Transition — Year 6 to 7

Student wellbeing

Year 6 to 7 transition impact on student health and wellbeing

The engagement of students in their learning and development, including attendance and participation in school activities, is a strong predictor of their academic outcomes. A student’s physical and emotional wellbeing and their sense of belonging and connectedness to school will impact on their engagement and are similarly critical indicators of future success.

The transition from Year 6 to 7 is both a social and academic turning point for adolescents which can impact on both their engagement in learning and their wellbeing.

For students, the move from primary school to a more challenging environment with new procedures, new types of learning activities and new peer relationships can lead to them feeling vulnerable and potentially disengaged.

While many of the activities described in the transition and orientation activities can help minimise negative impacts on engagement and wellbeing, assisting students to develop resilience will also assist them to make a successful transition from primary to secondary schooling.

Student Transition and Resilience Training (START)

The Student Transition and Resilience Training (START) resource has been specifically redesigned in partnership with clinical psychologist Andrew Fuller to enhance the ability of schools to enhance the capacity of schools to build student’s resilience during their transition from primary to secondary school.

START is aligned with the Victorian Curriculum Foundation-10 and complements both the Department’s Building Resilience model and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) materials, which are for use with students across all years of schooling from Prep to 12.

These resources incorporate the latest evidence on adolescent learning and development, key predictors of positive resilience in young people, students’ learning and wellbeing needs during the Year 6 to Year 7 transition period, and strategies to enhance students’ learning and resilience during their transition from primary to secondary school.

See the Resources tab — Student wellbeing — to access these resources.