Moving on from primary to secondary school is a huge step for any child, but you can make that all-important first day easier with a little thoughtful preparation

For most children, secondary school will be bigger in every way: the class sizes; number of classes per year; scale of school and number of staff can be very daunting at first.

Here's how you can diffuse some of these anxieties before the big day.

I might get the journey wrong

If your child will be making his way to school and back on his own for the first time, make sure you have several dummy runs in advance of his joining date. You might not want to leave this until the summer holidays, when the traffic will be lighter and there will be fewer people around. Why not make the journey straight after school during the last few weeks of Year Six?

Accompany your child on the first two or so trips there and back, but let him take charge of the route the second time. Next, let him make the trip independently, but follow along in the car. Finally, let him go and come back unaccompanied the week or so before he's due to join.

Reassure your child that you'll let him take a mobile phone to school with him so he can contact you if he's feeling panicky (although obviously not during lesson times). If he's really unsure of himself, try to make arrangements to go with him and pick him up for the first day or two of term.

Jackie Bacon, former head teacher and founder of website Parents in Touch, which offers worksheets, advice, posters and charts for all ages and stages of education, says: 'There may be an older child at the same school who lives nearby and who would be happy to accompany your child on the first day.'

I might be late

Once you've gauged the average journey time, ensure that you leave 20 to 30 minutes extra on the morning of his first day. The night before, gather all his kit together, pack his schoolbag, sports kit and uniform, and lay it all out ready for him. Make sure you get him up in plenty of time in the morning.

Don't follow the routine you honed for primary school, but get him up half an hour earlier, at least for the first few days, so that he feels confident he has everything he needs, and so that he has time for any butterflies to subside before he has breakfast. (Don't expect him to eat much though - pack him a mid-morning snack to have at break time.)

I might get lost in the school

This is a very common worry, especially where a school is vast compared with the primary and he will have different classrooms (and teachers) for all his subjects. Try to arrange for him to make a couple of visits to the school, with at least one during term time, when he'll see other pupils moving around the school.

Remind him that teachers are well prepared for new students being disorientated and most will make allowances for lateness to class for the first couple of weeks. Reassure your child that he's likely to know someone in his new year from his old school and that he'll be able to arrange to navigate his way around the school with his friend. If he doesn't know anyone, encourage him to team up with a friendly-looking child.

Jackie Bacon suggests that as your child has seen around the school at the open evening and visiting days, he knows roughly where the classrooms are; all the new children will be together and help will be on hand. 'The schools often provide a map with their information pack so it's good to ensure that your child has this,' she says.

I might not have the right kit

Most schools will supply you with a list of required uniform and other kit well in advance of the start of term, and some will recommend an outfitter as well.

Make sure you buy everything in good time and label it with his name. Run through the list with him once you've bought it all and again a night or two before he starts school, so he feels confident. Jackie Bacon points out that children can be embarrassed by not looking right, or not having the right equipment.

School uniform can be expensive, but some schools operate a second-hand scheme with good-as-new items for very little money. Enquire in advance about this or ask another parent whose child is higher up the school if you can buy items from them.

I might not cope with the homework

Homework can be quite a culture shock, especially if the policy at primary school was to give little or no homework. Your child will probably come home with a homework timetable, so you can help him to plan regular slots for study at home.

He'll be expected to work independently, so try not to interfere, unless you can see that he's really floundering. If he finds it hard to buckle down to work, make things more conducive by switching off all external distractions such as the TV or stereo and creating an uncluttered, comfortable area in which he can work.

If you think it'll help, arrange for a 'homework buddy' from his class to come round and work alongside him (but you'll have to monitor the situation to ensure that real work is getting done and not just mucking around).

'All children are different,' says Jackie Bacon. 'Some like to tackle homework as soon as they come home; others need a break before starting. Your child needs to learn to work on his own and organise his own time.' If he's really struggling after the first few weeks, have a chat with his year head or subject teacher.