Students' experience of the first term in high school

This paper reports on a study undertaken as part of a university-school linkage grant. The experience of students during transition to high school is an interest of one of our partner schools. The broad concern of the school is to understand the views of students about their transition into the first year of high school so that the procedures in place for this transition can be adjusted if necessary. The paper reports on the overall experience of the group of students and then focusses on the profile of students who reported less favourable experiences during the first term at high school. The final section includes findings from interviews with a smaller group of students, some of whom reported that they found the transition rather scary. The findings provide information for the school on issues related to what creates concerns for students and what acts to support a successful transition experience.