How to Tackle the Year 7 → Year 8 Dip (for Secondary School Leaders)
We already know there’s a Year 6 → Year 7 “transition dip.” But Edurio’s national data shows a distinct Year 7 → Year 8 dip within secondary, especially in clarity of instruction, feeling safe in class, and happiness. In this blog post, we review the data and then look at practical, named approaches that leading schools in the country are using.
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Share The familiar context (Y6 → Y7)
In primary, 71% of Year 6 pupils say they’re happy at their school (Edurio Pupil Experience Report 2025, p. 16, “Happiness at School: Primary — By School Year”).
By School Year
The percentage of pupils who report feeling very or quite happy at school decreases the older they get. 81% of Year 3 pupils report feeling very or quite happy, but only 71% of Year 6 pupils report feeling very or quite happy at their school.
Source: Edurio Pupil Experience Report 2025
In secondary, Year 7 pupils start reasonably happy (57%), though question wording differs by phase (Edurio Pupil Experience Report 2025, p. 17, “Happiness at School: Secondary”).
By School Year
Year 7 pupils enter secondary school reasonably happy, with 57% reporting they feel very or quite happy. This reduces materially in Year 8 and remains similarly low to the end of Key Stage 4. Sixth-form pupils, a smaller group than those in younger years, are significantly more positive about studying at their school than those in Years 8 to 11.
Source: Edurio Pupil Experience Report 2025
Note on methods: Primary asks “happy at this school”; secondary asks “happy to be studying at this school.” Treat cross-phase comparisons directionally.
The focus: the Y7 → Y8 dip (inside secondary)
The graphs below are taken from the Edurio Pupil Experience Report 2025 which is based on survey responses from 157,468 secondary pupils in the 2024/2025 academic year.
- Clarity of instruction: 60% (Y7) say teachers explain work clearly → 45% (Y8), then flat until sixth form (p. 25, “Teaching: Secondary — By School Year”).
Source: Edurio Pupil Experience Report 2025
- Feeling safe during class: 67% (Y7) → 58% (Y8) before rising later (p. 23, “Safety: Secondary — By School Year”).
Source: Edurio Pupil Experience Report 2025
- Engagement in learning: Y7s are more likely than Y8–11 to say they often find learning interesting (p. 21, “Interesting Learning — Secondary”).
Source: Edurio Pupil Experience Report 2025
- Inclusion: Only 16% of secondary pupils say they often learn about “people like me”, with a slight Y7 → Y8 decrease (p. 26, “Inclusion: Secondary — By Year Group”).
Source: Edurio Pupil Experience Report 2025
Download the Pupil Experience Report 2025What leading schools are doing to help with the secondary transition
To help solve this problem, we spoke to some of the leading schools in the country for pupil happiness (based on Edurio data). Here are seven approaches which we pulled straight from our Pupil Happiness at School Guide.
1) Build belonging before Day One (Trinity Academy St Edward’s, Trinity MAT)
What: From offer day, every incoming Y7 gets a personalised pack; staff visit feeder primaries; current Y7s speak to Y6s, peer reassurance lowers anxiety (pp. 18, 11).
Why it helps: Tackles the transition roots so the Y7 climate is stronger before the Y7→Y8 wobble.
2) Make daily relationship time non-negotiable (Trinity Academy St Edward’s)
What: 30 minutes of morning form time for connection and safeguarding so every pupil is seen daily (p. 24, “Form Time that Forms Trust”).
Why it helps: Directly supports safety and clarity, the two measures that fall from Y7 to Y8.
3) Turn pupil voice into visible change (LIFE Education Trust)
What: Structured listen-act cycles. A behaviour spike turned out to be lunchtime, not lessons → staggered lunches and more adult presence fixed the hotspot (pp. 28–29, “Listening and Acting”).
Why it helps: Shows pupils their input drives real change
4) Teach identity and respect explicitly (Trinity Academy St Edward’s)
What: Weekly “Friday Five” tutor-time discussions on protected characteristics; pupil leadership (e.g., LGBTQ+ ambassadors); “Call It Out” anonymous box (pp. 24–25).
Why it helps: Responds to low inclusion scores (and the Y7→Y8 dip) by making representation routine.
5) Parents as partners, not just recipients (Nova Education Trust — Melton Vale Sixth Form College)
What: Pre-enrolment belonging (newsletters, tours, guidance meetings), student-led progress reviews, and a SEND café for informal family support (pp. 36–37).
Why it helps: Tightens the relational net around pupils at transition and into early KS3.
6) Use rituals that build community fast (Dixons Sixth Form Academy, Dixons Academies Trust)
What: Extended induction with a wilderness day (≈98% attendance) to cement belonging early (p. 21).
Why it helps: The design principle of relationship-first induction adapts well to early Year 7 and can be reinforced at the start of Year 8 to reset the culture.
7) Make data a driver of belonging (Windsor Academy Trust)
What: Combine pulse feedback with attendance/behaviour to identify barriers; build inclusion with trauma-informed practice and everyday accessible tools (pp. 32, 38–39).
Why it helps: Targets effort where it has the most impact in early KS3.
Download the Pupil Happiness at Schools GuideA half-term action plan you can start now
- Name your two “protect” metrics: Clarity and Safety. Share the Y7→Y8 graphs with staff and student leaders (Edurio Pupil Experience Report 2025: clarity p. 26; safety p. 24).
- Run a quick pulse, then publish a “You said — We did”. Keep it small and visible (Pupil Happiness guide: listening & acting, pp. 28–31).
- Tidy the day around hotspots: If issues peak at lunchtime, change structure and staff it (pp. 28–29).
- Embed inclusion weekly: 10 minutes of tutor-time curriculum (Friday Five) + a simple, safe reporting route (Call It Out) (pp. 24–25).
- Re-teach first moments after each break: leaders at the gate; calm entries; structured starts (p. 22, “Starting Well: The Importance of the First Moments”).