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STUDENT 1: What's the very first memory you have of me starting school?

PARENT/CARER 2: I remember we went into the classroom, and I was just thinking, oh, the first minute is so important. I hope it's OK.

PARENT/CARER 3: Well, I remember you wouldn't let go of my leg.

PARENT/CARER 4: And you clung onto me like a koala, and you didn't let go. Had to carry you to the classroom and sit in the class with you until you felt comfortable.

PARENT/CARER 2: And your teacher was this really super nice lady.

PARENT/CARER 1: Actually, I remember when you were with your brother Marcus, and we were trying to take a photo of you. And you were actually pushing him out of the way, because you just wanted the photo of you, because you were so proud of your first day.

PARENT/CARER 3: I think the first memory was you getting dressed in a very big dress to go off to school with a very big backpack.

PARENT/CARER 2: And you just fell in love with her, and I just thought, oh, okay, everything's fine, it'll be fine; and it was.

STUDENT 2: Yeah. I had a really good first day of school.

STUDENT 4: How did you feel when I started school when I was about five years old?

PARENT/CARER 4: I was excited for you, but I was also really sad, in a way, that I wouldn't have you around as my buddy.

PARENT/CARER 3: I felt very nervous, because you were our first child. And we didn't know what to expect at school. But we were also very excited for you to meet new friends.

PARENT/CARER 1: I was feeling really happy for you, because I knew that you were so curious about the world and so curious and so keen to learn. So I was really happy, because I thought you needed to start school. You were ready for it.

STUDENT 5: When I first started secondary school, how did things change for you as a parent?

PARENT/CARER 5: I think we were actually very happy and relieved that you had got into the school that you're in and that when you started that you found friends quickly and that you were very happy, having not been happy in the later years of primary school.

STUDENT 3: What have been the most challenging things for you as a parent preparing me for secondary school?

PARENT/CARER 4: You're not going to like this. Doing homework regularly.

PARENT/CARER 3: Getting you organised.

PARENT/CARER 4: So getting you in the habit of doing a bit of work at home, because I think high school is going to be a bit of a shock when it comes to that sort of stuff.

PARENT/CARER 3: Making sure that all of your things are in your bag, check the bus timetables at the beginning so that you could get yourself there and back. And I think just getting all the books ready at the beginning of the year, because you have lots of different teachers and lots of different subjects.

PARENT/CARER 5: Finding the right school that really suited who you were and what you needed was the most challenging thing.

STUDENT 5: What advice would you give other parents with children with disabilities with them transitioning into secondary school?

PARENT/CARER 5: I would say, talk to the school before your child arrives at the school. Make sure they understand what the child's disabilities are. And once the child is at school, don't assume that everything will just happen. Actually go and meet the teachers. Continue to have a dialogue to make sure that your child is getting what they need.

STUDENT 1: It's my last year in primary school. What was the most memorable thing you remember about this year?

PARENT/CARER 3: I think the most memorable thing which we'll remember forever is homeschooling during COVID, which you really loved, because you love computers.

STUDENT 3: Games.

PARENT/CARER 3: Yes. He used to get to play games on his computer at lunchtime, which he really enjoyed.

PARENT/CARER 1: Well, it's so good to be back. It's so good to be back in the classroom after having COVID and lockdowns and yeah. That's very memorable, just having you back in the classroom.

PARENT/CARER 3: Well, because you love public speaking so much. You love to do the speeches. So I think my favorite memory of you was when you won the public speaking competition.

PARENT/CARER 4: This year, one of the things is that you're already ready for high school. You were like, can I please just skip to Year 6 already? And also, another memorable thing is you've got your favorite teacher, or the one you were hoping to get. That was really cool.

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PARENT/CARER 5: Having transitioned and you're now settled into secondary school, how do you feel about secondary school?

STUDENT 5: I feel really good. The environment, the environment is a lot better. And my social and all my social stuff, like my friends, my classmates, so much better. It's been really tough to transition into secondary school. But I'm very glad I did it. I'm very glad I got into the school I wanted to. And now, I feel like my learning and my grades and, honestly, everything has just gotten much better.

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