ADHD IN PRACTICE · YEAR 7 TRANSITION
A new school.
A bigger world.
Let's find a way through.
Year 7 brings new teachers, changing friendships, busy corridors and more to remember. Some children settle quickly. Others need more time, different support or help explaining what feels hard.
Start with what you and your child are noticing. You do not need a diagnosis to ask for support.
For parents, carers and Year 7 students in England.
YOUR FAMILY'S STARTING POINT
Notice what is happening.
Listen to what it means.
✓ What is going well?
✓ What takes the most effort?
✓ What could make things easier?
✓ When will we check again?
Understanding comes before expecting more.
START WHERE YOU ARE
Where are you in the Year 7 journey?
Getting ready
Think about the journey, handover, timetable, equipment and what helps your child feel secure.
Start with the free checklist ↗The first six weeks
Notice energy, organisation, friendships, confidence and the effort of managing each day.
Explore common pressure points ↗Things are getting harder
Growing distress, withdrawal or attendance difficulties deserve attention, even after a positive start.
Know what to ask school ↗THE PARENT AND CARER PERSPECTIVE
What are you noticing at home?
Looking fine is not always feeling fine. Open the concern that sounds familiar, then invite your child to add their view.
Exhausted or overwhelmed after school
Noise, transitions, instructions and social demands can use up a child's energy. Offer food, drink and recovery time before questions or homework. Ask what kind of recovery helps.
Explore after-school support ↗Forgotten equipment, homework or repeated sanctions
Check how tasks are recorded and what reminders are available. A simple bag list and one place for equipment may help. Ask school about practical support and reasonable adjustments, rather than relying only on sanctions.
Friendships, group chats or loneliness
Ask about lunch, breaktimes and who feels comfortable to be around. A child may know lots of people and still feel alone. Take exclusion, bullying and online difficulties seriously.
Sunday-night or morning anxiety
Explore which part of the day feels difficult. Record patterns without assuming there is only one cause. Contact school promptly if distress or non-attendance is increasing.
Homework becomes a battle
Check whether your child understands the task, knows where to find it and has enough energy to begin. Knowing the answer and organising the work are different demands.
Explore homework guidance ↗School says everything is fine
Share specific examples from home. Ask about transitions, friendships, prompting and the effort required across the whole day, as well as attainment and behaviour.
Understand masking ↗AN INVITATION TO EXPLORE TOGETHER
There is a place for your child
in this conversation.
You have been noticing Year 7 from the outside. Your child is experiencing it from the inside. Both perspectives matter.
A PARENT OR CARER COULD SAY
“I've been reading about Year 7, but I don't want to guess what it is like for you. Would you like to look at this with me? We could choose one thing that sounds familiar, or you can tell me that none of it fits.”
Choose a calm moment. Sit alongside rather than turning it into an interview. Your child can read, point, draw, talk, take a break or decide to come back another day.
Begin our discovery route ↗No right answers. No need to finish everything. One thought is enough to begin.
FOR YOU · YOUR YEAR 7 EXPERIENCE
What is Year 7 like for you?
Some parts might be good. Some might feel confusing, tiring or awkward. You can like your school and still find parts of the day hard.
Open anything that sounds familiar. You do not need to tick every box or explain everything.
If several instructions make it hard to begin,
ask for written steps.
If lunch feels overwhelming, ask a trusted adult
about a quieter option.
If homework feels impossible after school,
discuss recovery time and a smaller first step.
These are ideas, not rules. Agree support with the adults involved and check whether it actually helps.
If someone is hurting you, threatening you or making you feel unsafe, tell a trusted adult promptly. If the first adult does not help, tell another. You do not have to handle it on your own.
MY JOURNEY SO FAR
Different journeys.
You are not alone.
You might recognise a feeling in these examples, even if your own school or family is different. You do not have to feel the same as anyone else for your experience to matter.
Illustrative voices: These four fictional examples show possible Year 7 experiences. They are not real children's accounts, anonymised interviews or testimonials.
GIRL · FROM A SMALL VILLAGE PRIMARY
“I liked my new lessons, but everyone seemed to know where to go. I was scared of being late. Practising the route with someone made the mornings feel less enormous.”
A thought to explore: Which part of the journey needs more practice?
GIRL · MOVED TO A NEW AREA BEFORE YEAR 7
“People kept asking if I'd made friends. I didn't know what to say. What helped was talking about one lunchtime, rather than my whole social life.”
A thought to explore: What would make one break or lunchtime easier?
BOY · FROM A LARGE CITY PRIMARY
“I knew lots of people, so everyone thought I was fine. I still got stuck finding homework on the app. Being shown slowly helped more than being told to check it.”
A thought to explore: Is a task unclear, even if other parts are going well?
BOY · SPENDS THE WEEK BETWEEN TWO HOMES
“Remembering which books were where was stressful. We made the same bag list for both homes. I still forget sometimes, but now we have a plan.”
A thought to explore: Could the routine be easier to follow?
KEEP THE CONVERSATION OPEN
What would be useful to you next?
The first six weeks are a starting point, not a deadline for settling in. Questions and support needs can change throughout the year. Revisit a few prompts each month, without making it a test.
What has changed?
What feels easier now?
What is still taking lots of effort?
Has anything new become difficult?
What do you want to know?
Is there a question you have not asked?
What would you like an adult to explain?
Would talking, writing or drawing help?
What shall we try?
What should we keep?
What could we change?
