First Impressions

First impressions are so important on so many levels, and so it was with a mix of nerves and excitement that myself and several of the Step team and volunteers arrived at St Alban and St Stephen Catholic Primary School for its first ever Step Up day. We really wanted the day to go well, and for it to be a great experience for the students, staff and of course the Step team.

But we need not have worried, as right from the start the school was incredibly welcoming and the Year 6 kids were fantastic.
We made the decision to split the two forms into groups according to the secondary schools they are heading to. This meant we had a huge group of girls heading to Loreto teamed up with kids going to Samuel Ryder and STAGS in one group, and students moving to Sandringham, Verulam, Nicholas Breakspear, Sir John Lawes, and St Columba’s in the other group. It worked well, and with all but one student heading to schools where Step works, it allowed the team to be even more intentional in forming relationships with students we knew we would see again.

The day started with team games, followed by our classic Step sessions on Friendship, Identity and Journeys.  It was great seeing the volunteers engaging in lots of conversations with the students about all sorts of different topics. Certainly, the friendship session sparked an interesting debate. The students were asked to pick out six qualities from a huge list that they look for in a friend and when several of them chose ‘gossip’ it led to a variety of different views as to whether gossip is a good or a bad thing!

Towards the end of the afternoon, we brought all the students back together to write about a positive footprint they have left at primary school, a member of staff who has had a positive impact on them, and a hope or prayer for their future at secondary school. Each worksheet was filled in carefully and thoughtfully and will be made into a booklet which we will pass back to the school, providing them with a lovely memento of the Year 6 students.

We wrapped up the day with a montage of photos that Chris had taken over the course of the day. The smiling faces from all the children, both in the photos and as they were watching them, showed that just as they had made a fantastic first impression on us, the Step team had made a good first impression on them too. We are already looking forward to seeing them again at their respective secondary schools!

Thank you to Mrs. Noonan and Mrs. Smith, the Year 6 teachers, who were so helpful; to our incredible volunteers, Jane, John, and Bethan, and of course to our willing and helpful work experience student Nok. If you fancy joining in the fun, we have plenty more Step Up days coming up so do drop us a message.

Amy :)