Primary pupils embrace Connected Communities transitions day

A sense of excitement filled Meadowmill Sports Centre on 2 and 3 June as 180 primary school pupils from Ross High School’s catchment area gathered for the annual Connected Communities Fa’side transitions day. Designed to ease the leap from primary to secondary education, the event offered a blend of engaging activities and valuable social opportunities.

From dance to basketball and football, pupils embraced the fun-filled sessions, which also included orienteering, arts and crafts and a group workshop focused on resilience. In addition, they were introduced to Recharge Youth Provision.

More than a transition — building friendships and confidence

Transitioning to secondary can be daunting, but extensive work within both primary and high schools ensures that children feel prepared. Fa’side’s approach addresses the social aspect of this change - giving children a chance to meet future classmates and begin to forge friendships in a relaxed setting. Key figures were present to lend support, including the Mental Health Youth Worker and Specialist Youth Worker, ensuring young people have trusted adults to turn to during this pivotal time.

Community collaboration

Connected Communities Fa’side worked in partnership with Enjoy Leisure and the­­­ Meadowmill team, as well as all the dedicated activity providers. Contributions from our Arts Team, Ross High School’s librarian Moyra Lumsden, Youth Development Officer Emma Laverie, Recharge Youth Provision and Mental Health Youth Worker Gemma Burns played a vital role in the success of the day. The Active Schools Future Leaders, senior pupils from Ross High School, also stepped up to lead basketball and football sessions allowing younger students to spend time with older pupils they’ll soon see around the school.

Community Development Officer Jude Henderson praised Ross High’s Future Leaders, saying: “The P7s gained so much from being with senior pupils who will be familiar faces after the summer. The Future Leaders were fantastic ambassadors for Ross High and Active Schools, and their contribution was truly appreciated.”

Ross High School’s Head Teacher Paul Reynolds highlighted the benefits of the initiative: “The introduction of a transition event has been really valuable.  It has helped immensely with the first few days joining Ross High as friendships have already been made prior to the pupils’ first day visit. I’d like to thank the Connected Communities Fa’side team for their support and ongoing commitment to supporting the youngsters of our community.”

Macmerry Primary School children were part of the event and Head Teacher Jackie Gentil was pleased with their reaction: “It was extremely well organised and ran very smoothly with eight really engaging stations to rotate through. Our P7s were very positive about their experiences of the day, ranging from dance to basketball to orienteering. They made new friends and enjoyed working in mixed groupings both indoors and outdoors. It was great to see Ross High pupils helping to run the event too.

“This transition event has really helped ease some nerves about the move to high school."