How to Support Your Child's Move from Primary to Secondary School

The move from primary to secondary school is one of the biggest transitions a child makes in early adolescence. Research consistently shows that the summer between Year 6 and Year 7 carries academic and emotional risks — a "summer slide" in learning — but active parental support dramatically reduces those risks. The good news is that the most effective steps are practical and low-pressure.

Why is the primary to secondary transition so significant?

At primary school a child typically knows one teacher and one classroom. At secondary school they move between seven or eight subject teachers, navigate a much larger site and often separate from close friends who go to different schools. At the same time the academic expectation rises: Year 7 introduces new subject disciplines, independent study habits and longer writing tasks that were rarely demanded at primary.

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has reviewed the evidence on transition and notes that many pupils show a dip in attainment in the first term of Year 7 compared to their KS2 trajectory — not because the curriculum is suddenly harder, but because organisational demands spike (remembering kit, managing homework across subjects, working with multiple teachers) before the academic content does.

What changes academically from Year 6 to Year 7?

Several things shift at once:

Subject specialists replace generalist teachers. A Year 7 science teacher may expect more precise vocabulary than a primary teacher did.

Homework volume increases, often spread across several subjects in a single evening.

Self-organisation is assumed. Planners, equipment lists and coursework deadlines are the student's responsibility, not managed by a single class teacher.

Setting and grouping means a child is placed with different peers for different subjects, losing the social anchor of a single class.

Understanding these changes helps parents know what support is actually needed, rather than assuming the academics will simply "sort themselves out."

How to support the transition: a practical guide for parents

Step 1 — Talk openly before September

In the summer term of Year 6 and through the summer holidays, have low-pressure conversations about what to expect. Ask your child what they are looking forward to and what they are nervous about. Do not dismiss worries ("you'll be fine"), but do not amplify them either. Research shows that children whose parents acknowledge their concerns while expressing calm confidence in them settle faster.

Step 2 — Practise the practical logistics

If the secondary school allows it, walk the route or ride the bus before September. Rehearse the combination lock on a new locker at home if the school uses them. Help your child prepare their bag the night before — kit list, planner, the right books for that day. These seem trivial, but arriving unprepared on the first day creates disproportionate anxiety in Year 7 students.

Step 3 — Read the welcome pack with them, not for them

Most secondary schools send a detailed welcome pack over the summer. Go through it with your child rather than extracting the key information yourself. Identify together: who is their form tutor, when is PE (and therefore when to pack kit), and how the school communicates with parents. Handing some of this navigation to the child builds the self-organisation skills they will need throughout KS3.

Step 4 — Establish a homework routine from the first week

Year 7 students who build a consistent homework routine in September maintain it more reliably than those who adopt a casual approach in the first half-term and then try to tighten up later. A simple structure works: homework done before dinner, at the same time each day, in a relatively quiet space. The specifics matter less than the consistency.

Step 5 — Monitor workload without taking over

Check that homework is being completed, but resist the urge to do it with them. The right parental role at KS3 is curiosity rather than intervention: "What did you learn in history today?" rather than "Let me help you write that." If a subject regularly produces anxiety or unfinished work, that is the signal to investigate — speak to the subject teacher or form tutor rather than simply increasing parental input at home.

Step 6 — Look for social signs, not just academic ones

The NHS notes that some children find the social adjustment harder than the academic one. Loss of a best friend to a different school, difficulty finding a social group in the first half-term and the intensity of larger peer dynamics are all common sources of Year 7 anxiety. Check in gently and regularly — short conversations in the car or at dinner often elicit more than a direct "how are you finding it?"

Step 7 — Resist over-comparing with siblings or primary peers

A child who was in the top group at primary may find themselves in a middle set at secondary. This is statistically inevitable — the top groups from many primary schools converge at one secondary. Frame set placement as a starting point, not a verdict. Progress matters more than position.

What is the "summer slide" and should parents worry about it?

The "summer slide" refers to a loss of learning during the long summer holiday that is more pronounced in some children than others. Research suggests it affects maths fluency (calculation skills) more than reading comprehension. It is not unique to the primary-secondary transition, but the six-week gap before Year 7 can compound it.

A practical response is light-touch: 15–20 minutes of maths practice three times a week across August, combined with regular reading of anything the child finds engaging, is sufficient to maintain most of the skills built in KS2. This is not about intensive revision — it is about keeping cognitive habits active.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take a Year 7 student to settle in?

Most students find their footing within the first half-term (six to eight weeks). Some take a full term. A student who still seems significantly unsettled after Christmas of Year 7 — either academically or socially — is worth a conversation with the form tutor.

What if my child is anxious about making new friends?

This is very common and usually resolves as students join clubs, sports teams or subject groups where interests overlap. Encourage your child to try at least one extracurricular activity in the first half-term — these structured social settings often ease the formation of friendships more than unstructured break times do.

Should I contact the school early if I notice problems?

Yes, early contact with the form tutor is almost always better than waiting to see if things improve on their own. Secondary schools expect Year 7 parents to be in touch in the first term — that is what the form tutor system is for. A brief email noting a concern is not being over-anxious; it is good communication.

How can I help with subjects I do not understand myself?

Focus on the habit, not the content. Making sure homework is attempted, helping your child identify which questions to flag for their teacher, and encouraging them to use resources like BBC Bitesize or an AI tutor for subjects you cannot personally explain are all effective approaches that do not require subject expertise.

For AI tutoring that supports Year 7 students across maths, English and science from their first week at secondary school, see aitutors.me.