Each year in high school brings new academic and personal experiences. Here are some year-by-year tips to help you prepare.
Year 7
The move to high school can be challenging. Many schools begin a transition program during Semester 2 of Year 6. Make sure you attend any orientation or ‘meet the teacher’ events offered by your school. It will make Year 7 easier if you know what to expect, how the school works and who to talk to about issues. Staying in touch with your child's progress is harder than primary school as they may have a different teacher for each subject. Getting to know the staff is important.
Some questions to ask at information evenings:
Is there a parent or student portal with details of timetables, assessment tasks, excursions etc.? How do you access it?
Who is the year adviser for Year 7 and how do you contact them?
How do you contact individual teachers with any concerns?
Wellbeing
Monitor your child's technology use. Are they on Facebook when trying to do their homework? Are they receiving or making texts or calls late at night? Sleep requirements start to change this year and sleep deprivation is a big problem for many students. Midnight texts from friends will only make this worse.
Homework, study and assessments
In high school, students need to do both homework and study. To learn more about the difference between the two, visit Homework and study.
Does your child have a homework and study planner or diary? Are they using it? Check it weekly. If they aren't using it find out why. Some will prefer scheduling homework and setting reminders on their tablet or phone, but you still need to check they are keeping up with their homework and study each week. Add all assessment task and exam dates to our term assessment planner (DOCX 46 KB) – print a copy to keep it on the fridge as a reminder. A study timetable will help students plan some time each week to revise their work.
Your child will do NAPLAN this year, assessing their literacy and numeracy skills.
For more information on Year 7, visit Starting high school.
Year 8
Your child should be settling into high school by now. Attend any parent-teacher events offered. Meeting your child's teachers makes it easier to communicate with the school if there are issues.
Homework, study and assessments
If your child seems to be struggling with the difficulty of the work or getting organised to get it done, contact the year adviser.
Remind your child to write any due dates for assessments or exams on their term assessment planner (DOCX 46 KB) as soon as possible. Use the study timetable to schedule enough time in the weeks and days before assessments, tests and exams. This is a vital habit for students to learn now. In Year 8, students sit VALID tests, assessing their knowledge and skills in Science.
Electives
From Term 2 onwards, schools will ask Year 8 students to select electives for Year 9. Go to the information events and ask questions. Discuss elective choices with your child. Encourage them to choose subjects they enjoy and expect to do well in. Year 9 electives are about following their interests, not setting career pathways. For some students, vocational education and training (VET) subjects may be an option in Years 9 and 10.
Wellbeing
Year 8 is a time of shifting relationships for many. They experiment with friendships, push boundaries and want to spend more time away from the family. Balance is important. Know who they're hanging out with in person and online. Know how much screen time your child is having – it can rob them of important sleep, exercise and study time.
Year 9
Year 9 is the first year of Stage 5 and students will become familiar with more formal assessment processes. Print out our term assessment planner (DOCX 46 KB) and check your child is writing down all exam and assessment dates – keep it on the fridge as a reminder. Your child will also do the external NAPLAN tests this year.
Encourage your child to read for pleasure, to try different genres and more difficult books. This will build their vocabulary and show them different styles of writing – helping them with their own writing and comprehension.
Planning for change
Start talking with your child about what they might want to do after Year 12. At this age, many often question why they need to learn certain things – having a goal can help them to focus.
In Year 9, some students seem to swing from one extreme to another with all the changes going on. Relationships are changing with their peers and their families. They are asserting their independence but often without the good judgement that comes with maturity. The teenage brain is a ‘work in progress’ – the brain structure is changing and teens are flooded with hormones. The habits they learn now – good and bad – will form the basis for later years.
Wellbeing
If bullying becomes an issue, the NSW anti-bullying website provides resources and information to help.
This is a good time to be talking with your teen about alcohol and drugs.
Year 10
In Year 10, students follow a formal assessment program. Make sure your child writes all assessment task dates on the term assessment planner (DOCX 46 KB) for each term and stick it on the fridge as a reminder. Late assessment tasks usually mean penalties such as reduced marks so keep an eye on upcoming tasks, especially those that require a lot of preparation. Adding tasks to their smartphone calendar with alarms to remind them before each is due will also help keep them on track.
Eligible students receive their Record of School Achievement (RoSA) if they leave school at the end of Year 10 to work or complete other study.
Balancing work, life and study
Some students in Year 10 start part-time jobs, many have sporting and social commitments and life can get busy. It’s important they schedule time to study, as well as do their homework and assignments, so they don’t get behind with their school work. It’s also important to be talking openly with your child about alcohol and drugs.
