In school systems with early tracking of pupils, such as Austria or Germany, the transition to lower secondary school (age 10) is often a critical life event (Filipp, 1995). In addition to the pressure to perform well in order to transit to, for example, a Gymnasium, pupils are often confronted with other changing factors such as longer distances to the new school, unfamiliar new classmates, teachers and subjects. Studies show that these changes can cause anxiety and concerns (Koch, 2006). Cooperation between different types of schools, for example, can help to ensure that the coordination and management of transitions is sustainable (Benz, 2007). A study conducted by van Rens et al. (2018) show that a positive relationship between different stakeholders can help to better address transition challenges. This can include sharing information about students' academic progress as well as coordinating activities. For example, primary schools may invite secondary schools to visit (Cauley & Jovanovich, 2006). Against this background, this paper examines the expectations and experiences of students from two different contexts. While cohort A experiences the transition in a rural region where only one form of secondary school (middle school) can be chosen after primary school and where primary schools cooperate closely with secondary schools, cohort B experiences the transition in an urban environment. In this particular urban area, there is strong segregation and little institutionalised cooperation between primary and secondary schools, especially at the interface. In order to map the two environments, qualitative data from school leader interviews (n=13) as well as documents on the cooperative measures (trainins, networking initiatives, etc.) were analysed. Furthermore, analyses are based on survey data from pupils in the fourth grade (prior to transition) in both rural (n=295) and urban (n=412) areas. All data were collected in the school year 2020-2021. The survey was conducted using paper-pencil questionnaires, including scales on social integration in class (Eder, 2007), teacher support (based on OECD, 2004), parents’ responsiveness (Fend & Prester, 1986), and anxiety regarding the future school (based on Sirsch, 2000). The data were analysed using SPSS (version 27). First results show that pupils from urban contexts are more worried about their future school than pupils from the networked rural contexts (t(675.1) = 1.96; p<.05). A linear regression (F(675)=18.05; p<.001; r²=.14) points at students’ migration background to have an increasing influence whereby higher levels of social integration and parental responsiveness moderate anxieties regarding the future school.