Safeguard-Me Blog 2026

Safeguarding During Transitions — Year 6 to Year 7

2025-12-18 10:24

Jumping from Y6 to Y7 usually means a new school

Transitions can be a flashpoint: routines change, trusted adults shift, and vulnerable pupils can slip through gaps.
  • What makes transitions risky (and for who)?
  • How to share information safely between settings?
  • Practical support for vulnerable children through change
  • Summer-born children and confidence/needs
  • SEND transitions and multi-agency planning; and
  • How to maintain continuity of safeguarding support over the summer.

Got some questions we've not answered? Drop us a line..

Are your most vulnerable pupils getting the support they need during transition — or just paperwork?

The biggest risk in transition isn’t that nobody cares. It’s that we can easily assumes it's automatically covered. A strong transition plan is simple: the right information, to the right people, early enough to act.

1) Why transitions increase safeguarding risk

Transitions can trigger:
  • Anxiety and dysregulation (behaviour changes, withdrawal)
  • Increased peer influence and bullying risk, especially from new children
  • Attendance dips and reduced engagement
  • More online exposure and risky contact
  • Reduced visibility of concerns (new staff don’t know baseline behaviour)
For some pupils, transition is a fresh start. For others, it’s a stress test.

2) Who needs the most support (think vulnerability, not labels)

Transition support should prioritise pupils who are:
  • Known to safeguarding teams (current or historical concerns)
  • Looked-after / previously looked-after
  • Experiencing family stress, bereavement, domestic abuse, or housing instability
  • At risk of exploitation (criminal/sexual), missing episodes, or online harm
  • Neurodivergent or with SEND (especially where routines are protective)
  • Socially isolated, bullied, or struggling with friendships
Practical point: vulnerability can change quickly in summer.

3) Information sharing between schools: make it usable

Information sharing isn’t about sending a folder. It’s about sending what helps staff protect a child.

What to share (the “need-to-know” set)

  • Current safeguarding concerns and risk indicators
  • What has worked (and what escalates things)
  • Key trusted adults and protective factors
  • Attendance patterns and known triggers
  • Any active plans (Early Help, CIN, CP, TAC, etc.)

How to share it well

  • Use a short, structured format (one-page summary + chronology if needed)
  • Confirm who receives it (named safeguarding lead)
  • Record what was shared, when, and why in digital safeguarding records
Top Tip: If there are multiple children consider a formal meeting to go through each child and highlight key support requirements

4) The summer gap: continuity when school isn’t in session

Safeguarding doesn’t pause for summer.

Practical continuity actions

  • Identify pupils needing a summer check-in plan
  • Confirm who holds responsibility during holidays (and how to contact)
  • Share safe support routes with families (where appropriate)
  • For activity providers: confirm escalation routes and reporting expectations

5) Year 6 to Year 7: the real-world risks

Secondary transition often increases:
  • Peer pressure and risky social dynamics
  • Travel independence (routes, strangers, online meet-ups)
  • Exposure to new, older pupils and new environments
  • Phone/social media use and group chats

Practical safeguarding supports

  • Travel safety guidance and safe routes, test run them with the child
  • Online safety refresh (privacy, reporting, grooming awareness)
  • Named “go-to” adult in the new setting and introduce them as early as possible
  • Early monitoring of attendance and behaviour changes

6) Summer-born children: confidence, maturity, and safeguarding

Summer-born pupils can be younger within the cohort, which may affect:
  • Confidence in new environments
  • Social resilience and boundary-setting
  • Vulnerability to peer influence
Support isn’t about lowering expectations — it’s about increasing predictability and trusted support.

7) SEND transitions: plan earlier, plan more specifically

SEND transitions work best when they’re proactive.

What good SEND transition planning includes

  • Visual supports and routine previews
  • Gradual familiarisation (visits, photos, maps, staff introductions)
  • Clear communication plan between settings
  • Risk assessment for key moments (crowds, noise, unstructured time)
  • Multi-agency input where needed

How safeguarding software supports transition planning

Transitions are information-heavy and time-sensitive.
Safeguarding software helps by:
  • Keeping a clear chronology in digital safeguarding records
  • Supporting consistent, structured handovers
  • Reducing reliance on memory and informal conversations
  • Creating an audit trail of what was shared and when

Q&A: common safeguarding questions about transitions

Q1: What’s the biggest safeguarding risk during transition?

Gaps in information and ownership — concerns not shared early enough, or not shared with the right people.

Q2: What information should we share with the receiving school?

The minimum needed to keep the child safe: current concerns, key risks, what works, and who to contact. Keep it structured and factual.

Q3: How do we support vulnerable pupils over the summer?

Create a simple continuity plan: who checks in, what support routes exist, and what to do if risk increases.

Q4: How can we reduce bullying risk during transition?

Early relationship-building, clear reporting routes, monitoring of hotspots (travel, online group chats), and quick intervention when patterns emerge.

Q5: What’s different about SEND transitions?

Predictability and routine are protective. Plan earlier, use gradual familiarisation, and share practical strategies that work for the pupil.

Q6: How do we evidence good safeguarding during transition?

Document what was shared, who received it, and what actions were agreed — supported by digital safeguarding records.

Quick checklist: safer transitions

  • Identify pupils needing enhanced transition support
  • Share structured safeguarding information early
  • Confirm named contacts and ownership in both settings
  • Plan for the summer gap (continuity and escalation)
  • Add travel and online safety supports for Year 6→7
  • Record handovers in digital safeguarding records