Navigating Transitions: Supporting Children and Young People Returning to Education

Change is often presented as something to embrace, yet for many children and young people, transitions into new stages of education bring uncertainty, emotional strain, and a shift in identity. Whether starting reception, moving to secondary school, or leaving home for university, these moments ask a great deal of a developing nervous system. What may look like resistance, withdrawal, or heightened emotion is often a sign of adjustment in progress, not a problem to be fixed.