The Peterhead footballer helping pupils stay on the ball in class

A primary school in Peterhead is coaching children back into the classroom using the power of football.

Buchanhaven Primary School has taken an innovative approach to improving attendance rates, bringing Peterhead FC player and ‘community coach’ Danny Strachan into the school.

As well as working on the schoolkids’ dribbling skills, Danny spends time in the classroom every day, helping children who may be struggling to tackle schoolwork head on.

Peterhead Football Club Community Foundation, which kicked off the initiative found attendance improved for 45% of pupils working with a coach, and no instances of exclusion.

Buchanhaven Primary head teacher Linda Strachan told BBC Scotland News the initiative had contributed to a “drastic rise” in attendance.

She said: “Following the pandemic we had one or two boys and girls who found it really tricky to come back into school, especially five full days a week, we now have everybody back in school five full days a week.

“We understand the power that football holds in a lot of lives and the inspiration that the footballers are in this world. We could see a gap in the school for a good role model, a male role model in particular.”

The project, known as the Partner School Programme, is just one of a number of initiatives set up by the community foundation which aims to promote active, healthy and positive lives.

And the partnership is even more special for Ms Strachan, as community coach Danny Strachan is her son.

He told BBC Scotland News: “We come in early to settle them down, get them into the environment and start their day off positively, maybe just with a little 10 minutes of football and a chat with me.

“At times I’ll maybe work with a child for half an hour, 45 minutes in the classroom, help them get their work done, help them stay focus and then they’ll get the benefit of coming outside and getting a physical session with me.”

A former Buchanhaven pupil himself, Danny said it had been “good to come back and give back to the school”.

Leanne Beddie said taking part in the scheme has provided her son with a little bit of independence.

She said: “It helped a lot because my son actually felt confident enough to come into school.

“He knew he had a familiar face every morning, he knew that Danny was there, had built up a relationship with him and from a parent’s point of view it was a lot better because you could see he was a lot happier coming into school.”