we support your child in their academic development. We do this in a way that meets their individual needs and circumstances, no matter if they need to catch up, keep up or excel.
Each week we run thousands of private 1-to-1 and small group tutoring sessions. Our excellent tutors really know their stuff, as they are all qualified teachers, high ATAR achievers or subject matter experts.
We’ve helped thousands of families throughout Australia with schoolwork support, thanks to our fun and personalised learning programs in both English and Maths.
Find out more about our high school support and tutoring.
And discover what parents all across Australian are saying about Cluey - read our Google reviews
