In Switzerland, the transition from the end of primary school (Year 8, children aged 10 to 11) to the first year of secondary school (Year 9, children aged 11 to 12) represents a major challenge, not only for pupils and their parents, but also for school staff, from teachers to Headteachers. Indeed, this stage marks a first orientation in the students' school career, where, depending on the canton and within the framework of cantonal directives, students will be placed into different sets. This initial selection will have a strong influence on their educational orientation at the end of compulsory schooling, whether towards gymnasium, general education or vocational training. Thus, the evaluation and recommendation practices at play at this point significantly influence school trajectories (Lintorf & Van Ophuysen, 2022; Hofstetter, 2017). At the end of this period, students move on to secondary school which presents challenges in terms of :

• academic: depending on their academic results, pupils are directed towards various disciplines, some of which are new ;

• social: they find themselves in a new class, sometimes in a new school, with identity issues (going from being the oldest child in school to the youngest);

• geographical: the school is often in a new location,

• cultural and organizational: teaching is no longer delivered in the same way, with students being given greater autonomy.

To date, while studies have focused on the transition between the end of compulsory schooling and upper secondary education, particularly in vocational training, few of them  have explored this first transition. Nevertheless, we hypothesize that this transition is already a source of stress for students. Indeed, the work of Esparbès-Pistre (2015) and Meylan et al. (2015) shows that school stress is largely the result of teachers' and parents' expectations, a finding which underlines the importance of understanding how students, parents and teachers experience this transition. In a previous study Gyger, Bosmans & Padiglia (2023) demonstrated that this particular period was stressful for children in Year 8 and that school and teachers could play an essential support role through various measures. From the parents’ perspective, the support that teachers bring to the table is extremely important when it is actually provided.

In this context, the role of teachers is a central one, whether as a protective or a risk factor (Esparbès-Pistre et al., 2015). Teachers not only influence academic trajectories through the evaluation and recommendation processes, but they also play a critical role in students' socio-emotional adjustment. Their capacity to provide emotional support, encouragement, and clear expectations can reduce students' anxiety and foster a sense of belonging, which is essential for a successful transition. On the other hand, expectations that are too high or unclear can exacerbate students' stress, especially when students feel they cannot meet them.

We should not forget the role that school Headteachers and Principals can play, whose role is decisive in implementing educational policies and coordinating pedagogical teams (IsaBelle & Labelle., 2017). Principals set the tone for their school culture, ensuring that the values of equity and support permeate decision-making and teaching practices. Their leadership can facilitate smoother transitions by fostering collaboration between teachers, students, and parents, as well as ensuring that adequate resources and support measures are in place. 

Our study thus aims to better understand the challenges for schools during this period. More specifically, it seeks to explore the following key research questions:

1. What are some of the main challenges during this transition? 

2. How do Headteachers and Teachers perceive their  role in mitigating the effects of this transition?

3. What are the specific actions that schools can take to support students during this transition? 

The present study is exploratory in the sense that it was conducted with a limited sample to explore the issues emerging from the period of transition to secondary school from the Headteachers and the Teachers’ perspective. The methodology used in this project was mixed. The instruments designed to collect data were Focus Group questions and statements (for the Teachers) and a semi-structured interview schedule for the Headteachers to yield rich qualitative data that is being reported in this paper. The research took place in the autumn semester for the interviews and the spring semester for the focus group. The latter period was chosen because Year 8 teachers think about their students’ upcoming transition into secondary education and Year 9 teachers are well into the school year, thus being able to reflect on issues coming up during their students’ first year at secondary level. The participants reported on in the present article were 4 Teachers for the focus group and 4 Headteachers for the interviews. In order to obtain the school management’s perspective on issues related to transition, two semi-structured interviews were conducted with Headteachers from the Canton of Jura and two interviews with a Headteacher and a Deputy Headteacher from the Canton of Neuchâtel, both at primary and secondary level. In the same line of thought, a focus group was organised with 4 teachers (two practitioners teaching in Year 8 and Year 9 respectively). One of the data collecting tools was an interview schedule with themes such as: Issues for the school, Help given to students’ first year in their new schools, collaboration and communication between Year 8 and Year 9, school-family collaboration, teaching styles and learning strategies, help from outside the classroom (mediation service, educational psychology, well-being assistance). The other data collecting instrument consisted of 4 questions or statements put to the focus group and these are unpacked in the results section. The results of the qualitative data were analysed using the content analysis method (Bardin, 2013) and compared between Headteachers and Teachers from the two different levels (primary/Year 8 and secondary/Year9) using MAXQDA (version 2022.8). A pooling of qualitative results from both levels has therefore allowed us to look at similarities and differences in practice between schools looking after children at the two different educational levels.

The results show that school Heads are more specifically interested in the transition from one school level to another with a view to vocational training (career choices). They declare that obstacles linked to the transition from one level to another tend to concern pupils who are already in difficulty, and who often already benefit from special support. Given their role, their attention is therefore focused on factors other than those mentioned by teachers and parents. Questionnaires sent to Teachers showed that they were concerned with issues relating to pupils' social skills (autonomy, mentoring, etc.) and academic skills (learning styles, cross-curricular skills, etc.). Focus groups are planned to explore further teachers' perceptions and expectations of this important transition, and it will be very useful to inform the various departments of these expectations. Based on the actual and future findings, the implementation of one or more continuous professional development courses for teachers around student support for the transition between primary and secondary educationI will be suggested. Training can provide teachers with tools to better support students (especially in terms of managing emotions) and understanding the challenges of this transition. All these practical outcomes will ground the present research in pragmatic reality and will put the student at the centre of our preoccupations.

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