Teacher resources for students transitioning to secondary school
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 wellbeing of children as they start the next chapter in their lives.
Four key topics associated with starting secondary school are listed below. Each one has a Find Your Feet activity and a short film that can be used as a conversation starter either in the classroom or at home.
First is a film which shows how one school has benefited from using the YoungMinds resources.
Being brave
Being brave means different things to different people.
In this film students talk about what they think being brave means when faced with the challenges of starting secondary school.
We hear from primary school students who share their worries ahead of the move and secondary school students who talk about what life is really like.
It could be used to encourage pupils to talk about what being brave means to them, ways that they could be brave in difficult situations and how this could make them feel more resilient.
Changes
This film highlights the main differences students will face when they make the move from primary to secondary school - from catching the school bus to making sure they arrive at lessons on time and having the correct equipment for the day ahead.
It could be used to explore how students feel about the changes they will face in secondary school and how they can plan for them.
Hopes and dreams
Secondary school brings with it a new world of opportunities, from joining a sports club or learning to cook in food technology to channelling your acting skills in drama.
Here, secondary school students talk about the subjects they are most passionate about and how they play a part in their hopes and dreams for the future.
This short film could be used to encourage students to consider exciting new opportunities in the future and how they can use them to cope with the challenges of starting secondary school.
Support networks
For many students moving to secondary school is a worrying time, new building, new teachers, new subjects and new classmates.
This film explores the different people who will be able to offer support and look after them.
This short film could be used to help students identify their support networks, both inside and outside of secondary school.
