The transition from primary to secondary school can be a stressful period for children, parents, and teachers as, very often, much about their future will be determined during this unique time in children’s lives. The stakes are all the higher in French-speaking Switzerland where pupils reaching the end of their 8th year of primary education are guided according to their academic results. This guidance process is essential, as it will determine whether children go on to vocational training or to gymnasium studies and represents a major challenge for both the children and their parents. The teacher’s role as a source of support is both difficult and important during that time. However, there may be a dichotomy between the skills teachers require from children in secondary schools and what primary school teachers put in place to prepare them for this transition. There is thus a need for teachers on both sides to sing from the same hymn sheet. Following a pilot project in one school in a French-speaking canton, the present study aims at a better understanding of the socio-affective and cognitive skills needed to navigate this transitional period successfully. The qualitative results show that better preparedness in terms of learner autonomy, learning strategies and affective issues such as self-confidence needs to be better covered at primary level. Following on from the qualitative results, courses of action for Headteachers regarding the measures to be taken to improve the transition process are suggested, as well as recommendations for teachers on how to best facilitate this defining period in children’s lives.

Keywords: Primary school, Secondary school, Transition, Support, Affect.