More Than Just a Change in Uniform – The Reality of the Transition to Secondary School

Munji

12 minutes ago

5 min read

Here at PIE, we do lots of work around transitional points in the lives of young people. One of these is the move to ‘big’ school – going from primary to secondary school.

For lots of young people, this is an exciting milestone. But it can also understandably bring uncertainty and anxiety as they adjust to a completely new environment, new routines and new expectations.

Sometimes, as adults, we can either underestimate or magnify the scale of this change. Both can have an impact on how a young person feels about the transition. It is important to remember that what may seem like a small change to an adult can feel like a big change to a young person experiencing it for the first time.

What actually changes?

There are so many small changes that happen when a young person moves to secondary school that we can sometimes forget just how much they are having to adjust to.

Experiencing all of these changes at once can feel overwhelming.

For example, young people may suddenly be:

Moving from a familiar primary school to a much larger environment
Navigating a new building and potentially getting lost
Having different teachers for different subjects
Adjusting to a timetable and remembering where they need to be
Managing more homework and increased academic expectations
Learning new rules, routines and expectations
Travelling independently for the first time
Managing their own belongings, equipment and deadlines
Being surrounded by significantly more students

And these are just the practical changes. Alongside these, there are a whole host of social changes and worries that young people may be navigating too.

They might be wondering:

Will I make friends?
Will my friends from primary school be in my class?
Where will I sit at lunch?
What if I don't know anyone?
How do I fit in?
Will I be bullied?
Will I be able to find people who share my interests?

For some young people, these worries may be short-lived as they settle into their new environment. For others, they can have a much bigger impact on their experience of secondary school.

What can be done?

Ideally, transition support should begin before a young person starts to struggle. By identifying the things they may find difficult in advance, we can help them feel more prepared and confident.

This is why we begin our transition programmes months before that September start.

However, even with the best preparation, some young people will unexpectedly find the transition difficult. The good news is that support doesn't have to end once September begins.

Here are some things that can help if a young person is struggling to settle in:

1. Check in with the young person

Giving a young person the opportunity to talk about how they are finding school is one of the best ways to understand what is challenging for them.

Don't assume you already know what the problem is. What an adult thinks is causing the difficulty might be very different from what the young person is actually experiencing.

If they don't feel comfortable speaking to you, think about whether there is another trusted adult they could talk to.

Questions could include:

What has been harder than you expected?
What is going well?
Is there anything you're worried about?
What would make school feel easier?

Sometimes, simply creating the space for an honest conversation can help identify a solution.

2. Revisit the basics

Sometimes, the initial transition period hasn't addressed the practical things that are now causing difficulties. Some young people simply take longer to adapt to new routines and expectations – and that's okay! A bit of a ‘reset’ can help. Check in with them about things such as:

Finding their classrooms
Understanding their timetable
Knowing where to go at break and lunch
Understanding homework systems
Knowing who different members of staff are
Knowing where they can go if they need help

These might seem like simple things, but having confidence in the basics can make the wider school environment feel much more manageable.

3. Find a trusted adult

Work with the school, not against them.

It is important that young people see the adults around them building positive relationships with the school. This can help them feel that they have people on their side and someone they can turn to when things aren't going well.

Identify one member of staff the young person knows they can go to if they're struggling.

This doesn't have to be someone they see every day, such as their form tutor or a classroom teacher. It could be a member of support staff, someone in reception or another non-teaching member of staff who the young person feels comfortable approaching.

Having one familiar and trusted person within a large secondary school can make a huge difference.

4. Think about friendships and connections

When a young person hasn't settled socially straight away, it can feel as though making friends is impossible. Creating structured opportunities to meet other young people can help this process happen more naturally.

You could:

Encourage them to join lunchtime or after-school clubs
Ask the school whether there are small-group activities they could join
Look for interest-based groups outside of school
Arrange to meet up with other parents and young people who attend the same school
Look for community groups, such as PIE, where young people can meet others and get involved in activities

Finding a shared interest can often be a much easier starting point for building friendships than simply telling a young person to ‘make some friends’.

5. Don't wait until there's a crisis

It can be tempting to brush off small issues in September as normal ‘teething problems’ that a young person will naturally grow out of.

Sometimes they will.

But sometimes those small issues can develop into much bigger challenges later in the school year.

For example, missing school once every few weeks because a young person ‘can't be bothered’ can quickly become a pattern of avoidance and, eventually, a much bigger barrier to attending school.

Try to have those open conversations early and be proactive when issues do arise.

A difficult start doesn't have to become a difficult year.

Transition doesn't end when a young person walks through the secondary school gates for the first time. For some young people, they may need additional time, support and opportunities to find their feet.

By listening to young people, working with schools and responding early when challenges arise, we can help make sure that every young person has the opportunity to feel confident, connected and ready to make the most of their secondary school experience.

If you want to get in touch with our team about transition support you can email us info@pieuk.org. In October we will be recruiting again for out Step Up Programme, designed to provide extra support for Year 7 students currently experiencing the change from Primary to Secondary School, see details below: