30 Pupils and staff from Pollokshields Primary, Smithycroft Secondary & St Roch’s Secondary & Deaf Education Department were selected to represent Glasgow at the Commonwealth Day Services, Westminster Abbey on Monday 9th March 2026.
The group flew down to London and were greeted at the Abbey by Glasgow 2026 Team where they took part in the celebrations.
“We had such an amazing and fulfilling trip to London as part of the Commonwealth Day Service celebrations. It was a truly unforgettable experience for everyone involved. The children had the opportunity to meet people from lots of different cultures and backgrounds, alongside some famous faces too, which made the whole day feel really special. One of the highlights was getting the chance to hold the Commonwealth Baton, something the children were so excited about.
The most magical moment of all was when four of our Glasgow pupils had the incredible honour of presenting flowers to The Queen and Catherine, Princess of Wales. A real once in a lifetime experience and such a proud moment for our school community.
We also managed a whirlwind tour around some of London’s most famous landmarks, including Westminster Abbey where the service took place, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. It was a very long day, and we were definitely exhausted by the end of it, but it was absolutely worth it for the memories and experiences the children gained”.
Mr P, teacher, Pollokshields Primary
“It was an honour to meet the Monarchy, it was unforgettable Experience. Princess Catherine spoke to me which was my favourite part”
R, pupil, Pollokshields PS
“It was something that I could never have dreamed of, but it’s a memory that I’ll now cherish forever”
F, pupil, Pollokshields PS
“It was an incredible honour for Smithycroft Secondary to be selected to represent our home city of Glasgow at the 2026 Commonwealth day, I think this is testament to how highly sport is valued in the school and the endless effort of the PE department in particular put in to give the best opportunities to the young people of Smithycroft. It was particularly exciting to see how excited the pupils were about having the opportunity to represent, not only the school, but their city on a global scale. The 7 children that represented Smithycroft had a great time at the ceremony as well as getting to do some sightseeing in London as part of the trip. It has been great to hear how positively all pupils have spoken about the day since returning to schools and I can confidently say they have made memories for life. It was fantastic to see such great representation from countries all over the world, as well as many famous faces at the service. Thank you again for such a wonderful opportunity.”
Active Schools Co-Ordinator, Smithycroft Learning Community
“This was an amazing experience getting to go to London on a school trip, the best thing for me about the day was meeting the Royal Family. I was very excited to get back and tell people all about it. It was also good that I got to share the experience on the trip with my friends, who were there with me.”
D, pupil, St Roch’s Secondary
