Help, my daughter says everyone has made friends at secondary school already — except her

Their first term of first year doesn’t have to be as daunting as you think 

Back to school challenges include big kids too

Back to school… those three words mean many things to many people. But it’s safe to say, with a new school year comes the unknown: What will it be like, and will I fit in?  The prospect of academic and social pressures, whilst exciting for some, can leave others feeling dread and trepidation as the summer holidays draw to a close. While there is a plethora of advice for primary school children, some parents of older children admit finding the transition into secondary equally daunting.  

Sarah Henderson is the mother of twins who starting in secondary school this week. She says her daughter in particular, is finding it hard to make new friends. "She only knew one or two other girls from her primary school who were starting First Year, and she's not particularly close to them. She's also quite shy and has come home in tears the past few days because she's ended up eating lunch alone. I feel so sorry for her but her brother is really putting himself out there and making connections, I want to see if she will push herself more, but it's been an emotional few days and she's exhausted from the new experience so I don't want to upset her any further."