We can help your students be happy and confident as they transition to high school ... without all the worry, struggle and overwhelm.
'Get Set For High School' student workshop
STUDENT WORKSHOP
Our workshop helps students navigate one of their biggest transitions in life.
We ease their worries and empower them to cope with all they'll face in high school.
"Being a high school teacher myself,
I believe this program is a MUST for all Year 6 students."
Vanessa Stipanovic, High School Teacher and Parent of a Year 6 Student
We bring our workshop to your school, during school hours.
"I can highly recommend this to provide students with lots of practical information and lowering their anxiety level as they prepare for secondary school."
I highly recommend
Lea De Angelis, Principal - K-12 School
"Great stuff ... it all worked fantastic! The activities were practical, the students were engaged and they left the workshop with confidence."
It all worked fantastic!
Thomas Kreiger, Year 6 Teacher
We teach PRACTICAL tools, skills and strategies that
reduce their worries and prepare children for high school.
They'll begin high school with less anxiety, knowing they can manage what's ahead.
Because we show them how.
How to cope with all the changes.
How to navigate friendships. The different rules, expectations and pressures.
The increased workload and homework. How to be more independent and responsible. And more!
We tackle all the challenging pieces of this transition, one step at a time.
Tap here for more examples of what the children worry about. (The list is long and varied!)
Starting high school involves big changes, including 3 of the top causes of youth stress.
What the students say ...
"Before the workshop, I was worried about high school. Now I know I will always have someone there to help me and I feel like my worries are gone. I think every person in Year 6 should do this workshop."
My worries are gone!
Jonathon, Year 6 Student
"Before I was stressing about high school but now I WANT to go! You get easy tips to be well-organised in high school and you learn about your diary and timetable."
Now I WANT to go!
Alex, Year 6 Student
"I was very worried about the stress of high school. But I learnt lots of different ways to make things easier, like with homework. I'll start high school with a better understanding of just about everything!"
A better understanding
Holly, Year 6 Student
Our workshops are fun, engaging and informative!
Informative
We teach practical skills and strategies that are easy to remember and put into action. We break complex ideas down into simple, easily understood strategies. Above all, we make everything very doable!
Engaging
Keeping students engaged is one of Jenny's superpowers! She shares the information they need, in well-paced, interesting ways to keep their attention throughout the workshop.
Interactive
We get them involved ... this is not a standard, “I talk, you listen” session. Children are actively participating, doing activities and learning throughout. That's why we call it a workshop - not a talk!
Fun
We make learning fun! We target information right at their age group and present it in fun and interesting ways. Plus, we emphasise the positive & fun aspects of high school, which can help balance their worries.
Play the video to hear from the students
Year 6 children talk about how the 'Get Set For High School' workshop helped them.
Enquire here about the workshop or to get help to choose options for your school -
IT WORKS!
We've helped thousands of students in our workshops over the past 10 years.
Principals have us back year after year because we're the experts in transition to high school.
We still work with schools we started with in 2013!
What principals and teachers say about the program ...
"Get Set For High School is different because it deals with the anxieties that Year 6 students often experience and provides them with practical strategies to assist with the transition to high school. We had an overwhelming positive response from teachers, parents and, most importantly, the students."
An overwhelming positive response
Patricia Laidler, Principal
It's really tremendous in preparing kids
Simon Wilson - Head of Years 5 to 9
St Anthony of Padua College, Austral
Play the videos to hear
from teachers
Our children are far more at ease
Helen Rigby - Year 6 Teacher
North Ryde
The student workshop is based on our unique 4 part system for transition to high school
Jenny Atkinson developed the 'Get Set For High School' program following her extensive research with
over 1600 students transitioning to high school. *
* 'Transitioning To High School - the Students' Voice' - Research Study by Jenny Atkinson
Tap the buttons below to find out more
Through engaging activities, we guide children through the 4 steps of the system to calm their worries and build the skills, understandings and strategies needed for a successful transition to high school.
Yes - it works!
%
What the parents say ...
"My daughter came home after the workshop feeling more confident. A lot of her queries were answered and the anxieties behind them have disappeared. As a parent, I am extremely grateful that an experience like this was available to her.
I believe it is a very valuable program."
The anxieties behind it disappeared
Kelly Gibbs, Teacher & Parent of Year 6 Student
"My daughter was quite anxious over the high school experience. She found this enormously helpful and said it explained all the questions she had. She now feels that high school will be a very positive experience. Thank you for doing this for our young people.
As a high school teacher, we can see the difference this makes."
Enormously helpful
High School Teacher and Parent of Year 6 Student
All the ways we can help ...
STUDENT
WORKSHOP
Our engaging and informative workshops show children how high school works and teach them skills & strategies, so they're prepared for what's ahead.
We come to your school OR you can choose the live online version.
HIGH SCHOOL
HUB
Our online transition to high school membership WEBSITE for students.
20 fun and informative guided modules - for teachers to use with Year 6 & Year 7 (at school & home) or parents can purchase separately to use with their child at home.
