Managing school transition from a social emotional perspective

Whether starting primary school, secondary school, or further education, changing schools, changing classes, or leaving school altogether, the upcoming transition period can be a challenging time for children.

If transition is not carefully managed, it can have a negative impact on a child's wellbeing and achievement.

This informative, CPD certificated webinar brings together three experts in a discussion of practical strategies and ideas to help you support children through change and transition.

Section 1: Supporting pupils through periods of change – the role of coping skills and resilience!

This section will be presented by Hannah Baker, Programme Director at Partnership for Children, a children’s mental health charity working with schools to promote children’s wellbeing and resilience. Hannah will explore the skills pupils need to cope with the transition to secondary school or other changes brought about by a new academic year. She will share practical ideas and resources inspired by their Skills for Life programmes to help you to promote children’s coping and resilience skills during periods of change.

Section 2: Measuring coping skills and resilience

This section will be presented by Bob Wilkinson from BounceTogether. Bob will explore how schools can measure the skills children need to cope with transition and change and discuss how data insights can be used to inform classroom practice.

Section 3: Enhancing school connectedness

This section will be presented by Dr Susan Spence, Professor Emeritus at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. Dr Spence's research in the area of clinical psychology focuses on the causes, assessment, treatment and prevention of anxiety and depression in young people. She is the developer of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale that is widely used across the world and has been translated into over 20 languages.

Dr Spence will explore her research into school connectedness and discuss its importance for supporting children through transition and periods of change/anxiety.