Supplementary Pack1 - Amended Primary School Report 2021-22 Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands
Argyll and Bute Council · 8 June 2022
Back to Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands Area Committee — 8 June 2022 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Argyll and Bute Council Comhairle Earra-Ghàidheal Agus Bhòid Executive Director: Douglas Hendry Kilmory, Lochgilphead, PA31 8RT Tel: 01546 602127 Fax: 01546 604435 DX 599700 LOCHGILPHEAD 7 June 2022 SUPPLEMENTARY PACK MID ARGYLL, KINTYRE & THE ISLANDS AREA COMMITTEE - COUNCIL CHAMBERS, KILMORY, LOCHGILPHEAD on WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022 at 10:30 AM I enclose herewith additional information on Kilchattan Primary School in relation to Item 7 (Primary School Report 2021-22 Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Area) and an Updated Version of the Primary School Report for the above meeting. Douglas Hendry Executive Director ADDITIONAL ITEM and UPDATED ITEM 7. PRIMARY SCHOOL REPORT 2021-22 MID ARGYLL, KINTYRE AND THE ISLANDS AREA (Pages 3 - 78) Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands Area Committee Councillor John Armour Councillor Jan Brown Councillor Garret Corner Councillor Robin Currie (Vice-Chair) Councillor Donald Kelly Councillor Tommy MacPherson Councillor John McAlpine (Chair) Councillor Dougie McFadzean Councillor Douglas Philand Contact: Shona Barton, Committee Manager; Tel: 01436 657 605 Public Document Pack
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Kilchattan Primary School Primary School Roll (as at census) * Cluster Primary Schools 17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 % change in Roll over 5 years1 Kilchattan Primary School 5 4 6 8 2 -60% As a whole school, including both Nursery and Primary children, we have been working hard to promote Health and Wellbeing through outdoor learning and local visits. We have been learning about plants and the importance of bees this term. This included sampling our local Colonsay honey and comparing it to other brands. I am pleased to say that Colonsay honey won every time! We have also focused on trees and the importance of trees in our environment. In order to motivate our children and create enthusiasm for the topic, we started with ‘Mystery Boxes’ containing a variety of items to spark curiosity and investigative questions. We also visited the local woodland to learn more about the plants and trees on Colonsay. Our P2 pupil was our official photographer and, using a Nikon D60, took some amazing photos and was genuinely in awe of the beauty around him. We have been gardening, planting our poly tunnel and our barrels with vegetables and flower seeds, including seed bombs, which we made ourselves as an integral part of our learning. We also recovered some old crates, which we found washed up on the beach, and planted flowers in them to attract bees. The whole learning experience provided a meaningful and relevant context for children and staff to learn and work together; to connect us to our local environment; to understand and appreciate our natural world through sensory experiences; to promote a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating and to promote learning for sustainability. The project also provided a context for a huge variety of Literacy and Numeracy Page 3 Agenda Item 7
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learning. As an example our P2 pupil surveyed pupils, staff and parents to help us choose which flowers to plant and he read and followed instructions to make seed bombs. Our Nursery children have been counting and sorting the variety of leaves, cones, petals, etc., which we had collected from the forest floor and our P5 pupil participated in an online event on Earth Day engaging in discussion with a traditional legend about trees and learning about deforestation. Making seed bombs Helping our local deliveryman to unload our peat-free compost Exploring the mystery box about trees. One of our nursery mums and sister joined us for a stay and play Nursery and primary pupils planting the barrels Emptying the barrels so we can relocate them Some of the ELC learning about bees Woodland walk Page 4
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1 Argyll and Bute Council 2021 - 2022 OUR CHILDREN… THEIR FUTURE… Education Service Primary Area Report: Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Page 5
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2 Introduction Within the MAKI area there are 22 Primary Schools. 6 of the Primary Schools are based on the islands of Gigha, Islay and Jura. There is secondary school provision in Campbeltown Grammar, Tarbert Academy and Lochgilphead Joint Campus. Nursery provision is provided within several of these schools (and Gaelic medium education is provided at Bowmore Primary). Our primary school rolls vary considerably ranging from 4 pupils Clachan Primary to over 212 Lochgilphead Primary. The Education Performance Data Analysis Report to Community Services Committee on 16th December 2021 asked elected members to note that following the cancellation of the formal SQA examination diet due to Covid-19, schools submitted Provisional Results for each young person. The Provisional Results were based on teacher professional judgement which considered a wide range of candidate assessment evidence. All attainment evidence was subject to extensive moderation and quality assurance as detailed in the 2021 Alternative Certification Model (ACM), as published by the SQA. This report provides a range of key information about school provision during the school session August 2021 to June 2022 and reports the National collection of attainment and achievement data from June 2021. This is the first uplift of attainment data since 2018/2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns which resulted in pupils learning remotely from home. Additional and more detailed information about each school can be found in the schools’ Standards and Quality Reports. In addition each school’s Improvement Plan outlines their main priorities for improvement. Most schools have an active website where these documents can be accessed and further links or information can be obtained from the Head Teacher. Page 6
