Making the transition from primary school to secondary school can be tricky because you are getting use to a new and bigger environment and you are responsible for: arriving at school and lessons on time, taking care of your appearance, managing your homework, keeping your parents informed and making new friends.
Choose your friends carefully and treat people they way you like to be treated – with respect.
Try your best to work hard and enjoy the opportunities available and develop new interests. Try to develop an interest in books, read as much as you can and remember English and Maths are key subjects to succeed in.
Have fun and enjoy this time, but stay focused on your learning and start to think about your GCSE choices and develop some ideas about your future career. You can find information on different careers here, and there are other useful sites such as the national careers service.
If you feel the school is not getting the best out of you, talk to your parent/guardian or a teacher in the school you get on with. There may be a local project that can provide you with a mentor. Take a look at our advice for dealing with peer pressure if this is something you’re worried about.
Social Networking,
what not to do?
Why is it important to think before you post? Everyone has been in the position where something happens and your immediate reaction is to share your views on TikTok, Instagram, SnapChat or your favourite platform. Who knew these ‘immediate reactions’ could have an impact on your future?
17 year-old Paris Brown was the UK’s first youth police commissioner for Kent Police, only to be dismissed before even having the chance to take up the role. Why? Her tweets came back to haunt her!
Paris was excited at the opportunity of a new career working within the police force, but racist and homophobic tweets that she had posted at the age of 14 meant that her dreams were shattered. Paris’s situation highlights that regardless of age and privacy settings, the police and potential employers have a way of finding out what kind of individual they are employing.
There have been several other young people who have been in trouble with the law for their social media outbursts. In May 2012, a 21 year old student was arrested for posting racially offensive comments on Twitter about footballer Patrice Muamba.
Although the student did try to delete his comments, he was unable to do so and was arrested and suspended from his university. It just goes to show that you need to think before you post; otherwise you could be in serious trouble not only with the police but with potential employers.
*There are age restrictions on social networking sites, for example, to sign up or join Twitter or Facebook you must be at least 13 years old.
Looking for your first job?
The youngest age you can work part time is 13 years old, unless you are contracted to work in a modelling agency, television, or theatre. There are rules and regulations for children who work part time from the age of 13. Click here to find out more about the laws for child employment.
There are lots of jobs you can do – such as gardening, car washing, dog walking, babysitting and paper rounds. Some retailers employ young people to help with running their store such as packing bags or stocking shelves. To find local jobs buy your local newspaper or visit your local newsagents as they usually advertise jobs in the area.
Boost Your Literacy
- Read for at least 30 minutes a night. Try something that you’ll find interesting, it doesn’t have to be a fictional book, it could be a magazine, newspaper, a celebrity autobiography – whose life story interests you?
- Talk about what you have read with friends or family members, this helps you to better understand what you’ve been reading, and it may help others take an interest in what you’re reading.
- Keep a list of the new words you’ve learnt. When you’re reading, try to remember to write down, or highlight any words that you don’t recognise. When you have time, you can look them up in a dictionary, this will help to improve your vocabulary.
- Not great at spelling? Learn how to spell a new word every week. Try to make a list of those common words you always spell wrong, learn at least five a week, and get your family to test you at the end of the week.
- Want to learn to boost your literacy skills in a fun way? Have a look here.