Abstract
Primary to secondary school transition is an important time for young children as it marks the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. For some, there is "too much stuff for my brain to handle" (Participant 3) with many changes happening concurrently as students enter their new learning environment, in a context of adolescent changes. This study, one of the few to be conducted in a continuous Kindergarten to Year 12 school, focused on using student voice through focus group interviews to better understand this significant period from their perspective. Several factors were found to be important, including the connections that students had with their peers and significant others, the workload and pressure of assessment, changes in expectations and the time that it took to adjust to them, and the effect that students' personal characteristics had on their experience of transition. For most students, it was "very hard at the beginning" (Participant 8). However, maintaining an open and positive approach to transition was found to be important because "it's really not that bad and so long as you're prepared, you're ready to go" (Participant 6).