Family, friendship and the transition to secondary school: the experiences of black, minority ethnic and white children

Abstract

Around the age of 11, nearly all Scottish children transfer from primary to secondary school. This will involve changes to the size, location, class structure, curriculum, ethos of school as well as markedly altering children’s daily routines and forms of social interaction, and may have significant effects on their social and family relationships. In this briefing paper, we report research findings of a study carried out in 2002 and 2003 that examined the experiences and views of children making the transition from primary to secondary school and which asked about children’s relationships with parents, peers and teachers as they negotiated that transition. It highlights comparisons of the experiences and views of black and minority ethnic children with white children’s.