Glossary
What is a transition?
Also called: transitions, school transition, Year 6 to Year 7 transition, primary to secondary transition, preparing for adulthood, difficulty with transitions
Definition
A transition is any change from one situation to another; for children it can mean small daily changes between activities or big ones such as starting school, moving to secondary school or leaving education.
What it means
Parents and schools use the word at two scales. Small transitions happen all day: stopping a game for dinner, moving from play time to lessons, leaving the house. Big transitions happen less often: starting nursery or Reception, the move from Year 6 to Year 7, changing school, moving house, a new sibling or a family separation.
In the SEND system in England, transition also has a specific meaning. From Year 9, the annual review of a child’s EHCP must include planning for adulthood, covering further education, employment, independent living and health.
Change is hard for many children, and harder for autistic children, anxious children and children with ADHD, who may need much more warning and preparation. Uncertainty, more than the change itself, is often the hardest part.
What it can look like for your child
Meltdowns when screen time ends. Real distress if a supply teacher appears or the timetable changes. Asking the same questions over and over about a new school. Being fine during the summer holiday and struggling in the first weeks of September, or having trouble at the start and end of every term.
How counselling can help
We help children prepare for change with practical tools, such as visual timetables, countdowns, photos of new places and social stories. For bigger moves, we work on the worries in sessions and, with consent, liaise with both schools. Many families come to us in Year 6 or early Year 7. For daily transitions, we help parents find routines and warnings that make changes more predictable.