During the week of the 15th to 19th August, St Mary’s University College hosted the Summer Transition School in co-operation with the West Belfast Partnership Board, Department of Education and the post-primary schools in West Belfast Constituency area. This year we had nearly 200 pupils join us for a week packed with fun activities and learning, including an opportunity to be introduced to Java Programming.

The summer school is for pupils transferring from primary to post-primary school this September and focuses on literacy, numeracy, and developing personal and social skills. The programme is delivered by fully qualified local teachers, along with support staff and students from St Mary’s University College, and taught in both Irish and English. The classroom activities include everything from how to make a new friend to how to read a timetable and pack your schoolbag for the school day. The summer school encourages learning by making it a fun experience, with classroom activities and a trip out to Titanic Belfast included.


The purpose of the Summer Transition School is to offer additional support to students who might find the transition from primary to post-primary education challenging. This is a crucial time for intervention – many of these students need a great deal of practical and emotional support to successfully make the move to post-primary school.

The College considers the Summer Transition School to be an important aspect of pursuing its mission to support young people achieve their full potential and to aspire to higher education. It is also part of the wider strategy of the Department for Employment and Learning to raise attainment levels in our young people and encourage them to achieve the ‘Skills to Succeed’ and to ‘Reach Higher’.