PARENT
TALK
Parents learn information and strategies to understand & support their child in this transition. Academic, practical aspects, school expectations, social and emotional demands. In school talk or at home webinar available.
SCHOOL CONSULTATION
Using current research and worldwide best practices, Jenny helps your teachers develop a school plan & transition framework that works best for YOUR students and school community.
ENQUIRIES
We're here to help.
For program enquiries or for help to choose the best options for your school, you can reach us here ...
PARENT BOOK
Jenny's award-winning, best-selling parent book is a practical guide for helping children with the challenging transition to high school. Available for schools to bulk buy or parents to purchase. Foreword by Maggie Dent.
Amazon Best Seller
Award Winner
How do I know what these children need?
Hi, I'm Jenny Atkinson, founder of Sparks Education Australia, a teacher for 30+ years and author of the award-winning book, 'High School Rocks'.
As a Year 6 teacher, I was concerned seeing so many children struggle before starting high school and throughout their first year. I researched for 2 years with over 1600 students in
Year 6 and Year 7 to understand everything about their move to high school. Combined with my 30 years of teaching experience, I knew how and why children were struggling and how to turn it around. In 2013, I created my 'Get Set For High School' Program, starting with student workshops in schools.
Over the past 10 years, I've added new ways to help: my best-selling parent book, parent talks, webinars, resources and the new online student membership 'High School Hub'. Because I have a deep understanding of transition to high school for all the different perspectives - students, parents, teachers and principals - there is support available for everyone.
Jenny has been featured in
TEACHERS!
Find out about all the ways we can help prepare your students for high school.
PARENTS!
Find out more about how we can help your child with high school.
Copyright © 2013 - 2023 Sparks Education Australia. All Rights Reserved.
Our simple, step-by-step approach helps children get results as quickly and easily as possible.
This is definitely not an “I talk, you listen” program. Jenny engages and motivates the children so they are actively participating, whether it's in the student workshop or using the 'High School Hub' online membership modules.
Information is presented in a variety of ways: from animated videos and interactive games to checklists, 'how to' guides, infographics, action plans and more, targeted right at their age group.
Complex ideas are broken down into simple, easily understood strategies that can immediately be put into action ... and remembered!
We encourage taking action. For example, in 'High School Hub', there's a 6 step action plan at the end of the modules outlining their next steps.
These are just some of a very long list children have told me about in my 2 year research study and in the student workshops.
And because children are heading into the teenage years, they have additional stresses on top.
And this is not just the children with anxiety conditions ... although this is on the rise.
This is stress experienced to varying degrees by every child starting high school.
The great news is we can do so much to prevent and relieve this overwhelm early.
LEADING CAUSES OF STRESS FOR OUR YOUTH
TOP 3 STRESSORS
Every child faces this stress starting high school
NEXT TOP 3
And sometimes this extra stress
Living in a global pandemic for 2+ years brought
stress, disruptions and challenges to every area of life.
Teachers and parents are still seeing the effects at school and home.
There hasn't been an uninterrupted, 'normal' year of school (and life) since 2019!
(Teachers know exactly what we're talking about here!)
It started with 2 Years of Research
With 1600+ Students, Parents and Teachers
At the core of this program is Jenny's own research across 16 Australian schools with over 1600 students, parents and teachers.
After 2 years of surveys and interviews, and a study of worldwide research and best practices, Jenny had a deep understanding of transition for the different perspectives... students, parents and teachers. From there, the ‘Get Set For High School’ program was created to explicitly address the challenges faced during transition.
Ongoing research, including tailoring the program for individual school needs, ensures the program remains up to date with the latest evidence-based practices.
See a snapshot of the research results here:
* 'Transitioning To High School - the Students' Voice' - Research Study by Jenny Atkinson
We know how hard teachers work to cover the curriculum, so we work hard to lighten your load, not add to it. The program aligns to the Australian Curriculum, saving you time and reinforcing your classroom learning.
Expert educators have designed the program and resources and include a pacing guide for teacher led options.
Jenny Atkinson is the 'Get Set For High School' program creator and our dynamic workshop leader. She loves to actively engage students and gets everyone talking, moving and sharing while they’re learning. Jenny has over 30 years of teaching experience.
At Sparks Education, we employ fully trained teachers who have completed teacher education studies at an Australian tertiary institution. Presenters complete the 'Working with Children Check - WWCC' - to allow engagement in child-related work.
Program and resources have been designed by expert educators with significant classroom teaching and curriculum development experience.
Students, parents and teachers recognise the benefits.
%
Students: To assess program effectiveness, we went into high schools to follow students who completed the 'Get Set For High School' program when they were in Year 6.
A resounding 97% of these high school students said the program should be offered to ALL YEAR 6 students to prepare them for high school.
"Get Set For High School is different because it deals with the anxieties that Year 6 students often experience and provides them with practical strategies to assist with the transition to high school. We had an overwhelming positive response from teachers, parents and, most importantly, the students."
Patricia Laidler, Principal
Ongoing feedback as an integral part of our program. This ensures we keep improving and providing relevant programs and support.