As summer finally arrives, the end of the academic year is approaching and many families are thinking about change and transition. After the relaxation – we hope! – of the summer break, many young people will take their first steps into school, move up into the next stage of their education, or possibly move out of the family home for the first time.

Tooled Up can help to make these step changes easier for everyone in the family with a range of articles and activities all on the topic of transition.

All of the titles in our list of 20 books about starting school can help you talk to young children about the experience of going to school for the first time: what to expect, the grown-ups who will be helping them, the emotions they might experience and the new friends they could make

For children in the lower end of primary school, our “I’m Moving Up A Year” activity encourages children to think about how change makes them feel, what they’re excited about and what might make them feel a bit wobbly!

Primary to Secondary transition holds its own challenges. For children who have seven years in the routine and security of primary school behind them, moving to the much bigger, busier and more socially complex environment of secondary school can seem overwhelming. Listen to these 5 top tips by Dr Kathy Weston on supporting primary to secondary transition, and remember that what we as parents are worried about might not be the same as what our children are worried about. The Settling In Journal can be completed during the first few weeks of secondary school to encourage good habits, celebrate positive steps and ask the right questions about their new setting.

For any family with school-age children, our 10 Things every family should talk about before schools go back will allow you to address wobbles, set expectations and boundaries and help prepare children to pick up where they left off. If your children have finally reached the end of school and are preparing for university, read through these tips on supporting their transition to student life.

Of course, it isn’t just school that marks the different points of transition in family life. What about tips to support children as they welcome a new baby into their lives and become a sibling? Or, for one of the most challenging transitions for all the family, our Moving House Checklist to stop you from forgetting anything crucial in the big move?