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3 Primary School Profiles: Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands SIMD Profile: Table shows number of pupils at each SIMD level in each cluster area of Argyll and Bute. Cluster 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Unknown* Total Bute 54 88 119 46 34 17 358 Cowal 111 77 115 101 223 222 17 866 Helensburgh and Lomond 45 89 97 55 137 236 275 383 200 130 11 1658 Islay and Jura 39 181 2 222 Kintyre North 2 87 34 123 Kintyre South 85 63 22 79 165 92 2 508 Mid-Argyll 64 75 43 148 176 1 507 Mull and Iona 99 86 185 OLI 22 8 157 380 170 355 127 40 1259 * SIMD data from June 2021. Page 7
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4 Mid Argyll Cluster School Profile 2021-2022 Primary School Roll (as at census) * Cluster Primary Schools 17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 % change in Roll over 5 years1 Achahoish Primary School 9 10 6 6 6 -33.33% Ardrishaig Primary School 92 96 91 94 102 10.87% Ashfield Primary School (Mothballed) 0 0 0 0 0 -100% Craignish Primary School 25 23 24 19 23 -8.00% Furnace Primary School 6 13 10 12 9 50.00% Glassary Primary School 31 26 22 23 31 0.00% Inveraray Primary School 57 64 65 69 62 8.77% Kilmartin Primary School 31 27 35 38 27 -12.90% Lochgilphead Primary School 221 227 226 207 212 -4.07% Lochgilphead Learning Centre (primary) 0 0 0 0 0 -100% Minard Primary School (Mothballed) 1 3 0 0 0 -100% Tayvallich Primary School 20 21 21 25 22 10.00% Total Roll for cluster 493 510 500 493 494 0.20% * Data for rolls provided at Census each year 1 Please note the % change in Roll over 5 years shows the percentage change in roll figures from 2017/18 to 2021/22 and is not an average. Page 8
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5 Footwear and Clothing Grant and Free School Meal Information for Mid Argyll Clothing and Footwear Grant (CFG) is not shown as a National Average as each authority set their own criteria and therefore cannot be compared accurately. Please note that 2021-2022 data for CFG and Free School Meals (FSM) is to date (end February 2022) and therefore may change as the year progresses. In January 2022, the Scottish Government launched the extension of free school meal universal eligibility to include all children in primary 1-5. The above figures only show those pupils in P6 and P7. In August 2021 the Scottish Government introduced a School clothing grant minimum for all authorities set at £120 for Primary pupils and £150 for Secondary pupils. During session 2020/21 the Scottish Government introduced ‘Bridging’ payments of £130 per pupil in receipt of FSM under the National criteria (this excludes anyone eligible who receive FSM in P1 to P6 who do not qualify financially). These payments are made 4 times per year (Easter, Summer, October and Christmas).Further information can be found at Scottish Child Payment Bridging Payments - mygov.scot. In addition to this anyone eligible for these payments have been paid a FSM payment during the school holiday period.. Further information School meals - mygov.scot Page 9
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6 Exclusion and Attendance Information for Mid Argyll Authorised absence includes bereavement, short – term exceptional domestic situations, religious observance, weddings of immediate family. Unauthorised absence includes truancy, unexplained absence and most family holidays during term time. Attendance and absence is outlined in Management Circular 3.03. During 2020/21 there were additional attendance codes added for COVID. These codes can count as attendance, authorised absence or unauthorised absence depending on the circumstance. Please note that attendance data for 2021/22 is up to 28 February and not a complete year. It is therefore subject to change. Please note that exclusion data for 2021/22 is up to 28 February and not a complete year. It is therefore subject to change. Page 10
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7 Achievement over time Mid Argyll NOTES: ER English reading, EW English writing, ELT English Listening and talking N Numeracy GR Gaelic reading, GW Gaelic writing, GLT Gaelic Listening and talking. There was no ACEL collection during session 2019/20 due to COVID Page 11
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8 The table below outlines the National expectations of when most children and young people may achieve each level: CfE Level Stage Early The final two years of early learning and childcare before a child goes to school and P1, or later for some. First To the end of P4, but earlier or later for some. Second To the end of P7, but earlier or later for some. Third and fourth S1-S3, but earlier or later for some. Further information: National Improvement Framework for Scottish Education – https://www.gov.scot/policies/schools/national-improvement-framework/ Page 12
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9 Kintyre North School Profile 2021-2022 Primary School Roll (as at census) * Cluster Primary Schools 17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 % change in Roll over 5 years1 Clachan Primary School 5 8 6 6 4 -20% Skipness Primary School (mothballed) 0 0 0 0 0 -100% Tarbert Primary School 93 96 103 109 116 24.73% Total Roll for cluster 98 104 109 115 90 24.45% * Data for rolls provided at Census each year 1 Please note the % change in Roll over 5 years shows the percentage change in roll figures from 2017/18 to 2021/22 and is not an average. Page 13
