Meghan McLeish was one of the Year 11 students who helped with our Mind the Gap induction day workshops last term. We asked what inspired her to get involved with welcoming the new Year 7s to her school.

“I remember those first days starting out at secondary school – I was a little excited, a little nervous. I worried about getting lost and who to ask and not getting to class on time.

“I feel lucky that Mind the Gap were there to help me. When I met the Mind the Gap team at my Junior School it was so much fun. It was also a time to ask about any questions I had. It was nice to know they would be there when I started in year 7, in case I needed them. So when there was a chance to pass it on this year I thought it would be good to get involved.

“I did the young leaders training and helped lead workshops so that the new year 7s could see that older kids aren’t that scary. I also volunteered to do a Q&A at Mind the Gap’s parent workshops this year, as I thought it would be nice to let parents who were worried about their kids going to secondary school know that it really isn’t as bad as they think it will be for them. I think if parents understand things more then they will be less nervous, meaning their kids will be less nervous.

“I enjoyed helping out – the team building activities were fun for everyone. And I liked that adults were willing to listen to my thoughts and opinions, as opposed to just hearing from adults.

“I’m hoping that it will be nice for the Year 7s to see some familiar faces around when they start next term, now that they’ve met some of us older students.”

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You can find out more about Mind the Gap here.