Primary Transition
The St Joseph’s Learning Community consists of:
- St Joseph’s Academy
- Mount Carmel Primary School
- St Andrew’s Primary School
- St Patrick’s Primary School
- St Sophia’s Primary School
- St Xavier’s Primary School
We pride ourselves in the positive relationships we have with our primary colleagues and our shared vision is to ensure pupils make the transition from primary school to secondary school with ease.
We have developed close links with our associated primary schools and Pupil Support staff are involved in gathering relevant information from primaries to ensure that needs are met on arrival in St Joseph’s. Where there are specific needs, St Joseph’s Pupil Support staff play an important role in transition reviews.
Primary Seven pupils within our Learning Community enjoy an enhanced transition experience. The programme has been designed with the aim to reduce anxiety around transition by giving pupils the opportunity to visit St Joseph’s at various points throughout the year getting to know the building, our staff and our pupils. Staff and pupils from St Joseph’s Academy visit primary schools during the year to deliver lessons, presentations and to attend various shows, concerts and leavers Masses.
Prior to the Induction Days pupils are issued with a Transition Booklet which provides them with information about St Joseph’s Academy.
Parish Links
As a Catholic school, we are proud of our links with our partner parishes and are grateful to all of the parish priests for their involvement in the life of the school:
St Joseph’s, Kilmarnock (Fr Stephen McGrattan)
St Matthew’s, New Farm Loch, Kilmarnock (Fr Martin Chambers)
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Onthank, Kilmarnock (Fr Martin Chambers)
Our Lady and St John’s, Stewarton (Fr Martin Chambers)
St John the Evangelist, Cumnock (Fr Philip Kitchen)
Our Lady of Lourdes and St Patrick, Auchinleck (Fr Philip Kitchen)
St Thomas the Apostle, Muirkirk (Fr Philip Kitchen)
St Paul’s, Hurlford (Fr Gabriel Onoyima)
St Sophia’s, Galston (Fr Gabriel Onoyima)
Many young people in S6 work towards the Pope Benedict XVII Caritas Award – this was the Bishops of Scotland’s response to the visit of Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict to Scotland in 2010. This involves faith exploration but also the accumulation of voluntary hours in school and the parish.
In December 2020, three Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary moved into the convent house at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Onthank, Kilmarnock. Sisters Mable, Rose Confidence and Juliet will work across the three parish communities in the Kilmarnock area. We look forward to welcoming Sr. Mable, Sr. Rose Confidence and Sr. Juliet to our community.
We also enjoying a growing partnership with the NET Ministries team. NET have worked with us over the past few years and will join us again in 2021 as we look to review our Vision, Values and Aims.
