For students starting secondary school (ages 11–13)
Part of the Positive School Culture Project — sharing research to help students, teachers, and schools create better experiences of starting secondary school.
Starting secondary school can feel exciting, but it can also feel uncertain. Some students quickly feel comfortable in their new school, while others take longer to find their place.
Why do schools have so many rules?
One of the things many students notice quite quickly when they start secondary school is that there seem to be a lot of rules. Many students wonder why there are so many school rules.
Previously in the guide:
- You Shape School More Than You Think
- Why Belonging Is Not Just About Having Friends
- What To Do If You Feel Like You Don’t Fit In (Yet)
- Why Some Teachers Feel Easier to Talk To
- Why Schools Have Rules — And Why They Sometimes Feel Hard
- Why School Feels Different For Different People
There may be rules about phones, uniforms, homework, behaviour in lessons, moving around corridors, or how people speak to one another.
Sometimes these rules feel helpful. At other times, they can feel confusing, strict, unnecessary, or frustrating.
One student described how the change in expectations felt when they started secondary school:
'The teachers quickly made us understand that we were in High School now and we couldn’t mess around anymore… but we still do at break time!'
— A Year 7 student reflecting on starting secondary school
So why do schools have so many rules in the first place?
One reason is that schools are large communities. Hundreds — sometimes thousands — of people share the same spaces every day: classrooms, corridors, playgrounds, and dining halls.
Many rules are intended to help organise how people share these spaces so that everyone has the chance to learn, feel safe, and take part.
At the same time, rules can sometimes make things easier for some students and harder for others, depending on the situation. For example, some students quickly understand what to do when a teacher gives instructions, while others might need a bit more time to work it out.
For instance, rules about listening when someone else is speaking can help make sure everyone can hear instructions or ideas. Rules about movement in corridors can help large numbers of students move safely between lessons.
Rules can sometimes feel stronger in secondary school than they did in primary school. One reason is that secondary schools are usually much larger. When many students are moving between classrooms at the same time, schools often introduce clearer routines to help things run smoothly.
Even when rules have a purpose, they can still feel difficult at times.
Students sometimes say that rules feel frustrating when the reason behind them is not clear, or when the rule is explained differently by different adults. When rules are clear and explained in a similar way by different adults, they are more likely to feel fair.
Even then, the same rule can still feel different depending on what is happening in the moment and how confident someone feels about what to do.
When rules are unclear or applied differently, they can feel confusing or frustrating, especially when students are still working out what those rules mean in different situations.
Key ideas
- Rules are often there to help large numbers of people learn and stay safe.
- Rules can feel hard when they are unclear or experienced differently by different students.
- Understanding how rules work can take time.
You might want to pause and think about this:
- Can you think of a rule at school that helps everyone share the space more easily?
- Are there rules that felt confusing at first but made more sense once you understood why they existed?
Understanding the purpose behind a rule can sometimes make it easier to see how it fits into the life of the school.
At the same time, school rules are not always perfect. Like many systems in large organisations, schools sometimes change or adjust rules as teachers and leaders learn more about what works well for students.
In many schools, students are also encouraged to share their views about rules and routines, because their experiences can help adults understand what is working well and what could be improved.
Teachers themselves also work within school rules and expectations. Like students, they sometimes have questions about how rules are applied or how well they work in particular situations.
Students also arrive at secondary school with different experiences of school routines and expectations.
Because of this, students can experience the same rules in different ways, which is part of why school can feel different for different people.
Some may quickly understand what is expected and feel confident following routines. Others may still be working out what the rules mean or feel unsure about getting them right.
This does not mean the rules are only for some students — but it can mean they feel clearer or easier to follow for some people than others.
Small things can shape how a rule feels in practice.
This includes where you are sitting, how well you understand the task, or how comfortable you feel asking questions.
Sometimes, rules can feel difficult when they do not quite fit how someone sees themselves or how they want to act around others.
At times, this can make rules feel as if they are directed personally at you, even when the rule is meant to apply to everyone. Sometimes this is less about the rule itself, and more about how different situations, relationships, and expectations come together in that moment.
It is normal for this to take time, and for some rules to make more sense later than they do at the start.
Over time, many students gradually become more familiar with how their school works and find ways of navigating these expectations. As this happens, students often find their own ways of working with these rules and making school feel more manageable.
Rules are only one part of what shapes school culture. How people respond to those rules, and how they are lived day to day, matters just as much.
The everyday ways students and teachers explain, interpret, and apply those rules, in classrooms, corridors, and social spaces, help shape whether school feels fair, clear, and supportive.
And because students arrive at school with different experiences, personalities, and expectations, school can sometimes feel quite different for different people.
Comments are not enabled on this page. This is to help keep this space safe for students. The ideas shared here are based on research with students, and your experiences matter. If something here connects with you, you might choose to talk about it with a teacher, parent, carer, or someone you trust.
The Starting Secondary School guide:
- You Shape School More Than You Think
Why Belonging Is Not Just About Having Friends
What To Do If You Feel Like You Don’t Fit In (Yet)
Why Some Lessons Feel Easier to Speak In
Why Rules Exist — And Why They Sometimes Feel Hard
Why School Feels Different For Different People