St Andrew’s Day is celebrated every year on 30th November and is a special day dedicated to St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. But who was St Andrew, and why is he so important in Scottish history? This St Andrew's Day activities pack helps pupils discover St Andrew’s life, explore stories about how he became Scotland’s patron saint, and develop their reading and comprehension skills.
We also have a similar pack aimed at KS1.
Who was St Andrew?
The included text explains that St Andrew was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples and is believed to have been born in the region of Bethsaida. He is remembered for his generosity and kindness.
Pupils can read about the different stories that link St Andrew to Scotland. This includes how King Angus reportedly saw St Andrew’s cross in the sky before a battle. This inspired him to make St Andrew the country’s patron saint.
The Scottish flag, also known as the St Andrew’s Cross or Saltire, is a reminder of this story and an important national symbol.
St Andrew's Day activities
This St Andrew's Day resource includes a series of comprehension activities to support retrieval, inference and vocabulary development.
Questions cover facts such as St Andrew’s birthplace, the names of the Scottish flag and the meaning of words like “generosity” and “victorious.”
Pupils will also consider why we know little about St Andrew and why there are multiple stories about how he became the patron saint.
The text also introduces Scottish traditions. These include Cullen skink, ceilidh dancing and neeps and tatties, helping pupils understand how people celebrate St Andrew’s Day today.
How to use the resource
This resource is versatile. Use it as a whole-class reading activity, in guided reading groups or as an independent reading task. Encourage pupils to discuss their answers, match headings to information and explore the significance of St Andrew in Scottish culture.
What pupils will learn
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to explain who St Andrew was, why he became Scotland’s patron saint, and how Scots celebrate this day.
The activities pack includes the St Andrew’s Day text, comprehension questions and an answer sheet. Pupils will develop understanding of the text, explore word meanings in context and check that what they read makes sense.
It's an engaging resource that combines history, culture and literacy skills in a single, informative lesson.
We also have KS2 comprehension packs about St George's Day, St David's Day and St Patrick's Day.