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10 Footwear and Clothing Grant and Free School Meal Information for Kintyre North Clothing and Footwear Grant (CFG) is not shown as a National Average as each authority set their own criteria and therefore cannot be compared accurately. Please note that 2021-2022 data for CFG and Free School Meals (FSM) is to date (end February 2022) and therefore may change as the year progresses. in January 2022, the Scottish Government launched the extension of free school meal universal eligibility to include all children in primary 1-5. The above figures only show those pupils in P6 and P7. In August 2021 the Scottish Government introduced a School clothing grant minimum for all authorities set at £120 for Primary pupils and £150 for Secondary pupils. During session 2020/21 the Scottish Government introduced ‘Bridging’ payments of £130 per pupil in receipt of FSM under the National criteria (this excludes anyone eligible who receive FSM in P1 to P6 who do not qualify financially). These payments are made 4 times per year (Easter, Summer, October and Christmas).Further information can be found at Scottish Child Payment Bridging Payments - mygov.scot. In addition to this anyone eligible for these payments have been paid a FSM payment during the school holiday period.. Further information School meals - mygov.scot Page 14
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11 Exclusion and Attendance Information for Kintyre North Authorised absence includes bereavement, short – term exceptional domestic situations, religious observance, weddings of immediate family. Unauthorised absence includes truancy, unexplained absence and most family holidays during term time. Attendance and absence is outlined in Management Circular 3.03. During 2020/21 there were additional attendance codes added for COVID. These codes can count as attendance, authorised absence or unauthorised absence depending on the circumstance. Please note that attendance data for 2021/22 is up to 28 February and not a complete year. It is therefore subject to change. Please note that exclusion data for 2021/22 is up to 28 February and not a complete year. It is therefore subject to change. Page 15
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12 Achievement over time Kintyre North NOTES: ER English reading, EW English writing, ELT English Listening and talking N Numeracy GR Gaelic reading, GW Gaelic writing, GLT Gaelic Listening and talking. There was no ACEL collection during session 2019/20 due to COVID Page 16
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13 The table below outlines the National expectations of when most children and young people may achieve each level: CfE Level Stage Early The final two years of early learning and childcare before a child goes to school and P1, or later for some. First To the end of P4, but earlier or later for some. Second To the end of P7, but earlier or later for some. Third and fourth S1-S3, but earlier or later for some. Further information: National Improvement Framework for Scottish Education – https://www.gov.scot/policies/schools/national-improvement-framework/ Page 17
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14 Kintyre South School Profile 2021-2022 Primary School Roll (as at census) * Cluster Primary Schools 17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 % change in Roll over 5 years1 Carradale Primary School 18 18 16 16 11 -38.89% Castlehill Primary School 197 210 205 203 194 -1.52% Dalintober Primary School 239 250 255 240 229 -4.18% Drumlemble Primary School 28 27 32 31 26 -7.14% Gigha Primary School 12 13 10 10 11 -8.33% Glenbarr Primary School 9 4 7 10 8 -11.11% Rhunahaorine Primary School 18 13 10 10 12 -33.33% Southend Primary School (mothballed) 5 6 7 6 0 -100% Total Roll for cluster 526 541 542 526 491 -6.65% * Data for rolls provided at Census each year 1 Please note the % change in Roll over 5 years shows the percentage change in roll figures from 2017/18 to 2021/22 and is not an average. Page 18
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15 Footwear and Clothing Grant and Free School Meal Information for Kintyre South Clothing and Footwear Grant (CFG) is not shown as a National Average as each authority set their own criteria and therefore cannot be compared accurately. Please note that 2021-2022 data for CFG and Free School Meals (FSM) is to date (end February 2022) and therefore may change as the year progresses. in January 2022, the Scottish Government launched the extension of free school meal universal eligibility to include all children in primary 1-5. The above figures only show those pupils in P6 and P7. In August 2021 the Scottish Government introduced a School clothing grant minimum for all authorities set at £120 for Primary pupils and £150 for Secondary pupils. During session 2020/21 the Scottish Government introduced ‘Bridging’ payments of £130 per pupil in receipt of FSM under the National criteria (this excludes anyone eligible who receive FSM in P1 to P6 who do not qualify financially). These payments are made 4 times per year (Easter, Summer, October and Christmas).Further information can be found at Scottish Child Payment Bridging Payments - mygov.scot. In addition to this anyone eligible for these payments have been paid a FSM payment during the school holiday period.. Further information School meals - mygov.scot Page 19