Planning for the future
This year your child will be asked to choose subjects for Years 11 and 12. Start talking about this with them, the careers adviser and their teachers as early as possible.
Vocational education and training (VET), including school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, is a great option for students who think they may wish to pursue a trade after school. Not only can they get a taste of a career, they can finish high school with a qualification and an ATAR, if eligible subjects are chosen. This leaves their options open and can give them a great head start in getting a job.
Year 11
In Year 11 your child will be expected to work harder and be more proactive in their study. It's a big step up from Year 10.
It's vital you attend parent-teacher information events this year. You'll receive important information on exactly what's happening this year and how you can help your child cope and succeed.
Homework, study and assessments
Students are expected to complete regular study in all subjects each week, without nagging them into doing it. It’s also a short year, with only 3 terms in the Preliminary course before starting HSC studies in Term 4. Encourage them to plan a regular and consistent study schedule from the first week of Term 1. Our study timetable allows students to schedule time after school and over the weekend to revise, write summaries, practise sample questions.
At the beginning of the year your child will receive an assessment schedule, with the dates and weighting of all assessment tasks for the course. Review this together and add all tasks to a term assessment planner (DOCX 46 KB) for Terms 1, 2 and 3. Make sure it’s kept in a highly visible place so you can remind your child when tasks are coming up. Adding tasks to their smartphone calendar with alarms plenty of time before the due date should also help remind them of upcoming assessments.
Wellbeing
Physical activity is still important when study ramps up at school. This is the age many students drop sport, but it's important for them to continue to incorporate exercise into their schedule to help them manage stress as they prepare for the HSC.
Monitor your child's technology use. Research shows that the quality of study and learning suffers when students are frequently interrupted by texts, emails, phone calls or by flicking between homework and Facebook screens. Instead, tell them to schedule 10 minute breaks every hour to catch up on their social lives, if needed.
Some students begin driving in Year 11 and social lives increase. Keep talking honestly with your child about alcohol and drugs.
Year 12
The HSC course starts for students in Term 4 of Year 11. It can be hard to get motivated at the end of the calendar year, with summer holidays approaching, but it is essential as most subjects will have their first assessment task this term.
Homework, study and assessments
Students will receive their HSC assessment schedule at the start of the course this term. As soon as the assessment schedule is received, it’s time to add the task dates to the term assessment planner (DOCX 46 KB) for Terms 4, 1, 2 and 3.
If your child is getting anxious about the HSC, a study timetable may help reassure them. Term 4 is a good time to revise the timetable. Make sure the study times set are practical – if they are failing to follow the study timetable they may give up – so help your child set realistic times for studying.
Discuss when your child feels their revision is most effective – are they a morning person? Not many teenagers are. Do they prefer to do their study straight after they get home from school? Maybe they prefer to study after dinner or in chunks on the weekend. Term 4 can be a good time to trial adjustments to the study timetable. It’s also important to discuss the need to keep revising and creating summaries over the long summer break.
Year 12 students need to be ready to get straight back into work once school goes back after the summer break. Reminding your child they are a quarter of the way through their HSC at the start of the year may help motivate them.
Wellbeing
Some other things to help make the HSC year go more smoothly include:
avoiding any big decisions that could affect your child such as family holidays and changes in living arrangements, if possible
ensuring your child eats well and gets enough sleep and exercise
helping your child balance work and play – many students have part-time jobs – make sure the hours are manageable and don’t interfere with school work
having open and honest conversations about alcohol and drugs.
Stay in contact with the school, especially if you have concerns. Year 12 teachers want their students to achieve the best possible results and appreciate parents who are interested and supportive. Contact the year adviser if you are worried about your child's emotional wellbeing or how they're handling Year 12 studies.
Remember, the HSC focus is only for a short period of time. Support your child to do the best job possible but also remember the ATAR is not the be all and end all. There are many alternative pathways to most careers, even if they don't receive the results they hoped for, or an offer from their preferred university.
To help your child with homework and study, visit Homework and study.
For more tips to getting through the HSC, visit the HSC.
Talking to your teen about alcohol and drugs
Alcohol and drugs can cause permanent damage to the adolescent brain and stop it from maturing properly. It is illegal to serve or provide under 18s with alcohol.
For tips on talking to your teen about alcohol and drugs, visit Your room – For parents for information and resources to download.
For advice on holding parties, visit NSW Police – Safe party tips.