Starting Secondary School
In 2015, researchers at University College London and Cardiff University explored the factors that predict what helps, or hinders, successful transitions to secondary school. The ‘STARS’ study followed a group of around 2,000 pupils from South-East England, UK as they made the transition from primary school to secondary school. The study identified that the thing most young people worried about at the beginning of secondary school was GETTING LOST! They were also worried about losing old friends from primary and feeling overwhelmed by homework.
The findings from the STAR study inspired us to create the Tellmi ‘Starting Secondary School ‘ booklet, which was delivered to every year 7 student in our partner schools at the beginning of the school term. The pocket sized booklet was packed with practical ideas and fun activities designed to help new students feel happier and more confident. From tips on how to find your way around the school by identifying landmarks to finding out where the toilets are, the booklet helped to normalise the fact that starting secondary school can feel a bit overwhelming.
The booklet tackled the tricky topic of fitting in and finding new friends in a gentle and humorous way, and even included a page of jokes for breaking the ice. Positive psychology strategies such as focussing on three things that make you feel grateful and writing some advice on a postcard to ‘future you’ were designed to encourage a more positive mindset.
The booklet was also designed to let new students know that they could use the Tellmi app to get support from people their own age who are going through the exact same thing. The Tellmi peer support app is 100% pre-moderated by humans, supported by in-house counsellors. It has supported more than 70,000 young people in the UK and is commissioned by the NHS. Tellmi has been independently evaluated by UCL and The Anna Freud Centre. The study found statistically significant evidence that using Tellmi improves mental health in young people.
Although the booklet never referred to the STAR study, it addressed every one of the problems identified in the report in a fun and engaging way. The STAR study also recommended working with year 6 students to prepare them for the transition and this is something that we will be working on in June 2023. The ‘Starting Secondary School ‘ campaign was incredibly well received by students and teachers and we will, of course, be producing a new version for students who start secondary school in September 2023.
If you're an education professional and are interested in partnering with Tellmi, contact us here.
