Moving On Up: A Resource for Year 6

Supporting schools in helping Year 6 pupils with the transition to Year 7


The transition from Year 6 to Year 7 is one of the most significant changes in a young person’s early life.

It is not simply a move to a new building. It is an emotional, social and identity transition too.

For many pupils, the move to secondary school brings practical worries about timetables, homework, classrooms, older pupils, larger spaces and new routines. But beneath those practical concerns, many children are also quietly asking much deeper questions:

For some pupils, these worries begin long before the final weeks of Year 6. Without the right support, they can affect confidence, wellbeing, friendships, attendance, engagement with learning, and even a child’s ability to fully enjoy their final chapter in Year 6..

Supporting transition well matters because the benefits are felt at every stage.

In the short term, pupils can feel calmer, more reassured and better prepared for what is ahead.

In the medium term, they are more likely to start secondary school with confidence, trust and a stronger sense of belonging.

In the longer term, a positive transition can support attendance, emotional wellbeing, resilience, relationships and educational outcomes.

But its impact can reach even further than that.

Handled well, this transition can help young people develop some of the core capacities they will need throughout life: the ability to belong, to build trust, to form healthy relationships, to ask for help, to manage uncertainty, and to face change without feeling overwhelmed by it.

These capacities matter far beyond the move to secondary school. They can shape how young people respond to future moments of pressure and change: new friendships, shifting peer groups, exams, adolescence, intimate relationships, work, further education, and the many other critical life moments where confidence, connection, self-belief and emotional safety make a real difference.

In that sense, supporting transition is not just about helping pupils manage the first few weeks of Year 7.  It is an upstream intervention.  It helps strengthen the foundations that young people draw on later when they encounter risk, pressure, exclusion, unhealthy relationships, misogyny, coercive behaviour or other forms of harm.

When young people feel they belong, know who they can turn to, trust that support is available, and believe they have the capacity to cope with change, they are better placed to make safe choices, seek help early, recognise unhealthy dynamics, and build relationships rooted in respect, empathy and confidence.

Moving On Up has been created to help schools support this process in a simple, accessible and emotionally meaningful way. Using real peer voices, guided discussion and carefully structured classroom activities, it helps pupils explore their worries, hear from young people who have already made the move, and begin to imagine themselves taking the next step with greater confidence.

Because when young people feel prepared, connected and supported, they are not just more ready for Year 7.

They are more able to make the most of the journey there - and more equipped for the journeys still to come.


Keep scrolling to explore the resource, see what’s included, and find the best access option for your school.

“The transition from Year 6 to Year 7 can have a huge impact on confidence, wellbeing, and readiness for learning. What stands out to me about Moving on Up is how emotionally authentic and reassuring it feels. The peer voice approach is incredibly powerful, and I can see this becoming a really valuable part of our wider transition work.”

- Primary School Head Teacher

What's included?

  • Film Resource


    At the heart of the resource is a 5-minute film featuring Year 7 pupils speaking directly and honestly about their own experience of moving to Year 7. The film explores the worries many young people carry - friendships, getting lost, homework, older students, new routines, fitting in, and not knowing what to expect - while offering calm, believable reassurance from pupils who have recently been through the transition themselves. Alongside the film, schools receive two 40- minute guided discussion sessions.

  • 2 x 40-Minute Guided Discussion Sessions (and an optional parent/carer session)

    Beginning the Journey


    Designed for use earlier in Year 6, this session helps pupils explore and normalise feelings around transition, recognise that many worries are shared, and begin thinking about Year 7 in a calmer, more supported way.

    Stepping Into Year 7

    Designed for use later in Year 6, as transition gets closer, this session helps pupils reflect on independence, support, confidence, readiness and the move into the next stage of school life. Both sessions use the same film, but guide pupils through different conversations at different points in the year. This allows schools to return to the same reassuring peer voices as transition becomes more real.

    Parent/Carer Session

    This session is designed for an assembly to help parents and carers understand what young people may be feeling as they prepare for the move to Year 7. It includes a screening of the Moving On Up film, followed by gentle discussion prompts to explore worries, confidence, support, and what can help pupils feel more ready for the journey ahead.

  • 12 Months Unlimited Access


    A single subscription provides 12 months of unlimited access across Year 6, giving every member of staff the confidence and flexibility to use the resource whenever needed.

    This allows you to deliver the session to different classes in different year groups at a time that suits you - ensuring as many students as possible benefit from this essential safeguarding education.

    The package is designed to be entirely teacher-ready, with slides, prompts, and step-by-step guidance built in.

Built Around Real Pupil Voice

Moving on Up was developed through conversations with Year 7 and Year 8 students, alongside discussions with primary, junior school and secondary school staff about the realities of transition.

Again and again, the same themes emerged.

