English children's wellbeing drops when they start secondary school - here's why

English children's wellbeing drops when they start secondary school - here's why

Moving to secondary school involves much more than a change of location. Pupils must adapt to new teachers, routines, academic demands and social dynamics. And this takes place while they are going through puberty, one of the most intense periods of emotional and neurological development. Research on school transitions stresses that success depends not only on a child's "readiness," but also on the school system's capacity to support them.