Head of Secondary fortnightly blog

 ‘It’s 1994. I’m standing there with blonde hair, a little short for my age, and a full backpack (a Walkman, a Dungeons & Dragons rulebook, a copy of White Dwarf magazine). And I’m nervous, because I’m about to take my first steps into secondary school. 

At the time, it felt like a massive step. And if I could go back and speak to younger me, I would probably say: Don’t worry. You’re going to love it! because I did love it. But when something is new, it always feels big.’ 

That feeling is something we think about a lot when we support students moving from Year 6 into Year 7. Our job as a school is to take what can seem like a giant leap and turn it into a series of small steps. Steps that are achievable, measurable, and enjoyable once you start taking them. 

For our Year 6 students, we begin early. We want the move to secondary to feel familiar long before the first day officially arrives. In many ways, we have a real advantage as a through-school. While secondary brings many changes, many things remain the same: students play on the same Astro, swim in the same pool, and eat in the same canteen. Many of their teachers - in PE, in languages, in SIPs - are the same people they will be learning from in secondary. That sense of continuity helps students feel known and to continue to thrive as they move up through the school. 

Alongside this, we deliberately structure transitions so that students adjust gradually. Year 7 itself is designed as a transition year. Students learn how to find their classes, how different subjects run, and how to organise themselves. Homework builds gradually. Digital tools such as Teams become familiar over time. Instead of everything changing at once, students are given the space to grow into their new routines. 

Indeed, the idea of small steps runs all the way through secondary school. Year 7 is the transition from primary, Year 8 is about settling into secondary life, and Year 9 begins the conversation about GCSE choices. Years 10 and 11 focus on GCSEs, while Year 11 helps students choose A Levels. A Levels then become another set of manageable steps leading towards university and adulthood. 

From the perspective of Year 6, that journey can sometimes feel like standing at the foot of a mountain, trying to see the summit through the clouds. But there’s a path made of small steps carved into that mountain, and we’re there to guide students up it. 

View our Year 6 Transition overview HERE. Got questions? Reach out to us any time.