For children making the move from their Early Years provision to primary school, we have created a “Top Tips” guide for parents and carers. Please click on the image to open the document.

One of the first educational transitions a child experiences is the move from an early learning and childcare setting to Primary one.  This transition can be an exciting time for children, but some parents may have questions about whether they should consider delaying their child’s entry to Primary one.  The year in which the child starts Primary one depends on when they turn 5.  Aberdeenshire Council’s guidance around eligibility for requesting delayed entry can be found here: Register for primary one - Aberdeenshire Council  

For many young people the transition to secondary school is exciting and they look forward to moving on. Parents can help by

• Talking to their child about what will happen

• Listening to any concerns and sharing these with relevant people 

• Helping their child become familiar with the new school

Tap here to find more tips about helping your child to get ready for moving school.

Your child's school will help to make their transition to a new school as easy as possible. You will get practical advice from the new school fro example timetables, transport, luchtimes, after school activities. There will be an opportunity for P7 children to visit their new school and meet some of their teachers.

For more information about transition tap here to visit the Scottish Government Parentzone

For some children and young people they may be facing a key transition and require additional support to navigate this successfully. Some children may be returning to school after a period of absence and will benefit from enhanced support to re-establish routines. They may also require targeted help to understand new routines and procedures. This can be achieved using visual prompts to support understanding and create predictability.

Press here for a resource prepared by the National Educational Psychology Service in Ireland. 

There is much debate around the dangers of social media for children and young people.   Some researchers blame the increased use of smartphones for the increasing number of children and young people presenting with anxiety. However, the reality is that while social media and the use of technology like mobile phones can contribute to poor mental health, they are most often not the direct cause.  The Educational Psychology Service has reviewed research which indicates that parents support their children and young people to use social media and smartphones safely.  This means setting parental controls which allow for the following;

• Time-limited use of age appropriate apps such as Whatsapp (age 13+), SnapChat (age 13+), TikTok (age 13+).

• Good sleep routines – mobile phones can be set to go into “downtime” at specific times of the day (e.g. you might like to set downtime for between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. for a 13 year old).  

• Research suggests that looking at devices in bed can lead to sleep difficulties.  Some parents may want their children to leave their phones in a different room at bedtime.

• Rules around phone usage during social times with family (e.g. no phones at the dinner table, game time etc.)

One of the most important ways of teaching a child to use their phone safely and in moderation is through positive role modelling.

There are various websites which are designed to help you navigate parental controls on a range of devices. Click here for information about safe use of mobile phones and here for information about safety when accessing the internet.