IT is the first day at 'big' school. You are drowning in a crisp uniform one size too big and shouldering a brand new school bag.

Everywhere you turn there are faces you do not recognise and a maze of unfamiliar corridors and a myriad of classrooms poorly signposted to make your life that little more difficult.

But it does not have to be that way, according to one Blackburn school which has confirmed its place at the forefront of pastoral care for its students.

There is help at hand to make the transition between primary and secondary school slightly less arduous.

Year 6 Pupils from the six main feeder pupils to Our Lady and St John RC High School, Blackburn, are at present warming to the idea of their secondary school lives ahead.

Last week the primary school children took part in a quiz night at the Catholic high school with parents and teachers. By the summer term they will partake in classes at the school's PASS centre in North Road as well as benefiting from a primary liaison teacher who visits the school.

Secondary school teachers even visit the primary to take a few lessons as a trial run.

And instead of being thrust into the main school building in their first year as senior school pupils, they will have their own teaching area, mirroring the environment at primary.

According to Catherine Wheeler, learning support co-ordinator at Our Lady and St John, a performing arts college, all the measures are geared to youngsters looking forward to starting school.

"The transition can be very difficult for a whole host of reasons," she said. "There are lots of teachers and unknown people.

"We try and make the transition as smooth as possible. It is all about breaking the ice and making sure they are looking froward to coming. We gear the whole programme so pupils have fun and break down their fears.

"We just want pupils to have the confidence to get on."

Luckily for them, the PASS centre was purpose built three years ago. It is thought to be the only specific centre in East Lancashire.

As of the second half of the summer term some 40 primary pupils will have lessons there two to three times a week under the guiding hand of Pam Naughton, PASS co-ordinator and assistant Andrea Gregory.

The centre is also used for Key Stage 3, Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils, for five to six week blocks to help them stay on track.