If your family is moving house and your child has to relocate to a new school, they may require some additional support from you, as their parent, in order to make the transition as smooth as possible. Moving schools can be tough for young people. Especially if they were happy in their previous school. With that said, you should be prepared for some heightened emotions and perhaps even a little shift in academic performance. Find out more  about how moving can affect your child’s education below from a prep school in Surrey.

Adjusting To Change

Remember, when moving house, your child will have to adapt to their new environment and the personal changes that follow, as well as new teaching staff and classmates. If they are behind or ahead in their new class, they might lose focus during lessons. The teachers might be following a slightly different curriculum, which will be quite confusing at first. With that said, you’ll need to keep an eye on your child when they’re settling in and refrain from criticising them if their grades slip a little. Of course, the school will give your child as much support as they need to help them acclimatise, but parents will need to be sensitive too. You could even consider hiring a private tutor to help your child with their homework for a few months until they’re up to speed.

Keep Old Friends

If possible, allow your child to stay in touch with their old school friends and perhaps even meet up with them if they are not too far. You should also try and arrange some play dates with children at the new school (if your child is an appropriate age) or perhaps encourage your child to join an extracurricular club where they can meet some likeminded people. The trick is to help your child feel less alone so that they don’t suffer with anxiety or struggle to make new friends.

Remain Upbeat

Most importantly, you should try and remain positive. Moving house is a stressful time and your child will pick up on your stress, which will be quite unsettling. Try and show them that you are confident about the change and optimistic about what is to come. You should even try and pay the school a visit before they join so that they can familiarise themselves with their new environment. Otherwise their first day in a new building will feel very daunting. Keep in touch with the school so that both parties can monitor your child’s performance.

You might also find this article about moving house with children useful.