Who could help, and when will we check again?
Finish with an agreement, not another list of demands.
“This week we will try ____. The adult helping is ____.
We will check together on ____.”
Keep notes privately if helpful. This page does not collect, submit or save children's answers. Children can choose not to answer; significant distress or safety concerns still need adult action.
FIVE USEFUL STEPS
Notice. Record. Ask. Adjust. Review.
- Notice: When does the difficulty happen? Which days or situations take the most effort?
- Record: Keep short, dated examples and include what your child says.
- Ask: Explore the child's view and what school is noticing.
- Adjust: Agree one practical change, with a named adult responsible.
- Review: Check whether it helped after an agreed period. Two or three weeks may suit a small trial, but urgent concerns need action sooner.
FREE PARENT RESOURCE
The Year 7 Checklist
Prepare before September and keep noticing through the autumn term. Use practical prompts to organise questions, record concerns and know when to contact school.
Includes summer preparation topics, month-by-month prompts, a school communication example and an end-of-term review. Invite your child to contribute where they want to.
Get the free checklist ↗WORKING WITH SCHOOL
When should you speak to school?
If distress, attendance difficulties, isolation, repeated sanctions or exhaustion are increasing, do not wait for a diagnosis or for the situation to become a crisis.
Ask for specifics: What barriers have been identified? What will change? Who is responsible? How will your child's experience be included? When will the adjustment be reviewed?
Open an email you can adapt
Subject: Year 7 transition – request to discuss support
Dear [Name],
We have noticed changes in how [child's name] is managing Year 7. At home we are seeing [two or three specific examples]. [Child's name] has described [their words, where they are comfortable for these to be shared].
Could we discuss what school is noticing, the barriers that may be contributing and one or two adjustments to try? Please could we agree who will coordinate support and when we will review its impact?
Many thanks,
[Your name]
Bullying, significant distress and safety concerns need prompt attention. Explain to your child what you need to share and why; do not promise secrecy about concerns that need adult help.
Explore school support ↗Grandparents and carers belong in the picture too.
Familiar routines, quiet recovery time and listening without pressure can help. Share observations with parents or primary carers, respect their role and keep the child's needs central.
A useful question: “What would make this week a little easier?”WHEN YOU WANT SOMETHING MORE STRUCTURED
Understand the first six weeks.
Build support beyond them.
The free checklist helps you recognise what to notice. The guide explains the transition in more depth. The toolkit offers structured tools for planning and communication.
UNDERSTANDING GUIDE
Year 7: The First Six Weeks
Explore masking, anxiety, friendships, school-day exhaustion, organisation and when to seek support.
PRACTICAL TOOLKIT
Year 7 Transition Toolkit
Nine printable planning tools, ten parent scripts, worked examples, trackers and school meeting preparation.
GUIDE + TOOLKIT
Year 7 Complete Pack
£19.99
Both digital resources together.
Explore the complete pack ↗Purchasing decisions are for parents and carers. Check the product page for current contents and price. The free discovery activities above can be used without buying anything.
PERSONAL SUPPORT, IF YOU NEED IT
You do not have to untangle everything alone.
Focused Parent Session
£135
One clearly defined issue, one 60-minute conversation and practical next steps. Not a full document or EHCP review.
Explore the focused session ↗Parent Clarity Session
£200
For several connected concerns. Explore the wider picture and prioritise next steps when school, emotions, learning and daily life feel tangled.
Explore Parent Clarity ↗Services provide educational and procedural guidance, not legal advice, meeting attendance or formal representation. Scope, timeframe and fee are agreed before work begins. Check linked pages for current service details.
Questions families ask
Why was September fine but later weeks harder?
Novelty and extra transition support may help at first. Homework, organisation, friendship changes and accumulated tiredness can become more demanding later. Explore the individual pattern rather than assuming a cause.
Does my child need a diagnosis to receive support?
No. In England, schools should identify and support special educational needs based on the child's needs, not solely on a formal diagnosis.
What if my child does not want to talk?
Offer a choice of timing and format. They may prefer pointing to a topic, writing a sentence, drawing or speaking to a different trusted adult. Keep the invitation open without requiring answers. Act on significant concerns even if explaining them is difficult.
What if their grades are good?
Good attainment does not rule out difficulties with wellbeing, friendships, sensory demands, organisation or the effort needed to achieve.
Should we wait for them to settle?
Some adjustment takes time, but significant distress, bullying, worsening attendance and safety concerns should not be left to escalate.
Start with one question.
Listen for one useful next step.
An introductory call helps identify an appropriate route. It is not a full consultation.
General educational information for families navigating secondary-school transition in England. Suggestions should be adapted to the individual child and agreed with school where appropriate. The four “My journey so far” examples are fictional illustrations, not real children's testimonials.
© ADHD in Practice · Janine M Nesbitt
Why parents work with me
You don't need another person telling you what your child should be doing. You need someone who will help you understand why things are difficult and what you can actually do about it.
Whether you're worried about ADHD or wider SEND, facing another school meeting, waiting for an assessment, considering an EHCP, or simply thinking, “Something isn't adding up,” I can help you make sense of what is happening.
Together, we look at the whole picture: what you see at home, what school is seeing, where your child is struggling and what may be getting missed.
Then we turn that understanding into clear, practical next steps for home, school and everyday life.
No jargon. No judgement. No one-size-fits-all advice.
Just experienced, practical support centred around your child and your family.
