Colman Noctor: Students starting secondary school have a special class of needs 

Child development and parenting manuals emphasise the importance of consistency, reliability, and predictability. Yet change is inevitable, including the transition from primary to secondary school.

The significance of the shift from the comfort of primary school to the bustling chaos of secondary school cannot be overstated. The child, who up until now only had one teacher each year, must get to know 10 new teachers, in many cases in different classrooms, and master this while making friendships, learning new rules, and being surrounded by students who can be up to twice their size. It’s a daunting change that most of us would struggle with, even as adults.

Interrupted academic growth and performance decline are common after the move to secondary school. A 2020 study by Professor Jindal-Snape and colleagues in Dundee, Scotland, considered primary-secondary transition one of the most stressful events in a young person’s life.

Difficulty adjusting to school transition is also associated with disengagement and drop-out. A study by Robert Hahn and Bendict Truman, from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), in the US, determined that a difficult transition to secondary school can have long-term implications for health and economic wellbeing in adolescence and later life.

However, transitions also represent unique windows of opportunity and sensitive periods of development, during which intervention can significantly increase positive outcomes for all children, particularly those at greater risk.

First year is defining

Children with additional needs can find this life stage particularly difficult. Along with the social challenges, they are often concerned about being understood by teachers.

In a ‘landmark’ policy advice paper published in January, the National Council for Policy Education stated that: “Detailed transition planning should be undertaken at key points in a student’s educational pathway, and particularly in the context of transfer to a special class or special school, and when transferring from primary to post-primary schools.”

While children with additional needs may require extra support with academics and fitting in, every possible intervention should be explored.

All first-year students need support. Most children find this degree of transition difficult, and some anxiety is inevitable. If the child knows peers from their primary school, it can make the first few weeks easier.

However, an overreliance on primary school friends can have disadvantages later in the year if children don’t branch out and make new connections.

Suppose a child has had difficulties with a peer in primary school who is now attending the same secondary school. In that case, the anonymity of the larger groups can be less intense than in the primary school environment and less problematic.

However, anonymity also comes at a cost, as some children can become invisible in larger groups.

The patterns formed in the first year are crucial, and it’s good to see schools going out of their way to support the new students. Schools should allow leniency if students get lost on the way to class, let them out to lunches a little earlier, and give them the opportunity to master the dreaded locker area without having a sixth-year student breathing down their neck. These might seem like small gestures, but they mean a lot to the anxious first-year.

Investing in group activities in the first year is crucial. The most sustaining parts of secondary school life are friendships and relationships. If schools invest heavily in promoting these connections, the resultant relationships will pay off throughout the student’s school journey. I have met many students who struggled in secondary school, but described their close friendships as a protective factor or ‘lifeline’ in negotiating those challenges. We often wait until the transition year for these activities, but a similar model in the first year would go a long way.

Let’s not forget that the most recent batch of first-year students had their educational journey disrupted by pandemic lockdowns and an explosion of screen-mediated communication. They may not be as adept at communicating and forming relationships as previous cohorts, so they may need more scaffolding and support than groups before 2020.

School values crucial

Beginnings are important, so this is the time to be clear and robust on the values expected from students, including zero tolerance for bullying or exclusion, and to behave kindly and respectfully. This discussion must go beyond just listing rules to foster the school’s philosophy.

I vividly recall my secondary school principal, a kind yet formidable figure, informing us in the early days that wearing the school crest on our jumper signified acceptance of a behavioural standard, where our actions reflected not only on ourselves, but the entire school community. In time, I realised that this community had a dual nature: we were to respect it as ambassadors, knowing the institution would support us when needed.

There is little parents can do to support their child during this transition. It is their voyage into independence, and we need to respect it. Of course, if your child has additional needs or is experiencing serious difficulties, you must be a staunch advocate and speak on their behalf. Still, during this transition, the most important and challenging parenting task is stepping back and letting them develop the skills necessary to navigate their unfamiliar environment. It is crucial to allow them, within reason, to make mistakes, figure things out, and make choices.

My son completed his first year in secondary school last June. While it was not without its challenges, the difference in his sense of independence has been quite remarkable.

It was the most noticeable growth spurt I have witnessed. Not only physically, where he is now the same height as me, but socially and emotionally. He has grown into himself.

Successful transitioning into secondary school is about children developing meaningful autonomy and, hopefully, a sense of responsibility, resulting in a degree of maturity. This change can only occur when they can make mistakes and connections and, more importantly, do it alone. Little is more pleasing as a child than mastering a challenge single-handedly. It gives them confidence and belief in themselves.

As parents, we must enable, facilitate, and empower our children to have those opportunities. The most significant support comes from the school, not the parents. Ideally, we want schools to be as supportive as possible in developing students’ autonomy and social connectedness. We also want the parents to step back and allow their children to flourish and grow, no matter how uncomfortable that makes them feel.

No change or progress can occur without vulnerability: sometimes, the vulnerable feelings we need to manage are our own, not just our children’s.

• Dr Colman Noctor is a child psychotherapist