From Primary to High School: How to Prepare Your Child (Starting in Year 4)

The move to high school is the biggest transition in your child's education. It brings a new building, a dozen teachers, more homework, more independence, and a sharp jump in the difficulty of maths and English. Families who start preparing in Year 4 or 5 find it far smoother than those who begin in Term 4 of Year 6.

Year 4: start the conversation

• Make a list of the high schools realistically available to you: your zoned government school, nearby public schools, Catholic and independent options. Use the rankings for your state and schools near me.
• If a selective school or opportunity class is a possibility, this is when preparation starts in earnest; see our selective schools guide.
• Check your child is at or above year level in reading and maths. Gaps are far easier to close now than in Year 7.

Year 5: applications and open days

• Attend open days for your shortlist. Most independent and Catholic schools hold them in Terms 1 and 2.
• Independent school applications for Year 7 are commonly due during Year 5, sometimes earlier; scholarship exams are typically sat in Year 6, with registrations in Year 5.
• NSW selective placement test applications open during Year 5 for the test in Year 6.
• Register interest with government schools; most begin formal Year 7 enrolment in Term 2 of Year 6.

Year 6: decide and prepare

• Government school enrolment forms usually go home via the primary school in Term 2.
• Attend orientation days in Term 4.
• Academically, the leap in Year 7 maths is the one that catches most students: fractions, decimals, percentages, negative numbers and introductory algebra all arrive quickly. Make sure the Year 6 foundations are solid.
• In English, extended writing and analytical reading of texts become central. Reading widely over the summer helps enormously.

Term 1, Year 7: watch for the dip

Research consistently shows a dip in achievement and engagement in the first year of high school. Warning signs include "I've got no homework" every night, a sudden dislike of a subject that used to be a strength, and disorganisation (lost notes, missed deadlines). None of these are character flaws; they are symptoms of a system that assumes more independence than most 12-year-olds yet have. Set up a routine early and keep in touch with the year advisor.

How tutoring fits in

Small-group tutoring in Years 5 and 6 is one of the most reliable ways to enter high school with confidence, particularly in maths. A free assessment identifies exactly which concepts are secure and which need attention, so the work is targeted rather than generic.