Moving on to secondary school

 

I'm worried about moving to secondary school.  What can I do?

The thought of moving from primary to secondary school might make you feel nervous or even a little scared. Although it's normal to have these types of feelings, it's important that you find ways to manage how you feel.

Every time you face something new—like starting a new school—you get stronger inside. That strong feeling is called resilience. It doesn't mean you won’t feel nervous or worried, it just means you are learning how to handle your feelings and not let them stop you.

Building resilience can mean:

• Talking and sharing your worries with someone you trust 
• Asking for help when you need it
• Trying again even when you find something hard
• Remembering times that you've been brave before
• Believing that you’ll get used to new things, one step at a time

So even if secondary school feels big and different now, your resilience and help from people around you will help you get through it—and you'll be surprised by how strong you really are!

 

What can I do to become more resilient?

The University of Reading and the charity 'Boys in Mind (BIM)' have worked together to create this short video called 'Stepping Forward' as part of their Resilience Rucksack project:

The video follows the journey of a Year 7 pupil on their way to secondary school for the first time, with their older friend, who has already joined the school. 

As the two friends walk to school, we follow their conversation discussing the four important ‘active ingredients’ that help resilience and wellbeing - sleep, movement, friendships, and self-kindness.

 

Credit: with thanks to Professor Stella Chan at the University of Reading - Resilience Rucksack Project