Recently I hasve been on a bit of a career rollercoaster that has seen me start the year in Innerwick, move to Ormiston as Acting HT after Christmas . Currently I am Acting HT at Whitecraig Primary School. The one thing that has struck me about the three schools is the shared vision of Unconditional Positive Regard and a dedication to move towards excelllence. Efficiency savings across Scotland have given Headteachers challenges that are at times difficult. In Whitecraig at present we are facing a number of challenges but we are all dedicated to move to inproving the school and working with the local community.

Backbeat the word was on the street
That the fire in your heart is out
I’m sure you’ve heard it all before
But you never really had a doubt
I don’t believe that anybody feels
The way I do about you now

And all the roads we have to walk along are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I would
Like to say to you
I don’t know how

Because maybe
You’re gonna be the one who saves me ?
And after all
You’re my wonderwall 

This formed the basis of one of the most powerful RME lessons I ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The Class weere a class of Primary 6 children at St Mary’s Edinburgh preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. The priest was conducting the lesson with me. The children were motivated, stimulated andexcited at this priest guitar in hand teaching them to sing an Oasis song as part of their learning. The Wonderwall was their hopes, fears , aspirations for the future and they were challenged to follow the lines of the song and constuct their own wonderwall for the rest of their lives, for this they had a file of paper bricks and a blank canvas of a wall to work with. The outcomes of the series of lessons was some of the most powerful self analysis I have ever seen with children this age. Their teacher for these lessons knew how to get into the heart and soul of these children and engage them with his passion for life and for their future. I was honoured to be part of this and it has stayed with me ever since. Last night I received a telephone call from one of my colleagues at St Mary’s who informed me that David has passed away in his sleep in Barcelona whilst following his other passion, Glasgow Celtic.

I didnt know what to say.. only last month I was in Edinburgh and decided to go to vigil mass in St Mary’s Cathederal, I was pleasaed to see David was celebrating mass and talking about his experiences 30 years after his Ordination, he spoke powerfully about hopes ambitions and the future as well as recalling his epic if sometimes hazerdous cycling experiences through Europe. The packed church laughed as he recalled his lack of judgement and lack of physical rediness for such an epic cycle. But he did it. It struck me as I looked around the Catheral that night the huge number of young church members and the relation ship David had with them. He is an inspiration. After mass I chatted to him as I had not seen him for at least 4 years, we spoke for 10 minutes after mass and recalled my early days as a classteacher in St Mary’s. He always had the time to talk and listen despite being one of the busiest priests in Scotland and for this everyone loved him. Thank you David, you inspired me and many others. I am sure you will be at ease with your contribution to the countless lives you have touched in all your journeys.

Take me to the place- Deacon Blue

Theres a beach that I walk so long and so broad
Oceans away miles longer than pain
In my glad dreams, I take you there, and its easy
Because the work and the hours
And the pay are far behind our sure steps

My heart longs to be next to you
My heart wants to be there, be there with you
Where its warm and tender and mercy flows like a river
And there you stand with your wide open hands
And say abide with me

 

It has been a number of weeks since my last blog and I have not been nominated for any award. In the past few weeks I have just about kept my head above water with a combination of sick teachers, no admin assistant and a sick child at home. The teacher absence is a chalenge to all schools in that although we have an absence budget it is prudent to not to spend it all by October, therefore I feel that I have to provide the classroom cover. I was 2 weeks in class and it is always a sharp reminder that in order to be an effective teacher you need to be organised and pre-plan for every child. I found the first couple of days a challenge as a number of groups were on new concepts in Maths and a lot of direct teaching and groupwork was required. On day three I was out of school so at least I had a break. By day four I felt organised and ready for the challenges of a 4-7 composite of 24 straddling all levels up to E. It is no mean feat even for teachers of 16 years experience. It reminded me of my days as the HT/teacher in Eoligarry Primary Schoool in Barra with 24 pupils from P1 to P7. Sometimes I was the only person in the building with all these children, and the isolation was very apparent.  There are times in teaching when you wonder whether you are making the desired impact in your school and whether as a Headteacher you have lost the skill of being able to be an effective teacher. A couple of weeks in class is all you really need to get you thinking about why you became a teacher in the first place and that maybe the most important thing any Headteacher could do would spend more time in the class and less time in the office. I am writing this is a room of 20 pupils at 4pm at out year round ICT club. Two groups are animating using I can animate, 5 groups are on the Web (mostly bbc.co.uk/cbbc) One group is on iTunes 3 groups are on kid pix. The club has pupils from four years of age(2 Nursery Pupils) up to twelve years of age and the learning  happening in the room is unrivalled. I am blogging and supporting. This is what Innerwick Primary School is about.

