Our partners run a variety of support groups within our school setting. All groups have a specific focus, whether it be resilience, emotional control, teamwork, friendships and inclusion, literacy or numeracy.

Young people are selected for groups through discussions in a Stage 1 Meeting. These are meetings between Pastoral Care and DHTs where we look for further support and interventions for our young people.

Young people can also self-refer for groups using our QR Codes in the school which go to our Partners. Parents can also call the school and speak with Pastoral Care to seek further support for their young person through our partner’s groups. Please engage with your young person and ask them how they are getting on in their groups!

MMA

This term sees the return of our MMA group at the Antonine Centre in Clydebank. We have 2 groups which run on a Friday morning where the young work on their emotional control through performing in Mixed Martial Arts. 

This is a highly physical and demanding group but it gets results! So far, the young people have worked mainly on their flipping skills with much more still to come. Pupils learn that we must master our frustrations, aggression and anger. These are natural feelings for young people, but how we manage and control these is vital to our progressions in school and at home. All young share their emotions in these sessions, they learn from one another and we share good practice in what keeps us grounded.

Pupils need a change of clothes to take part in these activities.

Some of the comments from the young people taking part are: ‘MMA is really exciting, I enjoy taking part and learning new skills and learning how to channel my frustration.’ ‘I love MMA as I can take part in a fun activity and I also get to improve my emotional control and interact with a new group of people’.

S1 Healthy Lives Boys and Girls

Our Healthy Lives group target peer relationships, resilience and inclusion. We work on these through a variety of sports, learning how to work together as part of teams, how to include one another in every day interactions and how to develop and foster positive friendships. So far, we have played pool, football and had a go at boxercise using our two punch-bags in the Partner’s Room, looking and how using sport and physical activity can have a positive impact on our mental, emotional and physical health. The group this session has focussed on friendships and inclusion, young people learn the best ways to support one another, and that there is always a place to go if you are struggling. These sessions take place during period 2 on a Tuesday and Wednesday.

One of the young people taking part said: ‘The group gives me the opportunity to try new things and to make friends with people who I wouldn’t usually speak to.’

Life Cycle Trust

The Life Cycle Trust is a fantastic opportunity for our young people to challenge themselves both physically and mentally through mountain biking. The group targets confidence and resilience and takes the young people out of their comfort zone. These sessions are demanding, young people learn that they have to work hard to achieve success. There will be failures along the way, but this is part of learning. They also have the opportunity to learn new skills and form new friendships in an environment they wouldn’t normally get to experience. This partnership is ran by Callum, our Rangers Development Officer, and the Life Cycle Trust. These sessions take place on a Thursday from period 2 until period 5.

Some of the comments from the young people taking part are: ‘I enjoy attending the life cycle trust, it has helped me work on developing my stamina and also my resilience and confidence in difficult situations both at life cycle trust and when I’m back in school’ ‘Life cycle trust helps me to challenge myself and come out of my shell’

Soft Start

This term we have started a Soft Start Group with the emphasis on developing literacy and numeracy skills. These sessions take place on a period 1 every day. Using strategies such as team-building activities and watching, commentating and reporting on Sport, the aim is to improve young people with their literacy and numeracy skills with a focus on reading, comprehension, writing, as well as multiplications. These sessions take place 1st period on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

A comment from one of the young people taking part was: ‘I would normally come in late in the mornings, soft start is fun so I make sure I am in on time. It is a chilled start to the day and helped improve my listening and talking skills!’

Walking Group

Our walking group is a fun activity aimed at improving both physical and mental wellbeing through walk and talk. We encourage our young people to talk and build relationships with each other, learn from each other and develop positive and lasting friendships. We go for a walk around the school grounds, and each week has a different focus. After each session young people are asked to find at least one positive about their day or something they are looking forward to that night/weekend. We chat about different ways to overcome anxiety, stress and feeling overwhelmed. Young people share their experiences if they are happy to do so, and we share good practice. No matter the weather, we go walking. So be ready to take a coat, or at least an umbrella! These sessions take place on a Monday and Thursday 7th period.

Some of the comments from the young people taking part are: ‘Walking group is great fun. It helps me with both my physical and mental health. It helps me with my anxiety as I have people to talk to and share things with’ ‘being part of walking group gives me a sense of belonging as well as improving my ability to walk longer distances and have fun chats!’

S2 Football Group

The S2 football group has a focus on communication and teamwork. We learn how to referee, play fair and be a positive role model. We play football games and talk about being part of a strong and effective team. We relate sport to every-day life, showing how positive interactions can lead to better outcomes for young people. The aim of the group is to get young people to reflect on how they communicate with others in their life, how this can be improved and how they can learn from one another. These sessions take place on a Wednesday afternoon.

Some of the comments from the young people taking part are: ‘The football group is really good. I enjoy being with my friends and learning how to communicate positively and work well in a team’ ‘Football Group has had a good impact on me from when I started, I now think about my language and how I say things’.