What you're noticing

"A pupil finds transitions difficult"

Changing activity, room or focus takes far longer than expected.

The evidence behind this

Start with a guide.

Transitions demand cognitive flexibility, inhibition and re-planning — three of the hardest executive skills.

Attention shifts are effortful. A child deep in one thing may need more time to release it before starting the next.

Try this in the classroom

Pick one to try tomorrow. Small changes, consistently applied, move the dial more than any single intervention.

'Five minutes until we tidy up' beats a sudden 'stop now.' The warning is the transition.

A visual timetable, a photo, or a written next-step gives the brain time to prepare.

The same tidy-up song, the same lining-up phrase — repetition removes cognitive load from the change itself.

A minute of quiet or a small choice on arrival ('book corner or drawing?') helps re-settle before demands begin.

For families

Transitions are one of the hardest parts of the day — for adults too. A gentle warning and a predictable rhythm help everyone.

Or something else