As your child reaches the pointy end of their education, the focus starts to shift toward the future – what subjects they’ll choose for their final year and what they want to do after high school. Their senior high school years are also an important rite of passage and a time for them to create lasting memories. For parents and caregivers, the end of your child’s formal schooling can be bittersweet as you realise they’re about to step out into the world on their own. Your role now is to make sure they have everything they need to thrive – and let them do the rest.
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What Students Will Learn: ATAR Preparation and Skill Development
Life beyond school becomes top of mind and their last school years are focused on preparing them for final exams, for further education or stepping into the workforce. “In Years 10 to 12, students focus on ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) preparation and future goals, with deeper, specialised learning aligned to university or career pathways,” says Bharti Sharma, a primary school teacher and tutor from Success Tutoring. “Senior students take focused subjects that build knowledge and skills for ATAR exams or vocational paths, developing critical thinking and analysis.” Students can expect an uplift in assignments and exams and a bigger time commitment required for study and workload management.
How Families Can Support Them: Encourage Open Communication and Balance
With ATAR exams approaching, it’s natural for students to be processing a few different emotions. Bharti suggests putting yourself in your child’s shoes to appreciate any pressure they may be feeling and support them to open up about how they are feeling. “Encourage open communication to work through [what] they may be experiencing.”
Help them manage their time by providing the tools and resources to prioritise their workload and offer to sit down with them to help plan out study time, due dates and exams. Bharti also recommends parents and carers keep up-to-date with any ATAR requirements and processes throughout students’ final years so you can help them with any applications if required. “This guidance [can help] students stay organised, reduce stress and confidently approach [their] ATAR and beyond,” says Bharti.
What Students Will Need: The Right Study Essentials
As the homework load ramps up in senior high school, it might be time to make a few additions to upgrade your child’s study space. Make sure their chair is comfortable for longer study sessions. If they’re hitting the books for longer than an hour at a time, it’s important to find a chair with matching recommended usage time of one to three hours or more. Also consider ergonomic features, such as back and head support and adjustability, to ensure the chair will comfortably support their growing frame.
When picking a desk, go for something that suits your child’s study style. They may need more desk space for their laptop, textbooks and room to write. A width of at least 1000mm and a depth of 500mm or more will fit their essentials. Make sure it’s got good legroom and is at least 700mm high for comfy sitting. Bonus if it has shelves or drawers to keep things organised and within reach.
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How Families Can Support Them: Upgrade Their Study Space
A desk lamp is a must-have, says Amanda Lecaude, academic life and executive function coach at Organising Students. “A lot of kids don’t have good lighting at their desks – a task light can make a big difference,” she says. The same goes for magazine holders to keep materials for each subject together in one place, and for easy transfer into their school bag.
Amanda also recommends an analogue clock to help with organisation. “Kids need to see that time has a beginning, a middle and an end – with digital clocks, they only see the current time and they don’t see time passing,” says Amanda. Plus, it’s a great way to keep their phones tucked away and their focus where it matters.
A planning tool – a whiteboard, calendar or paper diary – is another essential for senior high school students. “If you’ve got a test coming up in five days’ time you need to know you’ve got five days to prepare, not that you've got a test next week,” says Amanda. “A planning tool can help kids work out what they need to be doing in the lead up to the test.”
What to Try
- Otto Floral Metal Pen
- Studymate A4 8mm Ruled Exercise Book 96 Colourblock 5 Pack
- Studymate A4 Recycled Exercise Book 240 Page
- Sheffield 2 Drawer 1115mm Desk White and Oak
- Otto Manhattan Pen with Pouch
- Otto Manhattan Desk Organiser
- Otto A5 Embroided Notebook Teal 192 Pages
- Otto Arundale Side Shelf Desk 1200mm Black/Oak
How Students Might Feel: In Need of a Supportive Environment
Even though it can be tempting to lean in and micromanage your child’s study schedule and university preferences, their Senior High School years are the time to let them take charge, says clinical and educational psychologist Sophie Smith, clinic director of The Young Mind Clinic. “I tend to see a lot of parents who become very understandably invested in their child’s education and journey into early adulthood, but in doing that they may actually be transferring some of their anxiety or possibly even panic about that trajectory to their child,” she says. “It’s important to check your own emotions.”
How Families Can Support Them: Take the Pressure Off
Sophie says one of the best ways you can support your child during their senior high school years and ease some of the pressure is by “emphasising that exams are not the be-all and end-all”. “There is more than one pathway to everything. Talk about people you have known who didn’t get to where they wanted to go by the most direct route,” says Sophie.
If you can, let your child come to you with questions or concerns, rather than the other way around. “It’s much more likely to land when they have asked for advice, rather than when we spontaneously lecture them,” says Sophie.
Try to avoid any big changes to your family’s daily routine during exam time if possible – save the home renovations or long-term house guests for another time. “Your role is about creating an environment that is conducive to focus and routine,” says Sophie, highlighting the importance of balance. Stock the fridge with healthy snacks, set a good example by getting regular exercise and enough sleep and encourage your child to maintain a social life.