At the end of October ELVOS staff are coming to the school to work with pupils, staff and parents on an exciting “Ground Force” activity to further improve the play area of the Nursery to enable the children to benefit moref rom the outdoor environment. We are very fortunate in Innerwick that we have many committed parents and staff who are keen to keep driving improvements for te benifit of our local community. Innerwick Nursery will be full this year with 20 pupils attending every morning. Next year we will also be full.  The reputation of our Nursery has been built by our dedicated and caring staff and and the service they are providing for the local community. If you want to visit Innerwick Nursery Please feel free to call the school to arrange a visit.  

This Project Application was written by Joanna Lumsden, Nursery Teacher and Pauline Govan, Nursery Nurse. We received £400 grant towards costs from East Lothian Trust.

Grounds for Awareness Innerwick Primary School Nursery Garden

THE PROJECT AIMS:

To enhance the garden for the nursery, enabling the children to explore the environment, and to encourage wildlife into the area. To increase the parental involvement in the nursery garden.

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT:

Vegetable plot:
Clear existing plants and transplant the tree and heather to another area of the garden. Build up the sides using railway sleepers. Add topsoil. Plant vegetables.

Composting area
Remove wooden lid for existing disused sand pit (unsafe for children to use as a sandpit). Place existing compost bin inside the brick area. Paint brick-work with recycling themed art work.

Bird box and a bird feeding table
The bird box would be placed in the garden in an appropriate place. The bird feeding table would be placed near to the composting and vegetable patch to enable viewing from the willow dome and picnic bench.

Buddlea
Planted where composting bin currently stands to attract butterflies and birds.

Stepping Stones
Remove existing stepping stones. Children to make
stepping stones using old cake tins, cement and
coloured glass effect pebbles. These will lead onto
the bridge and then the play bark path, as well as
into the willow dome.

Path
The existing gravel on the path will be removed
and replaced with play bark by ELC grounds
department as part of ongoing maintenance of garden.

Living Willow Dome
This will create a shady retreat. Plant Willow in one tyre, and train it to grow over into the other tyres placed in the shape of a semi-circle to create a dome. Place two existing wooden seats underneath the dome, and add log rounds for further seating/table.

Fruit garden
Plant fruit trees alongside the path in the grassy area.
Remove thorny shrubs and then plant raspberries and bamboo in between the trees in .

Mini-beasts corner
Create a habitat for mini-beasts in Bed 2.
Remove ivy plants from the bed.
Plant heathers and place stones and logs
in the bed. The children will decorate
stones placed here, e.g. paint as a ladybird.

Flowers
Remove some of the ivy and
plant flowers and shrubs for year
round interest in Bed 2.

Aromatic flowers & plants

Remove existing ivy. Leave honeysuckle
and train over fence. Plant lavender and
other aromatic flowers and plants in Bed 3
close to nursery door, so as the children
brush past when entering and exiting the
nursery.

Digging area

This will involve clearing some climbing
plants and weeds from the area in Bed 3.
Nursery has already purchased gardening
tools e.g. spades and buckets.

Sensory garden

Plant herbs and grasses in pots made from recycled tyres along the outside wall of the nursery. These pots shall all be painted in simple brightly coloured designs e.g. spots and stripes, oceans and forests.

Environment Zone
2 pots (made from recycled tyres), each with a different theme: seashore and forest. The forest pot would be planted with mini-conifers, grass etc., and the children could add pine cones, twigs etc. The seashore would be based on sand, and the children could add shells etc they have collected from the seashore. These would be placed along the outside wall of the nursery amongst the sensory garden pots.
MAINTENANCE:

The garden will be low maintenance. The council provides grass cutting in the summer months. Plants will be looked after by the children and staff of the nursery during nursery hours. Pots can be left unattended over the school holidays. Any pots needing regular watering will be taken away by the nursery teacher and/or parents of the nursery pupils over the summer holidays to be cared for. Vegetables shall be planted and harvested during term times. Nursery parents have expressed a commitment to helping with the on-going work in the garden. A rota of helpers will be formulated for the 6 weeks summer holidays to water any plants requiring that.

BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT:

The aims of this project would have major benefits to the local wildlife, particularly birds and insects, as well as the larger environmental impact made by planting trees, recycling and encouraging mini-beasts. We would like the children at Innerwick Nursery to form good habits in looking after our environment, and to do so in partnership with their parents. The project links in with The Curriculum for Excellence as well as the push towards outside play in the nursery setting. Children would be learning how to become more successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors through the more effective use of our outdoor space.

Vegetable Plot:
Children will plant, water, and harvest different vegetables. There are many learning opportunities encompassed within this including how things grow, healthy eating and citizenship. The children will go on to prepare and eat these vegetables, and (depending upon yield) give vegetables to the local community. The school is surrounded by farmland growing vegetables and cereals, and this will help the children understand what is going on in their local area.

Herbs and fruits:
Children will plant, water and harvest herbs and fruits such as mint, chives, parsley, lavender, strawberries and thyme. They can go on to use these in the preparation of snacks, or making ‘magic potions’ or perfumes during play. They can explore the textures and aromas of the different plants.

Fruit trees:
These would be planted alongside the curved path in the grassy area. They would provide a dappled shady area for walking as well as the fruit yielded which would be used for snack and/or making jams in the nursery. Children would learn all about where fruit comes from and how it grows in our climate. The trees would also provide a nice place for the children to sit underneath on the grass.

Fruit bushes and flowers in the beds:
Currently Bed 1 has thorny shrubs, which are not child friendly. Bed 2 currently has some lovely clematis and bulbs, which could be added to. Planting fruit bushes in Bed 1 would provide learning opportunities as above, as well as the fruit being used for snack in the nursery. Planting bamboo would provide some screening and provide movement and sound for the children to observe. Planting more flowers in Bed 2 will encourage more insects into the garden. The flowers will encourage the children to appreciate the natural beauty of the world around them, as well as to learn about the growing process, and to use the flowers for pressing, art work or making perfume for example.

Willow Dome:
This would provide a quiet shaded area for the children to sit, reflect and observe the world around them. It would also provide a prop for imaginative play, den making and a place to undertake transient art.

Digging Area:
Children learn mathematical skills such as conservation digging in mud. They can make mud-pies and find and examine things inside the mud either natural or put there by staff.

Mini-beasts habitat:
Low lying heather, rocks and logs will create a wonderful area for the children to explore the world of mini-beasts, learning about their natural habitats. The children can paint rocks in the style of ladybirds/bees etc. to place there.

Recycling area:
There is currently a disused sand-pit which is unsafe for the children. Removing the lid and placing the composting bin inside will make the storage of the compost safer. The children could also paint the brickwork to make a feature out of the area, with art-work reflecting the recycling process. This could be extended to include a rain-water collector to be used for watering the plants and playing with water outside. The children would be benefiting the environment as well as learning about recycling.

Bird Box and Feeding Table:
This will encourage birds into the garden. The children will have the opportunity to observe the birds at close hand, see what different birds look like, sounds they make, how they move and what they eat. This will encourage respect for wildlife.

CONSULTATION: 

We have consulted with nursery staff and school staff, nursery children and the parents of the children currently attending nursery. All have contributed ideas to the plan. One parent in particular has taken a leading role in developing ideas and enlisting help and donations.

General Characteristics:
The garden is approximately 17m x 11m, with the side area where the vegetable patch will be approximately 7m x 6m.
It is generally sunny and is surrounded by the school playground on 2 sides, the road into the car park on one side, and the nursery classroom on the other. Beyond these immediate boundaries, there is a park with a play park on one side, houses on one side, and arable fields on the other sides of the school.

Site furniture:
1 picnic bench 
1 compost bin 
2 wooden chairs
2 plant tubs

Maintenance:
School janitor looks after the daily maintenance of the grounds. Council provides grass cutting.