Young people spoke about:

  • fear of getting lost in a larger school,
  • friendship worries and fitting in,
  • navigating unfamiliar routines and environments,
  • concerns around homework and expectations,
  • anxiety about older students,
  • moving between classrooms,
  • remembering equipment and timetables,
  • and the feeling of suddenly becoming ‘small again’ after being the oldest in their previous school.


But perhaps most importantly, they also spoke about what helped.

Throughout the development process, one idea repeatedly surfaced: hearing reassurance from peers who had recently experienced the transition themselves carried particular weight and credibility.

Many pupils explained that advice from older students felt honest, believable, and emotionally reassuring in a different way. Rather than simply being told not to worry, they wanted to hear from young people who had genuinely felt those same worries and come through the other side.

The script for Moving on Up was built directly around these recurring themes, concerns, and reassurances shared by young people themselves.

“As a Year 6 teacher, I really appreciate how grounded and realistic the film feels. The worries the pupils talk about are exactly the kinds of conversations we hear in class every year. The discussion sessions feel thoughtful, practical, and easy to deliver, while still creating space for meaningful reflection and reassurance.”

- Year 6 Teacher

Why Peer Voice Matter

Young people do not only need information about Year 7. They need reassurance they can believe.

Advice from adults is important, but during periods of change, children often listen differently when they hear from someone who has recently been through the same experience. Peer voices can feel more immediate, more relatable, and more emotionally credible.

When a Year 7 pupil says, "I was worried about getting lost too, but after a few days it started to make sense," that reassurance carries a particular kind of trust. It helps Year 6 pupils imagine themselves coping, adapting, and belonging.

This is why Moving on Up places peer voice at the centre of the resource. Through story, reflection, and honest reassurance, the film helps pupils see that their worries are normal, support is available, and the unknown can gradually become familiar.

 Moving on Up has been designed with the realities of school life in mind.

The resource is simple to deliver, easy to facilitate, and flexible enough to work across a range of different settings and approaches. Sessions are fully guided, requiring no specialist training or preparation, allowing staff to adapt discussions in ways that best suit their pupils and school context.

The film and discussion sessions can be used within:

  • Year 6 classrooms,
  • Pastoral and wellbeing sessions,
  • Transition days,
  • SEND support,
  • and wider transition or enrichment work.


The resource has also been developed to be emotionally accessible and SEND-aware, recognising that pupils experience transition in very different ways and at different emotional speeds.

Rather than presenting transition as something pupils simply ‘get through,’ the sessions aim to create calm, reflective, supportive conversations that help young people feel more prepared, more connected, and more confident about the move ahead.

School Access

The resource costs only £60.00 (including VAT)

Includes:

  • 12 months access
  • unlimited access for Year 6 teaching staff within your school
  • the 5-minute short film
  • both guided discussion sessions and the option parent/carer session

 

Schools can access the resource in three different ways:

Subscribe Online

Schools with access to a school credit or purchasing card can click the 'Pay Now' button below and subscribe directly through the website for immediate access to the course and resources.

Please note that access will be linked to the school email address used at checkout.  We recommend using a shared or appropriate school email account where possible.  The member of staff who signs up can then share the resource internally with relevant colleagues within the school.

Pay Now

Subscribe by Invoice

Need to pay by invoice? No problem.  Individual schools can request an invoice by clicking the 'Pay by Invoice' button below.

Once you have completed the short booking form, we will send access details to your nominated contact, that you can share with all year 6 staff, so that your school can start using Moving on Up straight away.  We will also send an invoice to your finance department.

Pay by Invoice

MATs & School Clusters

We also offer discounted access rates for Local Authorities and Multi-Academy Trusts wishing to purchase access for multiple settings. Please contact us to discuss bulk access options and pricing.

Get in Touch

Extended Access Offer

Schools booking via invoice during June/July2026 will receive access through to August 2027.

This allows schools to support current Year 6 pupils approaching transition this term, while also retaining the resource for use with next year’s Year 6 cohort across the following academic year.

Extended access applies to invoice bookings and MAT group bookings only.

“Although we’re planning to use both sessions moving forward, we’ll also be using the later Year 6 session with our current Year 6 pupils this term so they can benefit from the resource ahead of transition. The calm, reassuring peer voices and guided discussions create exactly the kind of supportive conversation many pupils need at this stage of the year.”

- PSHE and Wellbeing Lead

FAQ

  • How long does access last?

    Standard online subscriptions provide 12 months access from the date of purchase. Schools or MATs booking via invoice during June/July 2026 will receive extended access through to August 2027, allowing both current and future Year 6 cohorts to benefit from the resource across two transition periods.

  • Can multiple teachers access the resource?

    Yes - all Year 6 teaching staff within your school can access the course.

  • Can we use this for SEND pupils?

    Yes. The resource has been designed to be emotionally accessible and flexible for different classroom contexts.

  • Do we need specialist training?

    No. The sessions are designed to be easy for school staff to facilitate.

  • Can schools pay by invoice?

    Yes. Contact us directly and we can arrange invoicing and enrolment.

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