Our Positive Transitions service supports children, young people and their families in the transition from primary to secondary school. Whilst the majority of the support is conducted during term-time, this year’s Summer Programme allowed children and young people to have fun, make friends and build memories outside of the school environment.
New experiences
The Summer Programme ran over four weeks and included an art and sports day, beach barbecue, visit to Dynamic Earth, and a boat trip down the Union Canal. Young people were able to explore new areas of Edinburgh and East Lothian they had not visited before and see familiar sights in a whole new way.
One highlight was when the pupils took a canal boat trip on our All Aboard canal boat and were able to see local wildlife up close on the Union Canal, from swans to squirrels and more! For some, it was the very first time they had been on a boat, and they were pleasantly surprised to discover a canal at the heart of Edinburgh.
"Young people were asked what they had learnt about themselves in the programme and they responded with a wide variety of answers: some learning new skills, others learning meaningful life lessons."
Their ability to meet new situations with curiosity and enthusiasm was a great reminder that new experiences, though sometimes daunting, can lead to great memories!
New friends
"I have ticked off both of my goals for today – having fun and making a new friend!"
Opportunities to work on social skills can help to support a young person’s transition to secondary school and can be an important tool for long-term wellbeing. During the Summer Programme, young people had opportunities to build confidence and new friendships with their peers. Our coordinators were delighted to see several participants realise that a new friend would be going to the same high school in the autumn.
"This was the first time I've seen her play like a “child”. I loved watching her laugh and run around with other young people playing tig. Their friendship and inside jokes that had developed throughout the programme were lovely to observe."
New skills
The Summer Programme supported young people in a variety of ways, including helping them to increase confidence and improve their skillsets. Participants had the opportunity to flex their artistic muscles with watercolour paints, modelling clay, crafts, painting designs onto stones at the beach, and some good old-fashioned drawing! Many also tried new sports for the first time or had the opportunity to indulge in ones they already loved.
"It creates a safe space for young people to express themselves and gives them a chance to interact with their peers and try new activities. It’s also good for staff and young people to interact during the summer to help maintain that strong relationship."
The summer holidays might have come to an end, but the Summer Programme has helped the participating young people to gain new friendships and skills and create great memories as they prepared to embark upon a new term. Entering secondary school is a big step in any young person’s journey and we are always excited to see pupils grow and flourish. We wish our young participants the best of luck with their next year and look forward to seeing them again at our term-time sessions.