“It gets rid of the butterflies in your tummy” – Congratulations to our Level Up graduates on starting secondary school
1 September 2020
A huge ‘CONGRATULATIONS!’ to the young people who took part in our Level Up programme as they graduate to their new secondary schools this week. ‘Level Up – Safe Steps to Secondary School’ is a Youth Endowment Fund programme that supports children in Haringey, Camden and Islington with their transition from primary to secondary school.
The Level Up programme is delivered online through activities and group sessions, and provides Year 6 children and their parents with an interactive journey from the last term of primary school, through the summer holidays and into the first term of secondary school.
The move to secondary school can be a challenging time for children and their parents. A child will often be leaving behind teachers, classmates and an environment that feels safe. On top of this, they may be taking on new responsibilities such as travelling to school by themselves which may raise some worries or concerns.
Laverne Antrobus, Consultant Child and Educational Psychologist, said of the graduates: “It has been lovely to work with these young people and their parents – hearing their thoughts about secondary school and their memories from primary school has been heart-warming. We are excited for them as they take their next steps and wish them all the best in secondary school.”
What our graduates said about Level Up
“It gets rid of the butterflies in your tummy.”
“Thanks for helping me to be more confident with moving to secondary school.”
“This session has helped me so much.”
“u guys are so kind thank u so much like really thank u.”
“It’s ok to talk, and it’s ok to be a bit worried about stuff.”
“The people running it are really nice and it’s supportive.”
“Communities have an effect of our life.”
“I was so stressed out but now I feel better. This club helped me with speaking out.”
“Being in a group helps socially, coz you know there are a lot of people willing to listen to you.”
“It’s really nice to share your ideas with everyone in a group.”
“When you talk in a group, you get to express your feelings and you get to feel part of a community.”
“I’ve learnt about stuff about things I’ve known, like using your brain when you’re in trouble.”
“The sessions make you think about different situations and who you can talk to.”
Many thanks too to our digital partners, Collective, for
their innovative approach with this project. Find
out more about Collective on their website.
Read more about the Youth Endowment Fund on their website.
A massive thanks to the amazing Level Up team here at the Trust who made this programme possible: Laverne Antrobus, Rachael Humphries, Jessica Powell, Natalie Kseib, and also to Jamie Williams for his offer of art workshops.