Big School Bell, “I will be celebrating this…”

We are proud to receive this endorsement from Professor Divya Jindal-Snape for the Big School Bell campaign.

University of Dundee, Director of Transformative Change: Educational and Life Transitions (TCELT) research centre, and lead for International Network of Transitions Researchers

“COVID-19 has triggered multiple and multi-dimensional transitions for everyone. Children/young people’s transitions were triggered by the abrupt school closure, lockdown and cancellation of exams. This also means that there have been disruptions in the normative and expected transitions that they were looking forward to, triggering (different) academic, social and psychological transitions. All school children have been deprived of traditional rites of passage whether in the form of taking flowers and a card for their class teacher when moving from one class to another or indeed leaving primary or secondary school.

For those who are going to start or leave secondary school, COVID-19 has meant that they did not experience the eagerly awaited graduation ceremony and leavers’ ball. We don’t want to let their transitions go unnoticed. A collective country-wide celebration in the form of the Big School Bell is a wonderful way of celebrating their transitions. It will provide them some closure after, what have been, very trying circumstances over the last few months. It’s a way of us coming together as a country, to let our children and young people know that we care about their transitions. Important way of telling families and professionals that we appreciate their efforts in supporting them and that we also acknowledge their transitions because of children/young people’s transitions.

As one child told us, “Everyone has this big graduation. I looked forward to it throughout high school. I won’t get to do what others do like crossing the stage and getting a certificate. I will see all the Hollywood movies in future and always feel I didn’t get it. This has been such an anticlimactic end to 6th year of high school. I feel a sense of loss.”

I am grateful to Rite for Girls for planning this unique celebration. I will be celebrating this as a mother and professional. Will you?“

The Big School Bell is for pupils of all ages across the country. This is a national moment of celebration for all young people to acknowledge their challenging 2020 school journey!

We especially want this moment to recognise our Year 6, 11 and 13 pupils who have achieved a school career milestone. Marking this end is vital to feeling prepared for the next big transition in school or life.

Join us! For details about the Big School Bell and to access our free Moving-On Guides visit: www.bigschoolbell.org #BigSchoolBell