Use of space:
We use the soft surface for climbing frames, see-saws and general games which require a soft landing! The hard surfaces are used for wheeled toys, e.g. bikes and scooters, in addition to general use. We also have a newly erected playhouse in the Nursery Grounds.

The space is entirely for the use of the nursery class. However, in the morning, the children from the rest of the school walk through the nursery garden from the car park to the school playground. This is the only access required. 

COSTING:

Donations:
Tyres : donated by Redpath Tyres, Haddington.
(2 more pots, 6 for willow dome)
Buddlea: donated by Mrs Y, community member.
Bat box & bird feeding table: donated by Mr C, Local Businessman.
Bird Box: Gavin R, nursery parent is going to build one with the children.
Flowers: possible donation from Innerwick Flower Show

ELC already agreed to remove gravel on path and replace with play bark.  They will also supply extra play bark for under willow dome.
Costs for Project
Living Willow £50
Railway sleepers x 4 £100
Fixings for sleepers
Fixings for tyres for dome?
Top soil for vegetable patch: half a ton £40
Vegetables £30
Canes for vegetables to grow up £5
Flowers £50
Herbs £15
Grasses £25
Bamboo £120 for 3
Fruit trees £120 for 4
Strawberry & Raspberry plants £35
Cement £20
Glass effect pebbles £150
Play bark for under dome £100
Mini-conifers £20
Play sand £50
Paint for pots £100
Total £1030

Manpower:

ELVOS Staff will use project as away day activity on 29th October
Dig out existing stepping stones and dig in new ones.
Dig out area for mini-beasts
Move tree
Dig out thorny shrubs
Building vegetable patch
Planting:Parents & staff & children
Dig out all the beds.
Fixing tyres to ground for dome? Or dug into ground?

Fund raising:
Innerwick social night: cake and candy Sponsered Nursery Ativities

I have been looking online about how to improve the performance of boys and reading a book titled “raising boys”I am  also keen to improve the school conditios to allow boys to feel that school is an important place to learn. Our ACtive ACE Friday seems to tick many boxes for boys especially if you read this list from Simon Herd at  St Phillips Christian College in Post Stephens Australia.

 Coalface Tips.Movement.As identified in Lilico (1999), boys need to move in order to verbalise ones thoughts and feelings. Further, Nagel (2005), notes that “planning for and accommodating movement can not only stimulate both male and female brains but could also be used to manage and relieve the impulsive fidgety behaviour of boys.” Competition.Competition is of significance to boys in all aspects of life, especially within the classroom. Thus, it is important for staff to develop and harness this into an intrinsic motivation tool. This can be achieved through establishing Personal Best efforts in classroom activities.  Collaborative Assessment.Team skills-The development of boys social skills is of importance to their long term success both at school and beyond the school in community life. It is important that boys be exposed to Group Based Assessment Tasks in which clear guidelines and Assessment Rubrics are provided to allow the boys direction and structure in collaborative tasks that require both academic and social development. Mentoring.Male Role Models- Fletcher (2000), recommends that schools look at engaging father figures to support staff. The development of male role models throughout the school provides opportunity for boys to engage in mentoring with men as they journey to develop. The value of male role models and mentors is highlighted by the fact that;“The strongest influence on reading will come from males with whom they have relationships, the older boys, uncles, dads” (Leadership on the ground p33).Brainstorm ideas to assist in your classroom. Seating Plan.Consider locating boys towards the front to aid their hearing.Consider a biological rationale for seating in a room. Girls darker areas boys in bright light. Communication.We are trained to listen to words more than watching silent cues,Making communication with males more difficult. Structure and organise information for boys.Dr Le Page 2000, outlines what he calls the “Blah, Blah Effect”Teacher in a conventional teaching method talking at kids!Boys have a biological hearing deficit which is compoundedBy boys use of loud personal music devices! Good teaching technique for Boys equates to;Presenting information at a slower paceGreater patienceImproved listening conditionsTeaching Listening SkillsUse a number of Learning stylesBoys need to make academic selections based on interestRather than for perceived vocational dividends.Rich extra curricular environment, not just sport!Productive Pedagogies- recognise the difference amongst and Between girls and boys.Personal Organisation is a skill that cannot be left to chance.It MUST be taught!Engage the peer group rather than the individual.Careful modelling of high-quality products.Clear and explicit steps for task completion.Close monitoring of individual performance, and intervention where it is warranted.Encouraging confidence in ‘trial and error’ learning.Incorporation, and possibly even weighting, of a variety of assessment strategies.

