Helping students settle into secondary school
The transition from primary to secondary school is one of the most significant moments in a child’s educational experience. While most students will feel excited and ready for the next step, it can also be overwhelming. In this blog, we will look at how creating a culture of belonging alongside careful planning and preparation can support Year 7 pupils during their transition to secondary school.
Why attendance in Year 7 matters
According to the largest-ever national study of over 100,000 students in England, more than one in four students begin to disengage during Year 7, and most never fully recover in secondary school. (Mind the Engagement Gap Report -Impacted) Furthermore, average school enjoyment drops from 6 out of 10 in Year 6 to 3.8 in Year 7 and continues to decline into Year 8 and beyond. There is a strong link between early disengagement and attendance and this underscores the case for proactive and targeted strategies, which embed a culture of belonging and community.
Common barriers to good attendance in Year 7
Attendance-like behaviour can be considered a communication and is usually the symptom of a concern or issue. These can be wide and varied – some can be more complex and others can be easier to resolve, but it is important that schools try to unpick the reason why a student’s attendance has dropped or become more erratic. Common barriers to attendance in Year 7 can include:
- Anxiety or fear of the unknown - new routines, bigger buildings, unfamiliar faces and more complex schedules
- Social challenges - students may feel isolated or struggle to make new friends
- Increased independence - students can find this newfound independence such as walking to school alone or travelling on public transport daunting
- Academic pressure - some students may worry about the increased number of subjects, teachers and how they are going to keep up
- Parental uncertainty – parents/carers may not fully understand attendance expectations
Start Year 6 transition’s to secondary school earlier
One key insight from both research and practice is that effective transition starts well before Year 7 and even waiting until June and July in Year 6 may even be considered too late. Building relationships earlier in Year 6 through transition days, joint activities, visits from secondary staff, parent coffee mornings etc, lays the groundwork for trust and belonging. When students have already met key staff, seen the school environment and feel a sense of familiarity, the emotional leap becomes smaller. Even short, informal interactions such as a welcome postcard from their future tutor can reduce anxiety and make the first day feel like a continuation rather than a separate beginning. Strong Year 6-7 links and transition work creates continuity and allows secondary schools to begin identifying needs before attendance issues emerge.
Year 6 secondary school transition ideas
- Provide the primary school with social stories around life in your school, which can support student understanding and help to reduce the idea of the ‘unknown’.
- Create a welcome video, letter from form tutors, key staff and current Y7 pupils – this will support student familiarisation.
- Create connections and start relationship building in Year 6 from March – key secondary school staff, where possible, to spend time with students in Year 6 classes over half-term 5 and 6.
- Hold transition meetings earlier, which will help identify any potential issues and use this information to begin relationship building with families.
- Use transition information to identify which students may need the support of a peer mentor.
- Senior leaders to attend Year 6 parents’ evenings, where they could provide a ‘drop-in’ session to answer any questions or concerns
- Set up a new to Year 7 coffee morning in half term 5/6 and into the first term of Year 7. Ensure parents/carers of students with attendance concerns receive a personalised invitation or phone call.
- Create a transition newsletter which can provide parents and students with information as they approach transition visits and September. This can be sent out weekly or monthly.
- Ensure the culture around attendance is that of support rather than judgement.
- Where possible, use the last week of the summer holidays to contact or visit families, where attendance may be an issue and check-in with them. Are they fully prepared for September? Is there anything you need to know?
- Share expectations around attendance in language accessible to all.
Creating a school culture for Year 7's
It is important to develop a sense of belonging and community, when students arrive at your school. Connection is key! One way this can be done is by placing experienced, compassionate staff in Year 7 tutor teams to build trust and consistency. This sense of belonging is key to engagement and supporting students where attendance is a concern. In addition, students whose engagement is dropping or low can be helped by spending time with peer mentors. This will give them the opportunity to talk to someone closer to their own age, which helps them feel safe and connected to the school community. It is vital where peer mentor schemes are used that they are trained properly and they know who to speak to if they have a concern. Finally, strengthen belonging further by celebrating diversity and ensuring your school culture is inclusive – leaders should always consider how are all cohorts represented in all areas of school? Do students have role models they can look to?
Students, like all of us, need purpose. As part of any school’s culture, students should be supported to see the purpose in their learning and how it benefits and impacts them.
Communication with families
Schools need to ensure they share clear expectations around attendance early on. Leaders should embed clear lines of communication and share positives as well as concerns. Recognising improvements in attendance or engagement can be used to build positive momentum. Use regular, low-pressure check-ins such as phone calls, texts or emails as well as formal letter stages, when there are attendance concerns.
Where attendance issues are emerging collaboration is key – working with families to implement actions and making everyone’s role clear is vital.
Early identification in Year 7
Year 7 is often described as the “engagement cliff,” when the initial excitement of secondary school can quickly dip. That makes the first term a crucial window for spotting early signs of disengagement before they begin to impact attendance and motivation.
With Sisra Analytics, leaders can track both attendance and student progress side by side, making it easier to identify trends as they emerge. Looking at weekly attendance figures – not just half-term or whole-school averages – ensures no warning signs are missed. This gives attendance teams and pastoral staff the insight and time they need to step in early.
Personalised support for Year 7 students
Once a concern has been raised, it’s important to move beyond simply monitoring – early intervention matters. Sisra Analytics provides a clear view of how attendance links with attainment, helping staff understand whether absence is already beginning to affect learning outcomes. This allows schools to tailor support more effectively, working with families to unpick underlying reasons for absence and avoiding a one-size-fits-all response.
The joined-up data also ensures the right people are involved at the right time. For example, if there are hints of an unidentified SEND need, the SENDCo can draw on evidence within Sisra Analytics to build a fuller picture before deciding on next steps or external referrals. By linking attendance with student progress, schools can act early, personalise support, and prevent small issues from becoming long-term barriers.
Improving attendance is a whole-school responsibility
Improving Year 7 attendance is not solely the responsibility of the attendance team – it is a shared endeavour. Teachers, pastoral leads, admin staff and families all play a role in helping students feel safe, welcome and ready to attend every day. Every student’s transition journey is different, but with the right strategies, early support and school culture, we can ensure that every Year 7 student gets the best possible start to this exciting new chapter.
How to monitor the impact of attendance on attainment
Want to see how attendance is affecting your students’ progress? Sisra Analytics makes it easy to track attendance alongside attainment, spot emerging trends, and take action early to support every student.
Find out how your school can use data to improve both engagement and outcomes.