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16 Exclusion and Attendance Information for Kintyre South Authorised absence includes bereavement, short – term exceptional domestic situations, religious observance, weddings of immediate family. Unauthorised absence includes truancy, unexplained absence and most family holidays during term time. Attendance and absence is outlined in Management Circular 3.03. During 2020/21 there were additional attendance codes added for COVID. These codes can count as attendance, authorised absence or unauthorised absence depending on the circumstance. Please note that attendance data for 2021/22 is up to 28 February and not a complete year. It is therefore subject to change. Please note that exclusion data for 2021/22 is up to 28 February and not a complete year. It is therefore subject to change. Page 20
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17 Achievement over time Kintyre South NOTES: ER English reading, EW English writing, ELT English Listening and talking N Numeracy GR Gaelic reading, GW Gaelic writing, GLT Gaelic Listening and talking. There was no ACEL collection during session 2019/20 due to COVID Page 21
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18 The table below outlines the National expectations of when most children and young people may achieve each level: CfE Level Stage Early The final two years of early learning and childcare before a child goes to school and P1, or later for some. First To the end of P4, but earlier or later for some. Second To the end of P7, but earlier or later for some. Third and fourth S1-S3, but earlier or later for some. Further information: National Improvement Framework for Scottish Education – https://www.gov.scot/policies/schools/national-improvement-framework/ Page 22
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19 Islay and Jura School Profile 2021-2022 Primary School Roll (as at census) * Cluster Primary Schools 17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 % change in Roll over 5 years1 Bowmore Primary School 63 65 57 51 55 -12.70% Bowmore Gaelic Primary School 17 14 16 14 16 -5.88% Keills Primary School 21 30 29 30 34 61.90% Port Charlotte Primary School 40 39 39 31 27 -32.50% Port Ellen Primary School 54 55 59 58 64 18.52% Small Isles Primary School 18 19 16 19 20 11.11% Total Roll for cluster 213 222 216 203 216 1.41% * Data for rolls provided at Census each year 1 Please note the % change in Roll over 5 years shows the percentage change in roll figures from 2017/18 to 2021/22 and is not an average. Page 23
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20 Footwear and Clothing Grant and Free School Meal Information for Islay and Jura Clothing and Footwear Grant (CFG) is not shown as a National Average as each authority set their own criteria and therefore cannot be compared accurately. Please note that 2021-2022 data for CFG and Free School Meals (FSM) is to date (end February 2022) and therefore may change as the year progresses. in January 2022, the Scottish Government launched the extension of free school meal universal eligibility to include all children in primary 1-5. The above figures only show those pupils in P6 and P7. In August 2021 the Scottish Government introduced a School clothing grant minimum for all authorities set at £120 for Primary pupils and £150 for Secondary pupils. During session 2020/21 the Scottish Government introduced ‘Bridging’ payments of £130 per pupil in receipt of FSM under the National criteria (this excludes anyone eligible who receive FSM in P1 to P6 who do not qualify financially). These payments are made 4 times per year (Easter, Summer, October and Christmas).Further information can be found at Scottish Child Payment Bridging Payments - mygov.scot. In addition to this anyone eligible for these payments have been paid a FSM payment during the school holiday period.. Further information School meals - mygov.scot Page 24
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21 Exclusion and Attendance Information for Islay and Jura Authorised absence includes bereavement, short – term exceptional domestic situations, religious observance, weddings of immediate family. Unauthorised absence includes truancy, unexplained absence and most family holidays during term time. Attendance and absence is outlined in Management Circular 3.03. During 2020/21 there were additional attendance codes added for COVID. These codes can count as attendance, authorised absence or unauthorised absence depending on the circumstance. Please note that attendance data for 2021/22 is up to 28 February and not a complete year. It is therefore subject to change. Please note that exclusion data for 2021/22 is up to 28 February and not a complete year. It is therefore subject to change. Page 25
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22 Achievement over time Islay and Jura Achievement over time Islay and Jura - Gaidhlig NOTES: ER English reading, EW English writing, ELT English Listening and talking N Numeracy GR Gaelic reading, GW Gaelic writing, GLT Gaelic Listening and talking. There was no ACEL collection during session 2019/20 due to COVID Page 26
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23 The table below outlines the National expectations of when most children and young people may achieve each level: CfE Level Stage Early The final two years of early learning and childcare before a child goes to school and P1, or later for some. First To the end of P4, but earlier or later for some. Second To the end of P7, but earlier or later for some. Third and fourth S1-S3, but earlier or later for some. Further information: National Improvement Framework for Scottish Education – https://www.gov.scot/policies/schools/national-improvement-framework/ Page 27
