Moving schools can be hard. New people, new places, new subjects, new routines - that’s a lot of change!
Whether you're moving to a new area, have been expelled, have moved foster families, or are about to start at a secondary school, switching schools can feel overwhelming.
Read our advice and tips below to help manage the move.
Be prepared
There are lots of practical things you can do to help you prepare for your new school.
You could:
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Find out what you need to bring with you on your first day.
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Plan how you’ll get there so you know your route.
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Visit the school before you start to understand where things are.
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Ask for a map or layout of the school if you can’t go before you start.
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Find out who you can ask at school if you need help.
Get to know people
A new school brings with it a lot of new people to meet and get to know.
It’s totally normal to feel a bit nervous when you don’t know the people around you. Even a lot of adults feel this way when they are somewhere new.
It can take time to make new friends, but it will happen!
Try talking to someone you sit next to in a lesson. Plucking up the courage to say ‘hi’ and introduce yourself could be the start of a friendship.
Or you could practice going up to someone new. Why not try talking to someone in your form or tutor group. The more you try the easier it will be.
Your body language can really help when you are trying to make friends. Try looking the person in the eye, speaking clearly and confidentially, and smiling when you’re chatting.
Join a club or group
Joining a club or a group is a great way to get to know people and explore different parts of the school.
Every school is different, but between lunchtime clubs and after school sports there is sure to be something you could get into.
People who share the same interests and hobbies as you are likely to be your kind of people. So, get stuck in and see what your new school has on offer.
Give it time
When you first start at your new school things might not feel completely comfortable. This is normal and not a sign that something is wrong with you. After a while as you start to feel more confident, going to your new school is likely to start to feel easier. Give yourself permission to take the time you need to get used to so much change.
If you’re struggling to find support, or feel like there isn’t someone to talk to, there are other ways you can get support and advice.
Talk about it
Moving to a new school is a big deal! Don’t play it down.
Whether you're nervous, excited, or a mixture of the two, talking about how the move is making you feel can be really important.
Chatting with a friends or a trusted adult is a nice way to share how you feel whether that’s what you’re nervous about or what you’re looking forward to.
Advice from young people
Take small steps and look at it one thing at a time.
Young person
When looking at schools take a list of questions that you want answered with you.
Young person
Utilise your strengths, everyone is good at something even if it's not the conventional subjects. Spend time doing what you love and you will start to enjoy it. Make sure you build up a good set of friends, they will be there for you when you need it.
Young person
Get advice and support
If you're finding it hard to manage your feelings about moving school, there is further support or advice you can access.
You can search to see if there's a local Barnardo’s service you could get support from below.
You could also read our advice on how to access other types of support here.
How to access support
We are all wonderfully unique, which is why the right support will look different to everyone. There are lots of types of support, it’s all about finding out what’s going to be best for you.
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All of the information on this page was created with practising health professionals. This page was reviewed in April 2025. We will next review the page in 2028.