This article and many others come from a fantastic website from the University of Newcastle in NSW.

Last week I presented to Headteachers in East Lothian about how we manage change in Innerwick.

I referred to a presentation on Adaptive Leadership by Mike McCabe, Director of Education, Culture and Lifelong Learning, South Ayrshire Council. This Presentation is available on Heads Together.

Below I have listed the changes and proposed changes in Innerwick in three years.

This has all been achieved working with pupils, parents, all school staff, the local community and the various departments in East Lothian Council.  Looking at the list I am surprised by the amount that has been changed and undoubtedly improved.

 

Changes in Innerwick since August 2004

Building

All Classrooms decorated

2 Classrooms re-carpeted

All classroom furniture replaced

All classroom cupboards replaced

All office furniture replaced

All Nursery Furniture replaced

Kitchen installed in nursery

New Flooring in Public areas

Dining Furniture replaced

Food service area replaced

Library area established

Nursery Storage room created and all resources catalogued

Upper school toilets refurbished (Boys and Girls)

Nursery Toilets built

Nursery Cloakroom built

Upper school Cloakroom built

Water cooler installed

Hand washing sink for Staff in Nursery

Interactive whiteboards established in every teaching area

Heating installed in Library

Heating installed in Corridors

Planned this session: New infant toilets/disabled toilet for school community

Improvements to provide sheltered play/learning Zone in school shelter. (Grant Applied for)

 

Outdoors

Basketball court built (No Cost to School) Funding through Sports Scotland

7 a side football pitch established. (no cost to School) SFA funding

Raised growing areas built and used ( no costs to school) Grant

Trees and shrubs planted (Grounds For awareness Grant)

Wildlife habitats located in school grounds Grant from (East Lammermuir Community Fund)

Litterbins in school grounds (Grant from La Farge)

Compost bins located in school grounds (Waste Aware )

2 tile mosaics completed and erected (Parents)

Planters located near entrance

 

Current projects

Playhouse/storage for Nursery built Nursery Fundraiser

Complete refurbishment of Nursery Play area (October 29^th) Grounds for Awareness Grant

Wind turbine erected. (Currently offline) Community Windpower

  

Resources

New maths materials purchased

Maths Sphere

Equipment for all classes for delivery of maths programme

TJ Maths introduced in all stages as additional resource

Writing

Adopted Nelson Spelling

NLS Spelling

North Lanarkshire pack/ Edinburgh Pack introduced to school

Launch into Literacy Introduced

 

Reading

Story worlds introduced in infants

Phonics programme introduced to infants

Treetops introduced to P3-7

Rapids for Reluctant readers introduced

76+ novels sets (six copies) purchased From A-E (all graded)

20+ Non fiction sets purchased 2007. Levels A-E

New Dictionaries, ACE Dictionaries and Thesaurus for both classes

Comprehension Success introduced

 

Listening and talking

BT award 2005/06 £1000 for our listening and talking programme in school

  

Science

Introduction of Science programme Glasgow/Renfrewshire from East Linton

Purchasing of associated resources

Borders Science obtained for additional materials

Data Harvester obtained

Digital Micro Scope purchased

 

Art

Borders art pack purchased and adopted

All resources obtained including specialist equipment

Phillip Green art pack purchased

 

PE

All Gym Equipment replaced

 

ICT

I-Pod

Digital Video Camera

Digital cameras x 8

Animation Cameras from ELCx4

I-books

2 PC laptops 4 PC workstations

1 E-mac

2 NEO Alpha smarts

School website developed www.innerwickschool.org.uk to date 24,583 hits. 2665 this month

Headteacher blogging weekly

Ratio 1:2 Approx

 

Music/AV

More Musical instruments purchased

Nursery instruments obtained through ELC pilot

Keyboard purchased

Promeathean Boards in All classrooms including Nursery (Awaiting Delivery)

4 New CDs players Purchased

3 TVs purchased

2 DVD Players purchased

Projectors in all teaching Areas

 

Environmental Studies

New 7 year Rolling programme established (resourced in advance of topic) on File Server

All Resources organised in GP room

 

RME

Full Resources in school. Programme of work fully adopted

Rolling Programme

 

PSD

Cool for School introduced

 

Health

Health promoting school Accreditation Level 1

New core programme introduced

New Sex education for P5-P7 introduced

Health week established

 

Out of school Learning

In 2006/7 over 1600 pupils stayed on after school for a selection of school run clubs.

