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Enquire - supporting effective transitions

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Enquire - supporting effective transitions

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Inclusion Ambassadors: Supporting Effective Transitions - Enquire

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This Inclusion Ambassador resource is a set of reflective questions about transitions for adults supporting pupils leaving school.

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UNCRC Incorporation in Scotland: Implications for GRT Learners

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UNCRC Incorporation in Scotland: Implications for GRT Learners

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How the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), now incorporated into Scots law, strengthens rights and protections for Gypsy/Traveller and Roma pupils.

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Supporting Gypsy Travellers in Education

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Education Scotland is a Scottish Government executive agency responsible for supporting quality and improvement in Scottish education.

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Local Exemplars: South Lanarkshire Gypsy Traveller Education Group

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Local Exemplars: South Lanarkshire Gypsy Traveller Education Group

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This group provides bespoke S1-S6 interventions, pop-up provisions, and family trust-building. Flexible attendance and cultural packs increase participation, exemplifying how targeted support enhances belonging for Traveller youth in Scotland.

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​How to use this exemplar to improve practice?

Consider the diverse parent community in your catchment area e.g. non-resident parents, refugees, kinship carers, adoptive parents, young parents, gypsy traveller parents, parents whose first language is not English, service families, disabled parents, parents whose partner is in prison. Make a list.

Reflective questions:

​Which diverse parent community are you trying to increase parental involvement or engagement with?

Are there specific barriers preventing this diverse parent community from engaging with the setting/school?

Which local and/or national partners can help take this forward?

​How effectively do we support parents and families to participate in, contribute to and understand their child's learning?

Explore this exemplar

What was done?​

The Gypsy Traveller Education Group (GTEG) runs 3 days a week, from a Youth Family and Community Learning Centre, catering for the needs of S1 to S6 pupils engaging in GTEG. For the past two years they have also offered Pop-Up venues for young people of secondary school age from Gypsy/Travelling communities. These are held at Rutherglen, East Kilbride and Larkhall Academy. Parents are involved and engaged initially in their child's learning through home visits. Help with homework is provided for parents where necessary through non-judgemental, easy to understand approaches.

GTEG offers an individual learning programme across both the Broad General Education and Senior Phase. The programme provides a curriculum offer in Literacy, Numeracy, Health and Wellbeing and employability. Young people have access to qualifications to develop their skills for learning, further education, life and work.

Work is ongoing to build upon the existing offer and enable young people to access more qualifications through a wider range of Scottish Qualification Awards. More assessment is being built in to benchmark literacy and numeracy.

The curriculum offer has been developed and implemented in line with Curriculum for Excellence to suit individual learners needs whilst respecting culture and traditions of the young people and their families.

​Verbal reports on their child's learning and progress are given to parents twice each term. There are ongoing two-way communications throughout the year between parents and practitioners about their child's learning and other related matters. Contact is also made with other professionals where necessary to ensure easy access and transition to further support.

Advice and support is provided to practitioners across all sectors who support children and young people from a Gypsy/Travelling community who have opted to remain in their own school/setting.​

Why?​

South Lanarkshire Council aims to engage with parents and young people from Gypsy/Travelling communities and improve educational outcomes.

GTEG identified the need to have an alternative education provision that offers bespoke and staged intervention opportunities for Gypsy/Travelling young people and their families.

What was the impact?​​

Close working relationships with parents and families, based on understanding and trust, have been established and maintained. Parents and families are involved and engaged in their child's learning. Two-way communication has strengthened home-school partnership working.​​​

Over the past academic year, 32 young people have engaged in the project.

Senior pupils in the Gypsy Traveller Education Group have achieved qualifications in English, Maths Life Skills, Numeracy, Maths, History, PE and Media, at National 3 and 4 levels, Leadership, Construction and Beauty at National 5. A group of S1/2 pupils achieved the John Muir Award.

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Gypsy Traveller Education Group - South Lanarkshire Council

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Education Scotland is a Scottish Government executive agency responsible for supporting quality and improvement in Scottish education.

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TENET (Scotland) is professional network of 32 Scottish authorities sharing best practices for traditionally nomadic communities, including Gypsy/Travellers and Roma. Coordinated by STEP, TENET facilitates training, case studies, and the delivery of STEP education intervention and social impact programmes such as Starter Sack home-play programme and Digital Transitions Programme. As part of broader inclusion efforts, TENET promotes and helps schools respond to nomadic needs, enhancing feelings of community and belonging in the education system.

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Education and change for mobile cultures

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Supporting Gypsy Travellers in Education Booklet (2021)

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Supporting Gypsy Travellers in Education Booklet (2021)

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Produced by Education Scotland, this resource offers exemplars, professional learning links, and self-reflection prompts for inclusive practices. It covers transitions, cultural relevance, and partnerships with TENET. For teachers, it's an essential guide to creating welcoming environments where Gypsy/Traveller pupils experience belonging through represented identities and positive relationships.

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A Young Traveller describes her journey to starting school, positive educational experiences and career plans

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A Young Traveller describes her journey to starting school, positive educational experiences and career plans

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A young Traveller describes her experience of school - STEP

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Education and change for mobile cultures

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Young people share their experiences of engaging with education and the barriers to sustaining their culture

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Young people share their experiences of engaging with education and the barriers to sustaining their culture

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Community members share their experiences of transitions and accessing formal education

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Community members share their experiences of transitions and accessing formal education

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Produced by members of the Gypsy/Traveller community, these videos forefront personal experiences and human stories about accessing the Scottish school system. By sharing challenges and proven strategies, these parents and young people hope to empower other families with the knowledge and confidence to make informed choices about their children's education. We are deeply grateful to the community members who made this project possible. Our thanks go to interviewer, Tommy Bennett, for guiding these vital conversations. Together, your voices offer a powerful roadmap for other Gypsy/Traveller to navigate their own educational journeys.

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Produced by members of the Gypsy/Traveller community, these videos forefront personal experiences and human stories about accessing the Scottish school system. By sharing challenges and proven strategies, these parents and young people hope to empower other families with the knowledge and confidence to make informed choices about their children's education.

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Useful things to know about starting school: term dates, uniforms, attendance and lots more

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Useful things to know about starting school: term dates, uniforms, attendance and lots more

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Education Scotland is a Scottish Government executive agency responsible for supporting quality and improvement in Scottish education.

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Education Scotland is a Scottish Government executive agency responsible for supporting quality and improvement in Scottish education.

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Advice for parents about school and education

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Advice for parents about school and education

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Starting school is a big step for your child - and for you! We've got lots of tips to get you both off to a good start, and to help you support your child through the primary years and on into 'big school'. From calming nerves to making homework fun, exam stress, to learning at home, we've advice to help make their school days go more smoothly.

Age group

Select an age group to show results below

Baby (0-1)Toddler (1-3)Young child (4-7)Older child (8-11)Pre-teen and teenagers Parents and carers

School attendance

We all know that school is important for kids but it can sometimes be stressful, and it's not uncommon for some kids to find it hard to go into school. But if your child or teen is continually upset, anxious or nervous about going to school, feels unable to attend or is refusing to go in, it can be very upsetting. Remember you're not alone - there is help available. Your child's school wants the best for your child, and for them to make the most of their time at school. The pages here have advice on what their school can do to help, how you can help your child and how, by working together with their school, you can make a big difference to your child's attendance.

Getting ready for school

Their first day at school is a huge milestone for your child - and for you! From games to help them get ready for school to money saving tips, we've got lots of ideas to get you both off to a good start.

Going to school

Every parent wants their child to be happy at school. In this section we have advice on calming 'back to school' nerves, making the jump from primary to secondary school, and how to get support if your child has additional support needs. We also have advice on what to do if your child refuses to go to school.

Supporting your child's learning

We all want our kids to do well at school - but how can we help them? Here you'll find games to help make homework fun, ideas for supporting your child to study at home and tips to help make learning part of their everyday life.

Coping with exams

Exams can be stressful - for your teen and for you! Here are some tips for helping young people cope with the challenges of exam time, and what to do if they need extra support. We also have advice on what to do if they don't want to study at all or if exam stress gets too much, and what happens once they get their results.

Bullying

Bullying happens when someone does something to hurt someone else. The harm can be physical or emotional, and it can happen in person or online. The behaviour doesn't need to be repeated or intended to cause harm to have an impact. If you find out your child is being bullied - or that your child is bullying someone else - it can be really upsetting. But there are practical things you can do to support your child and help prevent and respond to bullying. The important thing for you and your child to remember is that together you can get through it.

Leaving school

Leaving school can be a scary, uncertain time for young people. But it also opens up lots of new opportunities. Here we look at how you can help your teen prepare. We have tips for supporting them through this transition and information about the different options open to them, as well as links to organisations offering advice and support.

Select an age group above to show results.

No results

Please select an age group above.

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Starting school is a big step for your child - and for you! We've got lots of tips to get you both off to a good start, and to help you support your child through the primary years and on into 'big school'.

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STEP: 10 things about education and the law

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STEP: 10 things about education and the law

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N.B. This document is currently being revised.

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Education and change for mobile cultures

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Supporting positive transitions through digital learning: SG policy and guidance

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Supporting positive transitions through digital learning: SG policy and guidance

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Find a key contact to support Gypsy/Traveller families in another local authority

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Find a key contact to support Gypsy/Traveller families in another local authority

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Education and change for mobile cultures

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Supporting digital and flexible learning for nomadic communities

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Supporting digital and flexible learning for nomadic communities

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Inclusive digital learning for nomadic communities - STEP

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Education and change for mobile cultures

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Digital Rapid Assessment Guide (D-RaG) for nomadic learners - STEP

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STEP Starter Sack Home-Play programme supporting transitions into early education

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STEP Starter Sack Home-Play programme supporting transitions into early education

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Education and change for mobile cultures

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Digital Transitions Programme to support flexible learning and positive transitions

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Digital Transitions Programme to support flexible learning and positive transitions

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Digital Transitions Programme: supporting flexible learning and transitions for young people from nomadic communities - STEP

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Background Gypsy/Traveller and Roma pupils have the lowest rates of transition to positive destinations beyond primary school of all minority ethnic groups. While families value education, the majority refuse to engage with secondary schools. There is an urgent need for flexible education models that allow young people to learn while also sustaining their culture .

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Create a virtual tour of your school using ThingLink!

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Create a virtual tour of your school using ThingLink!

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Created by one of our TENET members, this Thinglink is a great example of an accessible and interactive method to help young Gypsy/Travellers familiarise themselves with your school. This kind of resource can dispel worries or myths which young people and parents may have. It can also prompt dialogue and questions to address before they arrive at the high school or other setting.

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2025 David Livingstone Memorial Primary School

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Our programmes | How we can help | The King’s Trust

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Discover the courses and other support The King’s Trust offers to help 11- to 30-year-olds within the UK.

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Explore youth awards that recognise your students' skills, qualities and talents.  

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Explore youth awards that recognise your students' skills, qualities and talents.  

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A Directory of Youth Awards in Scotland.

This wakelet brings together videos reports and other resources to support use of youth awards in schools, youth work and CLD settings.

This toolkit has been developed through consultation with educators and other partners to create a suite of resources that will support practitioners embed skills in a manageable and sustainable way.

Find more than 35,000 jobs, apprenticeships, courses and volunteering opportunities all in one place.

Build a library of your achievements! Use this to help track your successes, reflect on what you've accomplished and discover what motivates you.

Education Scotland's blog contains key information on the latest developments of the Curriculum Improvement Cycle Education Scotland is leading on.

WWF and the Mental Health Foundation have come together to produce this guide for you. We want you to thrive and for nature to thrive around you. We think the two are mutually supportive. From forests and rivers, to parks and gardens, to window boxes or e

Download a copy of 'Get Ahead - Scouting and employability' - an example of how to identify transferrable skills gained through youth work experiences.

How to write a UCAS Undergraduate personal statement

Tips on CVs and applications and access to the MyWorldofWork CV builder.

A quick guide to Apprenticeships in Scotland.

A sample of quotes from employers, and case studies.

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A Directory of Youth Awards in Scotland. This wakelet brings together videos reports and other resources to support use of youth awards in schools, youth work and CLD settings. This toolkit has been developed through consultation with educators and other partners to create a suite of resources that will support practitioners embed skills in a manageable and sustainable way.

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advice for teachers to share with children and parents

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advice for teachers to share with children and parents

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Advice for children and young people who are worried about going to school

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Advice for children and young people who are worried about going to school

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The mood journal can help you to let your feelings and worries out. Why not use it to write about how you're feeling before going to school, and how it's gone after.

It can be scary asking for help, but everyone needs extra support sometimes. Doing homework with your friends can be a good way to get support, or you could ask an adult for help.

When you get too stressed, it can feel tempting to stay up to finish work or eat unhealthily. Staying healthy can help to lower you stress and make it easier to concentrate. We've got lots of tips on staying healthy that may help.

Remember: Exams assessments are important but they're not the only way to a successful future.

Sometimes the way you say something can make a big difference to how you feel, and what others think of you. Take a few moments before you answer a question - this can help you feel more confident about what you're saying.

If you are not sure, ask to repeat the question or say you don't understand. Don't pretend to know. Try using words like 'yes' and 'no' instead of 'sort of' and 'not really'. This can make you sound more clear and confident.

Look after yourself physically. It can really make you more confident. Eating healthily and doing exercise can make a big difference. Try not to eat a lot of processed food like crisps, chocolate and ready meals. And don't drink too much coffee. Instead, choose fresh fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of water.

By looking after yourself this way, you will naturally feel better and have more energy. Try our tips for staying healthy.

Taking the time to notice when things go well and realising when you're being too hard on yourself can improve your self-esteem and make you feel better.

Whenever something happens and you have a negative thought about yourself, ask yourself whether you've done anything wrong.

For example, if a teacher doesn't pick you, you might feel like you're not good enough. But it could also be that the teacher didn't realise you wanted to be picked. Or they wanted to give someone else a turn.

Even if you think you have done something wrong, try thinking about what you'd like to do differently next time.

Thinking of positive things can be difficult if you're used to putting yourself down. But you can use the mood journal in your locker to help.

Try writing down your moods every day. Question your negative thoughts and try asking someone you trust about them. Make sure you write down anything positive you do, even if it's small.

What to do if you think you might get bullied:

talk to your parents, carers or a teacher about it so that they can support you

plan what you want to do at break or lunch times, having a safe place you can go with a teacher there can help you to feel calmer

think about what you want to do if someone does try to bully you, knowing that you can ignore them or be assertive can help you to feel more confident.

If you're worried about being bullied at school, Bullying UK has lots of advice and support.

Returning to school after leaving because of mental health

It can be scary going back to school when you've had a mental health issue. You might be worried about not being able to cope, or people not giving you the support you need.

Every school is different, but before you go back it can help to make a list of what you might find supportive. This could include:

returning slowly or on a reduced timetable

having somewhere in school you can go if you need a quiet space

finding a particular staff member you feel comfortable speaking with if you need to talk

whether you can speak to Childline during the day if you need to.

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The mood journal can help you to let your feelings and worries out. Why not use it to write about how you're feeling before going to school, and how it's gone after. It can be scary asking for help, but everyone needs extra support sometimes.

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Children and young people's rights and education - STEP

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All children have rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Below you can find the rights that relate to your child's human right to an education (Article 28). For more information watch the video on children rights and view or download the UNCRC poster here.

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Realising the ambition: early years transitions 

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Realising the ambition: early years transitions 

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Additional support for learning: statutory guidance 2017 on transitions

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Additional support for learning: statutory guidance 2017 on transitions

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Additional support for learning: statutory guidance 2017

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Statutory guidance to the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 as amended.

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Responsibilities of parents in relation to a child’s attendance at school and support available if attendance is a problem.

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Scottish Gov 15-24 Learner Journey Review

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Scottish Gov 15-24 Learner Journey Review

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Foreword

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills

What is the purpose of education?

That is the question we have considered at the heart of our efforts to achieve a fully aligned and coherent education and skills system.

In answering that question, I am clear that we want our young people to be equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to reach their full potential in both their careers and their wider lives. We build our approach to this on three policy pillars of Getting it Right for Every Child, Curriculum for Excellence, and Developing the Young Workforce.

Scotland is rightly proud of its education and skills system. However, we need all of our young people to get as much as possible from that system. This review has highlighted work that partners across the system need to take forward together to make sure that happens. Importantly, as well as education partners, this also means continued, active involvement from employers, who have a key role to play in developing our workforce for the future and ensuring that our education system develops in tandem with our economy.

We have a widening range of opportunities available to our young people, from well-established and well understood academic routes to exciting industry-led technical and professional routes. We need to move away from an inappropriate view that there is a single route to success in life with everything else being a poor consolation. Such a restricted approach does not work in the modern world, if it ever did.

Scotland cannot afford to be one dimensional in its approach to education and we cannot afford to waste the talents of our young people. This is an issue which is central to our inclusive economic growth and social justice ambitions. As a result of the reforms we are taking forward, we have the opportunity to ensure that all of our young people can follow pathways that are tailored to their strengths and interests.

Through Curriculum for Excellence and Developing the Young Workforce we are putting in place a stronger basis for a more balanced offer than we have seen in the past. We see the future being about embedding this balanced offer in all our schools. Our computer programmers, environmental engineers and genetic technicians as well as our future doctors, teachers, electricians, builders and artists will only emerge through such an approach.

To achieve this more balanced approach we are committed to undertaking a number of priority improvements to our education and skills system.

Firstly, we need better advice. We need to do more to ensure that there is a clear connection between the advice and guidance young people receive on subject choices and on longer term career options. They are often making annual decisions about subject choices. We need to ensure that this is informed by a meaningful understanding of career opportunities.

Since 2011, Skills Development Scotland has significantly enhanced the advice young people receive about career information and better focus this on those who need it most. At the same time, the Developing Young Workforce programme has raised expectations for schools to provide increased advice about the world of work.

Building on this progress, this review makes recommendations about the way in which career choices are presented, experienced, and developed through the senior phase and beyond. Central to this is continuing to enhance support which focuses on the individual young person; their interests and aspirations; and their wider health and well-being across transition points.

This will require us to build on the innovative work being done across Scotland to improve outcomes for all of Scotland's children. We will need to ensure that we make the links with colleagues working in Community Learning & Development ( CLD); Children and Young People Improvement Collaboratives ( CYPIC); those who are participating in Scottish Improvement Leaders ( ScIL) training; those working on the Scottish Attainment Challenge; and the newly formed Regional Improvement Collaboratives ( RIC s).

In making these links, I want to emphasise the increasing interest across Scotland about what we can do to stop children from having stressful and traumatic experiences as they are growing up - what are often called adverse childhood experiences, or for short, ACE s. These can be different types of challenging experiences faced by young people and in responding to these I want us all to think about how we evolve the culture of the education and skills system toward greater nurturing and support, anchoring our approach in the rights of the child and young person.

Secondly, we need more work-based learning. Participants in this review told us that we need to build on the early success of the Developing the Young Workforce programme and continue to broaden our approach to education to ensure that all learners have access to a more balanced range of options which are valued equally.

Our post-15 education system has evolved at a considerable pace, adapting to different economic circumstances and this has resulted in the need for new and stronger types of collaboration. Many young people are leaving school with a wider range of qualifications, skills-based awards and achievements, and more are making successful initial transitions. A record 93.7 per cent of senior phase school leavers were in a positive destination three months after leaving school in 2016/17. This compares to 90.1 per cent in 2011/12.

We want to build on this toward a fully co-created 15-24 education and skills system that is capable of preparing all our young people for a rapidly changing world of work; that provides a balance of work-based and academic skills informed by employer engagement; and is driven by a focus on the destinations of young people and the needs of the Scottish economy. To do this we will need strong system leadership to bring together the worlds of education and business and the complementary strengths of practitioners in different education sectors.

Thirdly, we need shorter journeys. Participants in this review told us that we need to improve the alignment of courses so that our learners are able to progress through the post-15 education system as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

We have an internationally renowned four year degree. One of its major strengths is its multiple-entry points. Despite this, this review has confirmed that we are not making the most of this. As a first step to improving the experience for the learner in navigating the system, we are committed to addressing this and this report sets a key expectation for more purposeful collaboration between schools, colleges and universities.

Taking all this work forward will require strong joint leadership and the right evidence base so that we act on evidence of outcomes and return on investment to ensure we continue to invest in the right qualifications and right types of learning.

This report sets out a list of priorities that we want to address now. It also presents a framework for continued joint working to build a consensus and commitment to meeting the future needs of the learner.

I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who invested their expertise and time in contributing to this report. In so doing, I am particularly grateful to Young Scot for its excellent work in engaging with young people.

Mindful of those young people, and many others currently in our education and skills system, it falls on us all to commit to taking forward these recommendations. We all have a role to play in this, and in Scotland's Year of Young People we look forward to working with all partners in the world of education in doing that.

John Swinney
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills

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Report of the Scottish Government's review of education provision for 15-24 year olds.

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Opportunities for All: supporting all young people to participate in post-16 learning, training or work

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This publication describes the aim, principles and delivery mechanisms of the Scottish Government’s commitment to learning or training for all 16-19 year olds.

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STEP FAQ about school attendance and travelling

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STEP FAQ about school attendance and travelling

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Curriculum for Excellence Factfile – 3 to 18 Transitions

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Curriculum for Excellence Factfile – 3 to 18 Transitions