The leap into post-18 life can feel huge, even overwhelming, for young people who are about to say goodbye to the familiar world of school. So as adult life looms, what should school staff watch out for in terms of wellbeing worries? And what strategies can they use to help?
Worry: ‘I don’t feel good!’
Deteriorating mental health has become endemic among school leavers in recent years. According to research conducted by Mentally Healthy Schools, drop-out rates among first-year undergraduate students have surged for the third consecutive year.
It can be helpful, therefore, to remind students about the three pillars of basic wellbeing: eating, moving and sleeping.
Schools can promote balanced diets by offering practical guidance, such as cooking demonstrations and advice on how to follow budget-friendly recipes.
They can take an active approach to preventing the post-school trend of declining physical activity by hosting or signposting taster sessions for exercise classes.
Highlighting the power of good sleep hygiene and mindfulness is also useful; apps including Headspace and Calm can help here.
Encouraging participation with former students can be impactful: recent leavers can share their experiences and top tips to support others during the post-school transition period.
There can be enormous value in encouraging open, honest discussion about mental health difficulties. Highlighting support channels can help students through this period. Signpost free and confidential 24/7 support services such as Kooth, Shout, TheMix and YoungMinds, and refer parents and caregivers to websites such as Know Before You Go by Student Minds.
Worry: ‘What will happen with my friends?’
Social readjustment is a major challenge for school leavers. Many will have forged their friendships through daily interactions and shared experiences within a familiar environment, and making new connections can feel challenging.
Talk with students about the need for belonging, and how they might find connection when they are no longer attending school each day. Sixth-form students often form close-knit friendship groups, but they might not know all their peers equally well. “Speed meeting” sessions can be a fun and useful way to sharpen students’ conversation skills outside of their comfort zone.
Worry: ‘I don’t know how to handle money’
Whether they’re entering further education or getting a job, school leavers will need to get to grips with financial independence.
Consider the Personal Finance Skills programme run by the Personal Finance Society to introduce students to the practicalities of managing their finances: it delivers free financial education workshops to schools across the UK.
Likewise, the Open University’s new Managing My Money course promotes financial health and equips students with the tools to maintain control over their money.
Worry: ‘I don’t know how to approach university/work!’
Inadequate preparation for university or work is cited by 87 per cent of school leavers as a principal challenge of post-school life. It is a big change, so taking an intentional approach to preparing them for it is key.
It is useful to create opportunities for university-bound students to experience a mix of university-style lectures and seminars. Introducing typical first-year undergraduate timetables and workload expectations can be a useful first step in easing the transition.
Highlighting undergraduate grading conventions and assessment styles can also help to bridge the achievement standard gap between A-level and undergraduate study.
Talks on the principles of academic integrity are equally worthwhile: familiarising students with academic referencing and the plagiarism detection system TurnItIn before their first assignment at university can reassure them enormously.
For those going in to work, it can be valuable to offer scenario-based exercises to develop skills in teamwork and self-advocacy. Equally, it is important to emphasise the importance of flexibility, virtual collaboration and reskilling.
Preparing students for managing remote working arrangements and signposting continuous learning opportunities can give them a head start in the modern workplace. Likewise, interactive sessions that highlight the essentials of employment contracts and the finances of employment and self-employment can make it all feel less daunting.
Facing the gap between school life and the adult world will always be a big moment for school leavers, but guidance and strategies to help them thrive can make all the difference to those first steps.
Luke Ellmers is a university admissions specialist and former head of sixth form of a UK independent school. Maja Trachonitis is assistant head for wellbeing at Sutton Valence School
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