Starting a New School or Year Group: 7 Practical Strategies
Starting a new school or year group can feel enormous for some children. There may be new teachers, classrooms, routines, expectations and friendships. For some children, all this change creates significant stress and anxiety.
At Everlief (my clinic), we regularly support children who find transitions difficult. Some need preparation and reassurance. Many also need practical adjustments at school.
You do not need to use every strategy below. Start with the one or two most relevant to your child.
If your child needs more significant support, speak with school early. The sooner you agree a plan, the better.
If your child is starting school for the first time, read my article about getting ready for your child’s first day at school.
1. Talk to school before problems develop
If your child finds transitions difficult, contact school early.
Tell the relevant teacher, Head of Year or pastoral staff what your child finds difficult. Be specific about what helps them feel safe and able to cope.
For example, your child might struggle with:
- Busy corridors
- Finding their way around
- Changes to routine
- Making friends
- Multiple teachers
- Organising equipment
- Asking for help
- Increased academic demands
Do not wait for your child to struggle before raising these concerns.
A positive relationship with school makes it easier to solve problems together.
2. Give school a short profile of your child
A one-page profile can help new staff understand your child quickly.
Include:
- Your child’s strengths and interests
- What they find difficult
- Signs they are becoming overwhelmed
- What helps them regulate
- How they prefer adults to communicate
- Important friendships
- Any specific adjustments they need
Ask for this information to be shared with relevant staff.
This can prevent your child having to repeatedly explain their needs.
It can also help staff make small adjustments before difficulties escalate.
3. Protect important friendships
Friendships can make a huge difference during a school transition. For some children, one trusted friendship gives them a crucial sense of safety. This can be particularly important if your child does not have a wide friendship group.
If your child has a particularly important friendship, tell school. You can ask whether they can remain together where practical. Schools cannot always accommodate every request, but it is reasonable to ask.
You can also support friendships outside school (my article contains a free friendships activity book). Arrange time with familiar friends during the summer and early weeks.
4. Make the unfamiliar familiar
Children often cope better when they know what to expect. Use the summer holidays to gather practical information about the new school year.
Find out:
- Who their teacher or teachers will be
- What their timetable looks like
- Where they need to go
- What equipment they need
- Where they eat lunch
- What the school rules are
- Who they can approach for help
- What activities are available
If possible, visit the classroom and walk around the school. Practise the journey if your child will travel independently.
You could also create a simple visual guide together. Include photographs, maps, names and important information. Your child can then revisit it whenever they need reassurance.
5. Ask for extra transition support
Some children need more than the standard transition arrangements.
Ask school whether they offer:
- Additional visits
- Nurture groups
- Buddy systems
- Peer mentoring
- An adult mentor
- Regular check-ins
- Extra induction sessions
A named adult can be particularly helpful. Your child then knows exactly who to approach when something feels difficult.
For some children, a quick daily check-in during the first few weeks can prevent problems building.
If your child is sensitive or anxious, additional transition support may be particularly valuable.
6. Give your child clear information and advance warning
Some children need longer to process change.
Talk through what will be different and what will stay the same. Avoid overwhelming your child with information all at once.
You might discuss:
What will my new school or year group be like?
Who will teach me?
What will happen during the day?
Where will I go if I need help?
Give your child plenty of opportunities to ask questions. If they keep asking the same question, they may need reassurance rather than more information. Try not to get frustrated with them. Sometimes brains need to hear the same thing several times over before it can properly process it.
You can also use the summer to practise specific situations. For example, practise asking a teacher for help or finding somewhere unfamiliar.
7. Keep home predictable and supportive
A child managing lots of change at school may need more stability and wellbeing support at home. Protect sleep, downtime, family connection and familiar routines. Do not assume that increased independence means providing less support – it’s often the opposite!
Some children need extra nurture while they adjust. Once they feel secure, independence often develops naturally again. This is especially important if your child becomes more emotional or dependent during transitions.
You may notice more worries, irritability, tiredness or difficult behaviour. These can be signs that the overall load has become too much.
What if your child is already struggling?
You do not have to wait until the end of term. Talk to your child first and identify the biggest problem. Is it friendships, academic work, sensory overload, organisation or anxiety?
Then choose one problem and work with school on a specific plan. For example, if your child cannot manage busy corridors, the plan might include arriving early. If organisation is difficult, staff might check their timetable before lessons.
Small, targeted adjustments can make a surprisingly large difference.
If your child continues to struggle, my article on supporting your child through the transition to secondary school explores this in more detail.
Barriers to Thriving at School: A Short Course for Parents
The Barriers to Thriving short course gives you a step-by-step framework to identify what’s preventing your child from thriving at school and develop concrete solutions, whether your child is struggling to attend or finding school highly stressful.
Designed with neurodivergent children in mind but suitable for all families, it includes expert video lessons, age-matched case studies, and downloadable workbooks to help you partner with your child’s school and create an effective support plan.
Starting a New School or Year Group: The Bottom Line
You do not need to prepare your child perfectly. In fact, there is no such thing! The most helpful things are predictability, preparation and responsive support.
If your child struggles with transitions, start communicating with school early. Find out what will change, make the unfamiliar more familiar, and identify one trusted adult. Most importantly, pay attention to what your child is telling you through their behaviour.
A difficult transition does not mean your child will struggle all year. Some children simply need more time, support and understanding while they adjust.
If your child is starting secondary school, read Getting Ready for High School: Essential Steps For Parents.
You may also find my article called Finding The Best High School For Your Highly Sensitive Child helpful.
Dr Lucy Russell is a UK clinical psychologist and Clinical Director of Everlief Child Psychology. She qualified as a clinical psychologist from Oxford University in 2005 and worked in the National Health Service for many years before moving fully into her leadership and writing roles.
In 2019 Lucy launched They Are The Future, a support website for parents of school-aged children. Through TATF Lucy is passionate about giving practical, manageable strategies to parents and children who may otherwise struggle to find the support they need.
Lucy lives with her family, rescue cats and dog, and also fosters cats through a local animal welfare charity. She loves singing in a vocal harmony group and spending time in nature.