In winter 4 clubs per week. (October- April) All run from 3:15 till 3:15/4:30

 

ECO

ECO school Bronze (Currently working to Gold or Green flag)

  

Learning and Teaching

All forward planning re-organised in light of new resources

Classroom observations introduced. Formal and Informal

2 Staff Learning Team members

1 ASG member

1 staff member Maths Recovery trained

1 Staff member Writing Moderation training

HT coaching development

ActivE Ace Friday Introduced

 

Enterprise

Productive Links established with :

British Energy

La Farge

Virador

Community Windpower

 

Parental Involvement

New Parent Council formed (10 members)

Parents working in school daily

Parents participating in Active ACE Friday (Some weeks up to 10 parents)

 

Nursery

All Nursery plans, observations changed in line with ELC guidance

Learning Stories established

All nursery Furniture replaced

All pupil resources materials/equipment replaced

Positive HMIE and CC reports published

 

Community

Annual BBQ established

Termly Church celebrations/services

Coffee Mornings and Sales in School

Mothers and Toddlers Group in school. Currently being re-formed

Brownies use School

Community Litter Pick twice a year

Links with Innerwick Farm

Contributions from pupils to Innerwick Flower Show

Links with New ASDA

Planned

More Orientation boards for village. One installed in 2006

Sculptures for School Grounds

Digital Historical Archive of Class Photographs

    

HMIE

Published 2006

Very Good Report

Very Favourable

CC inspection 2007

No Recommendations or requirements, very positive report.

 

We have decided to abandon the traditional Friday routine which was. Finish stuff that you couldn’t do/wouldn’t do Monday-Thursday. Go to assembly to listen to the HT drone on about schools rules and other boring stuff, go on to Golden time which was always cut short in order to get lunches out onto the buses before they went away without half the kids. (happens often).

What we have moved to is ACtivE ACE Friday.
What is this all about, I don’t really know as it is evolving every week into a bigger and more successful animal. The children are all here, with no absences so far. They are brought to the school hall put into groups and set 4 challenges or tasks, these have to be completed with the help of a member of staff and parent volunteers.
Week One. Outside. Games. Making the school name from Newspaper. Designing and chalking a team badge on the playground, making friendship bracelets, decorating a tree in the grounds. Having Fun.

Week Two. Through the week designing posters baking making up pricelists for a table top sale/ coffee morning run bt the pupils. Again in groups on the day. Setting up selling balancing monies, seving drinks, bartering prices, painting faces. Having Fun.

Week 3
Outside. 4 House groups taking charg of growing beds, removing the old plants digging and turning the soil. Working as a team, Planning their new beds, working with parents. Group on 40 minute walk through the Stubble fields near the school gaining a knowledge of place and agriculture as they walk. Group being blindfolded and being led through a small forest of trees with only a piece of string to aid them. Identifying hazards and objects on the way.Having Fun.

Week four.
This week, At Barns Ness Shoreline with Victor Lough from the Ranger Service looking at the Geography and Geology of this part of East Lothian. Exploration of the high part of the beach for fossils and evidence of the past. Looking at the three rock types.
Having Fun.

Week Five
Walking up the Lammermuirs (3 miles in total) to a secluded Glen for a Teddy Bears Picnic.Picnic/ treasures hidden at various locations on walk. Walking through Innerwick Farm, Meeting the farmer Dorothy. We are visiting the farm in the Springtime. Having Fun
Week 6.
Maths Roadshow for whole school. Having Fun.
Week 7
 Outside Painting designing our raised beds, planting for Winter/Spring.
Parent helpers. We have 10-14 parents who are helping us on a daily and weekly basis for all of these activities.
Pupils are currently working on suggested themes for October to Christmas.
We meet weekly to plan the activities and we are linking the activities closely to Healthy Schools, Enterprise, Creativity, All four Capacities in ACfE. There are also all the links with Language Maths Science. But the most important thing is that the learning is fun.  

