An event was held at Meadow Mills Sports Centre to help Primary 7 pupils with their move secondary school.
A two-day event at Meadowmill Sports Centre saw 217 primary seven pupils come together for a special event to help with the transition to S1.
Coordinated by East Lothian Council’s Connected Communities Fa’side, the event was developed in response to work carried out by the team with Recharge which found that children were feeling anxious about their move to secondary school.
The transition event was held on 19 and 20 June to help them become familiar with the activities and services on offer at Ross High School. It offered a chance for students to mix with their new peers before attending their new classes later in the week. The last time an event like this had taken place was pre-Covid and all of the cluster’s primary school Head Teachers were enthusiastic about its return.
Head Teacher of Ross High School Paul Reynolds said: “This P7 transition event is a fantastic way for young pupils of different schools to mix together. It is the perfect start to the week before all P7 pupils come together in Ross High School and spend some time in their new classes on Wednesday and Thursday. The start of High School is an exciting time. A time to meet new friends and new teachers. The combination of the Fa’Side event and the two days in Ross High ensure a positive start to this process”
The transition event allowed young people to see what activities would be available to them when they attend secondary school. Activities on the day included football, dance, youth work games, library services, orienteering and basketball. By showing the pupils what activities are available, the hope is that they feel more comfortable getting involved when they transition to their new school after the summer period.
A number of partners were present on the day to contribute to the event, helping to introduce what services will be available to the pupils when they enter secondary school. Asda supermarket also provided free fruit and bottles of water for the pupils.
Community Development Officer for Connected Communities Andy Cheshire said: “It has been a real pleasure to organise such an important event in the calendar for all our Primary 7 pupils across Tranent and our villages within Fa’side. The event has been a real example of how our ELC services can pull together, with Connected Communities coordinating the event and activities provided by Countryside Rangers, Active Schools, the Mental Health Youth Worker for Ross High, the Brunton and ELC Arts Service. A special thanks to our colleagues from Enjoy Leisure who provided the venue and support on the day. Activities included basketball, dance, football, orienteering, resilience workshops and information about high school and local services. Further thanks to Recharge and East Lothian Orienteers. We wish all the pupils a successful transition into High School and look forward to developing the event more for our future P7 pupils.”