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Analysis: The move from primary to secondary school is one of the biggest life changes an individual will ever experience

The transition into secondary school is one of the biggest life changes that an individual will experience. On top of puberty, an identity search and new relationships, students must also adapt to larger school sizes, complex timetables and multiple teachers. This transition can diverge students into positive and negative developmental trajectories.

While most will flourish across the transition, others struggle and this can lead to less school engagement and future mental health problems. These contemporaneous factors contribute to early adolescence producing the highest onset of mental health issues worldwide. It is therefore essential to identify what skills are important across the transition and then understand how we can improve these skills.

From the Anna Freud Centre, how students have a lot to manage when moving from primary to secondary school

Both national and international research have highlighted social support, self-esteem and biological sex as essential factors across the transition. As children enter secondary school, their relationship with their parents begins to change as they gain more independence. It can be additionally more difficult for students to form relationships with their multiple teachers compared to their one primary school teacher.

Peer relationships also become paramount as students enter a new social hierarchy where bullying can increase. Many students can also be subject to the top dog phenomenon where their status drops from top dog in primary school to bottom dog in secondary school as they go from being the oldest to the youngest. As a result of these altered dynamics, perceived social support contributes to a successful transition.

This period of transition often brings about new challenges and increased academic expectations that can impact a student's perception of themselves. Those with higher self-esteem tend to adapt better to these changes, exhibiting greater confidence and a willingness to engage in new opportunities. Conversely, students with lower self-esteem can disengage. Therefore, fostering a positive sense of self-esteem during this period is essential for promoting students’ academic success, social integration and emotional resilience.

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Research suggests girls often find the transition more difficult than boys as they may encounter greater self-doubt, peer comparison and a decline in self-esteem. Societal expectations regarding appearance, behaviour and academic performance can further contribute to feelings of inadequacy and self-consciousness. This may also explain why girls are more likely to develop mental health issues at this age compared to boys. Supporting girls during the transition by promoting a positive sense of self-worth, providing mentorship and creating inclusive environments is essential to mitigate the challenges they may face.

There has also been a recent surge in researchers asking students what they think is important across the transition. Students have agreed that relationships are vital but they also emphasised the need for coping strategies to deal with the new emotions that they will experience in secondary school. This could be a window of opportunity because coping abilities become more sophisticated during early adolescence.

For example, cognitive reappraisal involves identifying thought patterns about an event and then changing how one thinks about that situation to change how one feels. This skill develops with brain maturation during early adolescence and can be nurtured as a useful skill to manage increased emotional lability across the transition.

A review of studies carried out by the author with Dr. Samantha Dockray and Dr. Jennifer McMahon found a consistently positive association between cognitive reappraisal and psychological well-being among early adolescents. However, there are also dangers to this development of cognitive coping. It can lead certain individuals to ruminate on how they’re feeling without regulating their emotions, which is why educated guidance is needed.

So what can schools do to help the transition into secondary school? Primary schools can start by ensuring that students feel practically ready. Activities such as secondary school visits, an introduction to new subjects and lessons on managing a timetable, reading a school map and using lockers reduce anxieties around the transition.

Secondary schools should improve communication with primary schools. At the moment, the only tool that is utilised in Ireland is an educational passport, which involves sixth-class teachers describing their students’ academic, social and emotional strengths and weaknesses. However, open discussions between primary and secondary school teachers could reduce any ambiguities. Secondary schools should keep primary school friends together and implement buddy systems.

Improving student self-esteem should be a comprehensive school-wide process involving both primary and secondary schools, with active participation from parents or caregivers. Adults should celebrate achievements and diversity, act as positive role models and encourage students to participate in extracurricular activities and leadership roles.

Mental health education programmes are also becoming popular in schools to boost self-awareness, emotion regulation and social skills before the transition. Researchers at the School, Child and Youth (SCY) Well-Being Lab at the University of Limerick are currently evaluating the effectiveness of some of these programmes.

While it’s easy to be critical, it should be noted that Irish schools are doing a good job and most students successfully transition. However, some students fall between the cracks and the next step is to catch these students before it’s too late. This transition lays down the groundwork for subsequent transitions, underscoring the importance of getting it right.

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