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24 General Updates 1 + 2 Languages The 1+2 Languages policy aims to ensure that all children and young people are equipped with the skills they need for life and work. Every child has the opportunity to learn a modern language from P1 onwards; this language (known as L2) is an entitlement up to the end of S3. Additionally, each child should have the opportunity to learn a second modern language (known as L3) at the latest from P5 onwards, continuing to the end of Primary school. Young people are entitled to learn a second language (L3) within their Broad General Education i.e. within the S1 to S3 experience. In the Mid-Argyll area, all 9 Primary schools are delivering French as L2 from P1 onwards. Craignish PS is delivering Gaelic as L3. Furnace PS, Tayvallich PS, Kilmartin PS and Inveraray PS are delivering Spanish as L3. Lochgilphead PS and Ardrishaig PS are delivering BSL as L3. Lochgilphead Joint Campus (Secondary) provide French as L2 and Spanish as L3. In the North Kintyre area, both Tarbert PS and Clachan PS are delivering French as L2 from P1 onwards. Tarbert Academy provides French as L2. On Islay & Jura, all 5 Primary schools are delivering Gaelic as L2 and French as L3. Islay High school provides Gaelic and French as L2 and Gaelic, French or Spanish as L3. In the South Kintyre area, all 8 Primary schools are delivering French as L2 from P1 onwards. Gigha PS and Castlehill are teaching Gaelic as L3. Dalintober PS, Castlehill PS and Drumlemble PS are delivering Spanish as L3. Drumlemble PS is also providing BSL as L3. Castlehill PS is also delivering Gaelic as L3. Dalintober PS also took part in the online L3 Arabic course offered by SCILT. Campbeltown Grammar School provides French as L2 and Spanish as L3. There are Language Leaders on Islay, in North Kintyre and South Kintyre. These leaders provide support to local schools. All clusters are using the online platform PowerLanguage Schools (PLS) as the main teaching resource to deliver French. This resource can also be used for teaching Spanish and German. The schools teaching Gaelic use the online resource Go!Gaelic. All schools have resource packs with resources for teaching French. Practitioners can also find teaching resources and information on the 1+2 Languages section of the SALi blog. Schools delivering BSL have resource packs and received training to support this. Schools also have access to support in terms of CLPL and teaching resources on the Teachers professional Learning Hub The clusters are now working towards ensuring effective progression in language learning from P1 through to the end of the BGE. This has been facilitated by schools using the Argyll & Bute French Key Language Progression framework or Argyll & Bute Gaelic key language progression framework P1-7 CLPL provided for MAKI Upskilling in Languages 5 week Beginners and follow-on French courses provided in first and second term and then again in the third term. 20 week GLPS (Gaelic) online course for Primary teachers. This opportunity is fully funded by the Scottish Government. Twilight or morning sessions (Sept 21-March 22). Gaelic beginners’ and follow-on course provided in the first and second term. Four Gaelic taster sessions for beginners’ provided in March 2022. These sessions provided an introduction to simple Gaelic phrases to be used with learners in class. A 4 week Spanish beginners’ and follow-on course provided in the second and third term. Page 28
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25 A 5 week German beginners’ course provided in January 2022. Training sessions on using the L3 BSL teaching resource pack (Sept 2021). Languages pedagogy sessions: Teaching Languages through Songs and Games (March 22). Using Storytelling to Enhance your Language Teaching (March 22). Connecting Language Learning across the Curriculum (Nov 21). Enhancing language learning using digital tools in partnership with the digital team (Nov 21). 3 sessions of Teaching 1+2 at All Levels: Early Level, First Level, Second/Third Level (Sept/Oct 21). Differentiation Strategies and Multi-Composite Class Approaches (May 21). Ensuring Progression in Language Learning (May 21). Celebrating Achievements in Languages (May 21). Strategic sessions: Getting languages back on track - Moving forward with your 1+2 Languages strategy provided by Education Scotland. Getting the most from PowerLanguages School Resources led by PowerLanguages. Teachers from MAKI who signed up for Immersion Courses, funded by an Erasmus+ grant and due to take place in France, have been unable to attend these due to the pandemic. An alternative has been found and these teachers have now been offered an online training course provided by our partners LFEE. This session, we have continued with our Authority wide French link with our partners from the Université de Picardie- Jules Verne. This has now become a virtual link and French Primary student teachers assist Primary teachers in A&B virtually with the delivery of French lessons and are able to add a cultural element to the learning. Teachers from MAKI have taken part in this project this session. Representatives from the university intend to visit Argyll and Bute in June 2022 and we hope to continue to develop this longstanding international partnership. This session, all clusters are using a French and Gaelic learning resource as part of the Authority wide ELC to P1 transition project - Over the Rainbow. This means that language learning is an integral part of this Early Years transition process. Dalintober PS participated in a storytelling project as part of the Bethlehem Cultural Festival. They did this as part of the L3 Arabic course they undertook this session. Shellycoat is a story in Scots, English and Arabic illustrated by pupils from Dalintober, Innellan, Rosneath and Toward Primary schools. Click HERE to listen to the story and see all the beautiful illustrations. Bowmore PS was congratulated for the high quality entry they submitted to the national French competition ‘Concours pour la Francophonie’. Early Years Children and families within Argyll and Bute currently access Local Authority Early Learning and Childcare (ELC), offered either through term-time based sessions or a year-round model, now that the 1140 hours Scottish Government initiative has been phased in. ELC is also provided by childminders, voluntary and privately operated groups in addition to Local Page 29
