A long-standing feature of the Scottish education system has been the transfer of most children at about the age of 11 from a smaller primary school to a larger secondary school with a different type of class organization and curriculum. This study surveyed children in the Glasgow area nearing the end of primary education and those just beginning their secondary education regarding their experiences with the transition to secondary school. Survey findings were supplemented with information obtained through a small number of focus group discussions and data obtained from teachers and school records. Findings suggested that most children coped well with the move and were positive about preparation programs. There were indications that more children of minority ethnic backgrounds than white children encountered more difficulties and disappointments in their adjustment to secondary school. Primary school teachers' predictions about how well individual students would manage the social and environmental aspects of the transition corresponded well with the actual experiences that the child later reported. Education policy and school practice implications include making slight modifications to existing transition preparation programs, paying additional attention to transition problems as secondary students adjust to their new placement, and giving particular attention to assisting pupils of minority ethnic backgrounds. (KB)