A colleague today came up with this quote:

 

 “A Secondary Teacher teachers their subject whereas a Primary Teacher teaches children.”

As we sat and discussed the truth in this I reflected on a visit  over two days from two QIO’s this Tuesday and Wednesday. One of the QIO’s was very interested in the information for mathematics we send to the Grammar school and whether we thought our information was acted upon reliably and that the pupils continued the Maths programme based on the judgement of the Primary school teacher. This is a huge question and one that within our Cluster we have been trying to answer for a number of years. In previous years we have visited the Grammar and the teachers’ have observed us teaching here. We have developed an outline agreement of the ways certain things should be taught. This session we have Primary Teachers visiting the Grammar after school to focus on the delivery of maths using interactive whiteboards.  Will all this mean that our judgements from Primary will be regarded as reliable, I am confident we are getting there.

The classroom visits provided the teachers with a good insight to how we both teach maths so differently and yet, it is the same subject. I still think we teach it in a better way that is more aligned to Assessment is for Learning and for that matter A Curriculum for Excellence. But that is only my opinion. What I don’t question is the superior knowledge that Maths teachers have about their subject, and maybe that is part of the problem. Primary teachers are not experts in all the subjects they teach and at times are learning one step ahead of their pupils, one thing is certain Primary teachers are becoming more confident at judging the ability and performance of their pupils especially at point of transfer.

Once upon a time there was an ugly ISDN line. This ISDN line had been a good and faithful servant to his owners but he longed to be bigger and better to make his owners happier and more contented with life. He listened intently as his owners cried and screamed waiting for the e-mails to down load or the C-Beebies site to work properly. “ I wish there was something I could do”, he thought.

One day he heard a Wireless Broadband connection in the village talking about an enchanted man with magical powers who made him work faster and his owners very happy.

Mean-while his owners slogged on getting through the day screaming and waiting.

Then he heard his owners talking about the day enchanted man would visit Innerwick. he would soon change into a beautiful graceful and powerful SWAN. This was promised to be very soon. His owners were the happiest he had ever seen them.

Meanwhile time passed and the owners and ISDN waited and waited (very much like his owners trying to retrieve an attachment over 200KB) but nothing happened and soon his owners stopped talking about SWANS and went back to being cross and grumpy.

He felt like an ugly Duckling that would never grow into a beautiful SWAN. And they all continued to live unhappily ever after.  

At Innerwick after a staff brainstorm we have reviewed what we do with the children on a Friday. It has been the concern of many schools that Friday morning was wrongly viewed by some pupils and parents as not as important as the other 4 days because it was a half day. I have always felt that we could do a great deal more with our Friday.

This year we have re-vamped Fridays. We started last week by bringing the whole school together and setting them 5 challenges. The first challenge was a code to tell them where to start and what to do. After this all the activities were outdoors. With the help from 6 parents we put each group of children through a thirty minutes activity. Activity One was to decorate a tree in the school grounds. Activity Two was to give their group a name and identity and make a large badge on the playground with coloured chalks. Activity Three was to make friend ship bracelets for each other in their groups. Activity Four was to construct a letter from newspaper 1 metre high. The letters spelt out INNERWICK at the end of the activity. The children also had to make as many words as they could from Innerwick. The morning went very quickly and the children enjoyed a different dimension to their learning. The morning was organised by Mrs Lynn who had put a great deal of effort into ensuring that a productive morning of learning took place. Pupil and parental feedback on this firsst event was very positive.

This Friday the pupils are organising and hosting a Coffee morning and tabletop sale for the parents and wider community. As I speak parents and pupils are making tray baked in the Nursery Kitchen. Again 6 parents will be also helping out on the day to ensure that guests are greeted and welcomed into the school prior to receiving their coffee or tea.

Next week we hope to have the use of the Ranger service to assist in an Environmental themed morning. It is anticipated that there will be four groups and four activities. Activity One, 40-minute discovery walk around Innerwick. Activity two, direct work with Victor Lough, Countryside Ranger, Activity Three, Stripping and re-planning the raised vegetable and flowerbeds. (Each group will have its own raised bed) Activity Four, A mini-beast hunt classification and Audit of the school grounds.

I will report on how this grows in the forthcoming session.