Transition to High School Program

Starting Year 7 brings a new timetable, new teachers, new classmates and a lot more to keep track of. Our Transition to High School Program helps Year 6 students get ready for that move, with practical tools to manage change, make connections and walk into secondary school with a plan that belongs to them.

How The Transition to High School Program Can Help

Most students feel a mix of excitement and worry about starting high school, and both are normal. Over three 90-minute online sessions in a small group, students talk through what they are looking forward to and what is on their mind. They then learn a simple framework for handling change and uncertainty, and practise it on situations they are likely to face, from getting lost on the first day to working through a falling-out with a friend.

By the final session, each student has a personalised transition plan that sets out their likely challenges, the strategies that suit them and the people they can go to for help.

Who Should Consider The Program

The program is designed for Year 6 students who will start Year 7 next year. It can be a good fit for students who show signs of:

Worry About Starting High School: Asking the same questions about Year 7 or talking often about what could go wrong
Difficulty With Change: Finding new routines, places or people hard to adjust to
Making & Keeping Friends: Feeling unsure about joining in, starting a conversation or finding their people
Organisation & Planning: Losing track of belongings, forgetting homework or feeling overwhelmed by multiple tasks
Asking for Help: Holding back from telling an adult when something goes wrong
Handling Mistakes & Feedback: Taking a teacher’s correction as proof they “can’t do it”

What We Cover

The program runs across three 90-minute online sessions. Each one builds on the last, and the same coping framework carries through all of them.

Session 1: Anticipating Changes and Strategies to Cope
Exploring Transition: Students unpack what they are looking forward to and what worries them, comparing primary and high school to clear up common myths.
4-Step Coping Framework: Introduces a practical framework (Notice, Pause, Choose, Act & Review) to handle stress, regulate emotions, reframe challenges and decide how to act, including asking for help.
Practical Application: Students apply the framework to real-world scenarios, like arriving late or forgetting equipment, and practise asking for help.
Session 2: Friendships, Belonging and Help-Seeking
Building Connections: Sets realistic expectations for Year 7 social dynamics and teaches practical skills to start conversations, find common interests and join activities.
Navigating Social Situations: Helps students tell the difference between normal awkwardness, disagreements and bullying, and know when each needs a different response.
Mapping Support: Identifies trusted contacts (teachers, family, wellbeing staff) and builds confidence in asking for help when needed.
Session 3: Organising, Learning and Personalised Transition Plan
Building Independence: Normalises using systems rather than memory to manage timetables, room changes, equipment and multiple subjects.
Hands-on Simulation: Uses sample timetables and school maps to practise route planning, packing and task management with personalised tools.
Growth Mindset & Planning: Teaches students to turn feedback on their work into clear next steps, finishing with an individual transition plan.

Why Choose Us?

Sessions led by provisional psychologists, which helps us keep the program cost low
Small online groups of no more than 6 students
Practical, skills-based sessions built around real Year 7 situations
A neuroaffirming approach that respects different ways of thinking and processing
A personalised transition plan every student takes home

Our Approach to Care

We strive to improve the wellbeing and educational outcomes of individuals who may think and process the world a little differently to their peers. In this program, that means normalising mixed feelings, building on each student’s strengths and giving them tools they can keep using well past the first term of Year 7.

Transition to High School Program Process

From your first enquiry through to the first weeks of Year 7, here is what to expect.

Step 1: Enquiry & Intake

We learn about your child, the school they are moving to and anything you would like us to keep in mind.

Step 2: Session 1

Students explore what is changing and learn the Notice, Pause, Choose, Act framework.

Step 3: Session 2

Students practise making connections, handling social difficulties and asking for help.

Step 4: Session 3

Students build their organisation systems and complete a personalised transition plan.

Step 5: Option for Ongoing Home & School Partnership

We love being able to keep supporting families and schools through key milestones, including the move into Year 7 and beyond.

Book Your Child’s Place

Preparing before the first day gives students a low-pressure space to practise new skills. The program runs online in small groups of up to 6 students. Get in touch to find out about upcoming program dates.

FAQs about the Transition to High School Program in Melbourne

What is the Transition to High School Program?

It is a three-session online program that helps students prepare for secondary school. Students learn a coping framework for change and uncertainty, practise friendship and help-seeking skills, and set up organisational systems. Each student finishes the program with a personalised transition plan.

Who is the program for?

The program is designed for Year 6 students who will start Year 7 next year. It can be helpful for students who feel anxious about the move, find change hard, or want more confidence with friendships and organisation.

Who runs the sessions?

Sessions are led by provisional psychologists, which helps us keep the cost of the program low for families.

How is the program structured?

The program runs over three 90-minute online sessions. Session 1 covers anticipating change and coping strategies, Session 2 focuses on friendships, belonging and help-seeking, and Session 3 covers organisation, learning and the transition plan.

Is the program run in a group?

Yes. Each group has a maximum of 6 students, so everyone gets the chance to take part, share ideas and practise new skills with peers who are going through the same change.

What will my child take home?

Each student completes an individual transition plan. It records what they are looking forward to, likely challenges, their warning signs, the regulation and thinking strategies that work for them, problem-solving steps, organisational tools, and their support people along with what they might say to them.

How do I book?

You can book online or call us on 1300 785 662. If you are not sure whether the program is the right fit, book a discovery call and our team can talk it through with you.

Running The Program For Your School

We can deliver the Transition to High School Program for groups of your Year 6 students. Contact us to discuss a format that suits your school community and timetable.