Project works with nine schools in Glasgow

Quarriers is to help pupils make the transition from primary to secondary school this year through its innovative Let’s Talk service.

The service works with nine primary schools in the north east of Glasgow to address the impact the transition has on young people’s mental health.

It offers a range of services to ensure that no youngster who is anxious about going to high school falls through the cracks.

The programme, run by the social care charity, includes eight classroom lessons around mental health, with additional group work in school for children who have been identified as struggling with the change.

Andrea McGowan, Quarriers Let’s Talk project worker, said: “In our pilot year in 2016, we worked with three primary schools in the east end of Glasgow. Our days out in the summer holidays gave children the chance to meet up and make friends ensuring they would know a familiar face when school started in August.”

Alongside classes on transition support, a major part of the work carried out by Quarriers’ Let’s Talk Service is a weekly group which brings together children over the summer holidays to take part in group activities, allowing them to make new friends ahead of school starting and iron out any worries together.

Two boys who hadn’t been identified as being apprehensive about the move and appeared confident in school were also found to be struggling to get their heads around the transition.

McGowan added: “During the leavers’ ceremony both boys were upset and within an hour of school finishing for summer, both boys visited my office asking to speak to me. We organised that they attend the weekly summer activity group and they both seemed to get a lot out of it.

“After the summer, they started high school. One of the boys still visits us now and again for a chat.”