Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
New School Checklist: Free Printable Planner for Year 6
- ForYear 6
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
New School Checklist is a free printable planner for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11). Children tick off the jobs that help them get ready for secondary school, from finding out their tutor group to packing a pen, pencil and ruler. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Page 1 is a checklist with lines for writing. Children tick each job as they do it. The jobs include finding out their tutor group and form room, practising the journey to school, checking the uniform and PE kit list, labelling kit and bag, looking at the timetable, finding out who to ask for help, learning how lunch and payments work, and packing a pen, pencil and ruler. The lines are there for children to write their own notes.
- Find out my tutor group and form room
- Practise the journey to school
- Check the uniform and PE kit list
- Label my kit and bag
- Look at my timetable and find my first lessons
- Find out who to ask for help
- Learn how lunch and payments work
- Pack a pen, pencil and ruler
Getting ready, one job at a time
Know where to be
Finding out the tutor group and form room helps children picture their first morning. They know where they are going and which group they will join.
Know how to get there
Practising the journey makes it familiar. Do it together first. Talk about the route, the timing and what to do if something goes wrong.
Know what to bring
Checking the uniform and PE kit list, labelling kit and bag, and packing a pen, pencil and ruler turns a big worry into small jobs a child can finish.
Know who to ask
Finding out who to ask for help, and how lunch and payments work, gives children a plan for the moments when they feel unsure.
Why plan for the move to secondary school?
Moving from primary to secondary school is one of the biggest changes in a child's school life. Many children go from one main class teacher to several teachers, from one classroom to many, and from being the oldest in the school to being the youngest. Each school does things a little differently, so it helps to find out how your child's new school works.
A checklist breaks a large, unknown change into small steps. Children can tick off what they have done and see what is left. It also gives families a reason to talk. Feeling excited, nervous or both is normal, and saying so out loud often makes those feelings easier to manage.
Skills and curriculum link
- Planning ahead
- Managing change
- Asking for help
- Getting organised
- Talking about feelings
Ideas for helping your child get ready
- Use the school's own informationLook at anything the new school has sent home. Use it to fill in the checklist, and note down questions to ask at a visit or call.
- Practise the journey togetherGo over the route with your child before term starts. Let them lead and say what they notice. Adults stay in charge of road safety.
- Label and pack earlyWrite your child's name on kit and bag with a marker pen. Let them pack the bag themselves, then check it together.
- Choose a go to personHelp your child name one adult at school they could ask if they feel stuck. Knowing who to ask makes asking easier.
Key words
- Secondary schoolThe school children go to after primary school. In England, the first year is Year 7.
- TransitionA move from one stage or place to another, such as primary school to secondary school.
- Tutor groupThe group a child belongs to at many secondary schools. They often meet it for registration and daily check ins.
- Form roomThe room where a tutor group usually meets.
- TimetableA plan that shows which lessons happen at which times, and where.
- KitThe clothes and equipment needed for school, such as a PE kit and a pencil case.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the checklist through together the first time. Talk about each job and what it means.
- Work through the list over a few weeks. Tick each job as it is done and use the lines to write notes.
- Talk about how each job felt. Ask what was easy, what was tricky and what your child still wants to find out.
- Check page 2 together and come back to the sheet another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Pick the three jobs that matter most and do those first. Tick them off, then stop. Talk about how each one felt. Come back to the rest another day, when the first three feel easy and there is less to think about at once.
To stretch confident children
Make your own list of five more jobs for the first week. Think about what you might need, who you might ask and what you might want to find out. Put the jobs in order, starting with the most important.
Make it a game
Pretend to be a Year 7. Tell a younger child what to expect at secondary school. Say only what you are sure about. For anything you do not know, say, "I will find out." Then add it to your list.
Talk about it
- Which job on the list feels easiest, and which feels hardest?
- What are you looking forward to about secondary school?
- What are you a little unsure about, and what might help?
- Who could you ask if you felt lost on the first day?
- What could you do the night before to feel ready?
- What would you tell a younger child about starting somewhere new?
Take it off the page
Pack the bag
Lay out everything on the list. Pack the bag together, then take it all out and let your child pack it again alone. Talk about why the order matters.
Label it
Write your child's name on kit and school items with a marker pen. Make it a game by hiding items and finding them by the label.
Question list
Write questions about secondary school on a piece of paper. Keep it somewhere safe and take it to any visit or call with the school.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first go and let them lead. Work through the list over a few weeks rather than all at once. Use the jobs as a way to talk about feelings, and praise effort as well as ticks.
Teachers
Use it as a PSHE starter, a plenary or a transition week activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Children can add their own jobs, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider plan on managing change. It pairs well with a visit to the school, a journey practice and everyday talk. Print again for brothers and sisters when their turn comes.
Where this fits in
Before this sheet, children in Key Stage 2 learn to talk about feelings, handle changes in routine and ask for help from trusted adults. Visits and taster days, where a school offers them, give children a first picture of what the new school is like.
After this sheet, children start Year 7 with a plan and a list of people to ask. Revisit the checklist after the first week. Tick off what has been done and write down anything new that has come up.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is New School Checklist for?
It is written for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11), in Key Stage 2. It suits children who are getting ready to move to secondary school, and it can also be used in the summer term or over the holidays.
- What will children practise?
Children practise planning ahead, managing change and asking for help. They plan for the move to secondary school, which supports the PSHE education theme of managing change and getting ready for transition.
- How do I use it?
Work through the list over a few weeks. Tick jobs as you do them and talk about how it feels. Do the first go together, then let your child lead, and use the lines on page 1 for notes.
- What if it feels too hard?
Pick the three jobs that matter most and do those first. Tick them off, then stop. Come back to the rest another day. Small steps help children who feel worried about the move.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. Print as many copies as you need for your own children or your own class, in black and white on plain A4 paper.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed groups.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children read, think and write by hand, and talk about each job with a grown up.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.