IT may come as a surprise or perhaps a relief that the summer holidays have ended and children are returning to school this week.

For some young people, this may fill them with fresh concerns and anxieties. Even with preparation and visits ahead of the new term, any child starting a new school may feel trepidation about being surrounded by new faces in a new environment with new and more complex topics to cover in classes. They may also be anxious about the potential for bullying, being unable to keep up with schoolwork, or about how they look compared to their peers after long weeks of relative relaxation over the summer.

Over the past year we delivered over 3,200 counselling sessions with children about this issue, jumping by a fifth compared to the two years before the pandemic, so we know it’s on children’s minds.

So how can you help prepare your child for moving to a new school or starting a new term following the summer holidays? First of all, remember it’s common for children to feel nervous about returning to school and it might take them a while to feel comfortable about it. To help calm their nerves and ensure they’re prepared, one of the most important things you can do is to help them get plenty of rest ahead of the return to school. Getting back into a healthy night-time routine ensures they’re ready to get to school rested and learn. Suggest they spend a little more time than usual before bed without their mobiles, tablets, games or gadgets, or anything that could prevent them sleeping.

To help reduce your own anxieties, ensure they’ve got the correct clothing, uniform and equipment ready.

Try to ensure they eat breakfast each morning, to help prepare them for a day of learning. If you’ve got younger children, talk them through how their daily routine will work, including playtimes, lunch breaks, how they’ll get to and from school, and who will be picking them up.

Show an interest in how they’re getting on at school each day, but remember that sometimes children and young people might not feel comfortable talking too much about it. It’s important to ask and show that interest, but be prepared not to get too much of a response from time to time. And remember, young people may find it hard to talk about any concerns they have around school, so be patient and supportive until they feel ready to talk. If they still don’t feel able to speak to you about worries, let them know they can speak to our Childline counsellors any time for free, confidential support and advice on 0800 1111 or have one-to-one conversations at childline.org.uk