Transitioning to secondary school

Moving from primary school to secondary school is an exciting time of life, but for many children it can also be a daunting prospect.

A new, much bigger school can offer greater independence, such as the first smart phone, and a world of opportunity.

However it also means new teachers, new subjects and potentially a whole new set of friends.

Starting Secondary School, a campaign from BBC Bitesize aimed at 10-12 year olds, their teachers and parents, shines a light on the great potential of starting afresh in secondary school and also offers practical advice and emotional support to help take the stress out of taking the next big step.

BBC Bitesize - Starting Secondary School
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Teacher resources for students transitioning to secondary school

Resources for your classroom

To help students transition from primary to secondary school the BBC has partnered with YoungMinds Find Your Feet project, aimed at enabling schools to actively support the mental health and emotional well-being of children as they start the next chapter in their lives.

This page offers a number of films and teaching resources that can be used as a conversation starter either in the classroom or at home, as well as an explainer film that details how to use the resources.

Transition Inspiration from around the UK

From Shakespeare to football there are a myriad of ways teachers and schools are supporting the move from primary to secondary school for their students.

This page takes a look at a number of schools throughout the UK that use imaginative approaches to make the transition process as smooth as possible for primary school pupils.

We’d also love to know what your school is doing and hear of any other pro-active transition projects you think work.

Inspirational transition projects
YoungMinds teaching resources
Inspirational transition projects
BBC Bitesize - Starting Secondary School
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External learning-related websites:

  • LifeSkills - Transition toolkit - Activities and inspiration to help students in their transition from primary to secondary school (Free registration required.)