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26 Authority services. The third sector is in a position to provide ‘wrap around’ childcare for parents who wish to purchase hours to allow them to work, attend college, etc. Community Childminding is a service which is provided for children following a referral from Health or Social Work; it is designed to be an early intervention to support families predominantly for children aged less than 3 years. Partner childminders also provide ELC for eligible children aged 2 years. Workforce Development Update April 2022 Early Years Foundation Apprentices Cohort 2 commenced August 2019 In a significant scale up this year, 41 pupils commenced the Foundation Apprenticeship in Early Years across 6 Argyll and Bute Secondary schools. 26 commenced the NPA in 5th year to complete the qualification over 2 years. 15 commenced the shorter model, in their 6th year, working towards the NPA and the relevant SVQ2 (SSCYP) units over 1 year. Placements were identified in Argyll and Bute ELC units, including partner providers in the private and voluntary sector. Early Years team members stepped up to deliver the NPA course, across the LA, until October 2019 when 2 new tutors, with appropriate Early Years experience, were recruited by the training centre. Early Years Modern Apprentices Cohort 1 - started in Jan 2019 6 MAs were recruited to the following ELC settings: Park Primary Family Learning Centre Colgrain Primary ELC John Logie Baird Primary ELC Campbeltown Nursery Dalintober Primary, ELC Clyde Cottage Nursery Five out of the six MAs have completed their SVQ3 (Social Services Children and Young People) award early, and two have been successful in securing temporary ELC practitioner posts. Cohort 2 - 2020 – was on hold due to Covid Cohort 3 - started in August 2021 1 at Clyde Cottage, SVQ3 progressing 1 at Silver Birch, SVQ3 progressing 1 at Dunbeg, SVQ3 progressing (December start) 6 MAs were recruited to the following ELC settings: Sandbank Primary Early Level (Gaelic) Rockfield Primary ELC (Gaelic) Dunbeg Primary ELC Lochgilphead Primary ELC Tobermory Primary ELC Page 30
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27 St. Joseph’s Primary ELC All are making good progress with their SVQ3 (SSCYP) with one changing course to SVQ2 (SSCYP) which is better suited to her role within the ELC unit. Early Years Graduate Apprentices Argyll and Bute recruited 2 graduate apprentices to take part in a 3 year pilot for the BA in Early Learning and Childcare, in partnership with UHI. One is on track to complete in June 2022 and the other apprentices in June 2023. Funded qualifications In 2021/22, 45 ELC staff were funded to work towards recognised qualifications, to meet SSSC registration and for professional development. SVQ2 (SSCYP) SVQ3 (SSCYP) SVQ4 (SSCYP) BA Childhood Practice MEd in Childhood Practice H&L 0 4 4 1 1 B&C 0 8 4 2 OLI 1 5 2 2 MAKI 2 4 0 4 1 CPD training 21-22 To deliver Scottish Government aims of 1140 hours of quality ELC provision, professional development for staff has been focused on the Early Years team priorities of: leadership at all levels effective use of information to improve outcomes learning and development 0-3 years outdoor learning and family learning CPD – 58 Early Level courses were offered Professional development for staff was focused on the Early Years team priorities of: Nurture Floorbook planning linked to the Three Assets Approach UNCRC Curriculum for Excellence - Partner settings and childminders The Leuven scales of Wellbeing and Involvement Realising the Ambition, national practice guidance The Early Years Team has also continued to work with Stramash to deliver training on Outdoor Learning through the Seasons in Argyll & Bute. This training involved 4 days of training, in different seasons throughout the year, in each of the 4 local areas, with the aim of creating a resource at the end which can be shared across all ELC settings. Our cluster leads have also played an integral part in outdoor training sessions to our settings. For further information on workforce development, please contact linda.burgar@argyll-bute.gov.uk ELC - Learning and Development Page 31
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28 As part of the Education Strategy ‘Our Children, Their Future’, the Argyll and Bute ‘ELC Learning and Development Framework’ has been developed to provide strong and consistent guidance on learning and development from birth through to a child starting school. Every setting and childminder has been issued with this guidance and providers are encouraged to use this tool as part of their self- evaluation, along with ‘Building the Ambition’ and ‘How Good is our Early Learning and Childcare?’ Members of the central support team use the framework as a key document as part of their support visits, focusing on ‘Environment’, ‘Experiences’ and ‘Interactions’. Data is also used to analyse the quality of provision with progress being tracked through Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland inspections. Twice a year, the Local Authority gathers data in relation to 4 year old children’s progress within their developmental milestones, and this is used to target resources more effectively. Teams are being trained in the use of improvement methodology to support their own improvement journeys – being clear about how they know a change has led to an improvement. As well as tracking progress in children’s learning outcomes, practitioners in nurseries also track each child’s progress within their developmental milestones. We know that most children achieve their milestones as a matter of course. However, some children might need a little extra help or time to achieve theirs. The milestones we track are: Social, emotional and behavioural Speech and language Cognitive and sensory Fine motor skills Gross motor skills The Early Years Service gathers data twice a year (December and June) to find out how children are progressing within their milestones. The EY target is 45 percent: This table shows the difference from the previous year. Please note this is a different cohort of children being assessed. Locality 2020 2021 Change B&C 42 39 -3% H&L 62 41 -21% MAKI 32 29 -3% OLI 30 36 +6% Authority Wide 42 37 -5% The Early Years Team, alongside the settings, are now using this data to target specific areas that require support. This decline in some areas will likely be connected to the period of Covid, especially for Speech and Language development, where children were not able to experience as much interaction as they can now both within an ELC and out-with. Cluster leads and EY teachers, alongside working with Speech and Language Therapist input and other multi-agency partnerships, are able to direct specific support and work alongside settings to monitor and show the impact of targeted learning. Additional training to staff has been provided on using the tracking system confidently and robustly to evaluate where the children are in terms of their developmental milestones. The impact of this will be seen during our next collection of data in June 2022. Area DM Data – December 2021 B+C 39% MAKI 29% OLI 36% H+L 41% Page 32
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29 Across the localities, Bute and Cowal and Helensburgh and Lomond have the highest percent of children, achieving stage 2, across each milestone. 63% percent of children are achieving stage 2 in gross motor skills, 7% higher compared to Authority wide. Across the localities, Helensburgh and Lomond and Bute and Cowal have the highest percent of children, achieving stage 2, across each milestone. 64% percent of children are achieving stage 2 in gross motor skills, 8% higher compared to Authority wide. Across MAKI, 45% or more of children, are achieving stage 2 across their sensory, fine motor and gross motor skills milestones. 37% of children are achieving stage 2 in speech and language, a -16% compared to Bute and Cowal. The percent of children achieving stage 2 in the OLI area within speech and language is +4% higher than MAKI, but still below the target of 45%. Developmental Milestone Data – December 2021 – By Area Similarly, data is collected and analysed around Care Inspectorate gradings of all ELC units. Care Inspectorate Grades – 21/22 69 ELC settings have been inspected and have had gradings assigned (data supplied by Care Inspectorate, issued February 2022). 91% of ELC settings are achieving grade 4 and above. A decrease of -2% as reported in August 2021. Area August 21 March 22 % Change Bute and Cowal 100 100 0 Helensburgh and Lomond 85 80 -5 Mid Argyll Kintyre and Islay 95 91 -4 Oban Lorn and Isles 90 95 +5 *Please note that HALCO had 3 settings that had the highest grading of 6. Inactive ELC Settings Lismore Primary Pre Five Unit Luing Primary Pre Five Unit Southend Primary Pre Five Unit No Inspection Gradings Apple Tree Nursery Campbeltown Aqualibrium Early Learning and Childcare Cardross Early Learning and Childcare Rainbow Childcare Oban Rosneath Early Learning and Childcare Silver Birch Outdoor Nursery Stepping Stones Nursery Willowview Early Learning and Childcare EY Conference November 2021 Page 33
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30 What’s Love got to do with it? The Importance of a Rights-focused, Relationship-centred and Play-based approach to Education Our second virtual conference focused on nurture and the wellbeing of our staff and children; we explored the concept of Professional Love and introduced Our Children, Their Nurturing Education. We also looked at how the UNCRC could and should be embedded in practice within ELC and the crucial importance of play in child development. Early Years QI and Curriculum developments 2021–22 We have continued to develop use of the Leuven Scales within settings and evaluate its impact on engagement and learning, especially during Covid recovery. 144 practitioners have attended the Leuven training so far this academic year. Leuven training will continue to take place for new staff early next year. Cl continues to support individual settings’ use of the Leuven scale regularly as a self- evaluation tool to improve quality. We continue to deliver Three Assets training to support all settings and funded ELC childminders to take forward this approach to curriculum planning and pedagogy through planned delivery of training in our CPD catalogue and evaluations of its impact. We are focusing on reviewing the use of Developmental Milestones and its use across CfE Early Level into Primary One and in some instances, Primary Two. This is moderated through cluster meetings and the Likert scale is used to evaluate this. This is ongoing into next year’s development plan to be able to assess its impact. Our EY team developed a new, updated and interactive online link which details all current EY information to support every aspect of EY curriculum and development. It has been extremely well received by Heads of Centres and allows for quick and easy access to documents all in one place. For more information on ELC Learning and Development, please contact Tina Sartain tina.sartain@argyll-bute.gov.uk Assessment and Moderation ‘Systematic evaluation and subsequent sharing of high-quality materials (such as exemplars) in networks and digital platforms (for instance, through Glow) may offer welcome opportunities to support efficient (re)design of practices and professional learning in Scotland.’ OECD Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence: into the Future 2021. In order to support our schools across the Authority with BGE digital moderation, assessment, professional development material and exemplars, we have created Moderation Platforms for all schools. These platforms continue to develop, meeting the needs of our schools. As well as platforms for the geographic areas, including Gaelic, we also have a Secondary platform. These platforms promote networks, provide a one stop shop for professional development in the area of assessment, supports teacher professional judgement and allows for the sharing of agreed standards. We have provided twilight support for schools and practitioners and the platform has also been shared with central staff from the Northern Alliance. To date, we have had 50+ practitioners engaging with the platform and the feedback has been very positive with practitioners valuing the materials available and the opportunities for regular moderation which does not require cover, travelling and photocopying. Page 34
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31 Education Scotland engaged with 40 practitioners across Argyll and Bute with QAMSO (Quality Assessment and Moderation Support Officer) training in September. This group then worked with Pauline Inglis, Education Officer, to refine and develop the moderation platform and also engaged in moderation activities within their school. The Education Officer held twilight support meetings with previous QAMSOs, introducing the platform and the QAMSO plan for the session. Continued support is being provided for schools to engage with the platform and Head Teachers are being encouraged to include moderation within their improvement planning for next session. Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Schools were encouraged to engage with national STEM initiatives. Dandelion Schools (Keeping Scotland Beautiful) - specially designed growing cubes, linked to a citizen science app, will be gifted to Secondary schools to explore the future of vertical farming through a series of growing experiments. In addition, seed potatoes and growing medium will be distributed to the Secondary schools and their associated Primary schools for a great tattie growing experiment across the country. Both Dunoon Grammar School and Tobermory High School will engage in this project with their associated cluster next session. The cubes and seed potatoes are being delivered to schools just after the Easter holidays. Scottish Schools Education and Research Centre, Primary Cluster Programme – this professional learning opportunity systematically involves all teachers in a cluster with experiential training, builds networks and provides resources for CLPL and the classroom (via Edina Trust grant). Schools within the HALCO Cluster will be taking part in this initiative next session. Education Officer Pauline Inglis has been working with staff and Education Scotland STEM officer Mark Irwin to develop a STEM platform for Argyll and Bute Council. Practitioners in the steering group wanted video shots of STEM work being undertaken across the Authority. These are being gathered and the platform will be developed and available for August 2022. Outdoor Learning Professional development has remained the area of focus for outdoor learning in session 21/22 with the launch of Argyll and Bute’s Programme and Outdoor Learning. This programme was designed and led by teachers and practitioners in Argyll and Bute and is robustly linked to key policies (Going Out There, Curriculum for Excellence and Out to Play). The programme has had one iteration, with 18 teachers attending. This consisted of face to face practical sessions, interspersed with theory and impact sessions, delivered through Google tools. Feedback from the programme was overwhelmingly positive with one Head Teacher saying, “This was such a worthwhile day and I wish more of my staff had also been able to participate – I would send them in future. So much was covered and it was all really useful and relevant. Best CPD I’ve done for a long time!” The Early Years programme on leading learning is now ready for launch after delays due to Covid. This will run in the autumn term for practitioners at early level. Early Years have delivered training to childminders in Kintyre on outdoor skills such as fire lighting, shelter building and nature. We also brokered access for 55 teachers in Argyll and Bute to the highly rated ‘Taking Maths Outdoors’ which has led to increased outdoor learning and improved Maths education across more than half of Argyll’s Primary schools. Page 35
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32 Our partnership with Outdoor and Woodland Learning Scotland (OWLS) has delivered eight outdoor first aid training programmes, reaching 48 practitioners, in Argyll and Bute and providing grant access to partners delivering outdoor play and learning experiences for children during the school holidays in Mull and Mid Argyll. The Argyll OWL group meets five times a year and creates networks of sharing best practice. They are in the process of organising a live network event in September, the first such event since pre-Covid times. Three schools took part in HMIE’s thematic inspection on outdoor learning and two schools were included in the national report as case studies in excellence. Oban High School was cited for its innovative ways of engaging partners and Inveraray Primary School was included as a study of effective strategic leadership in outdoor learning. Digital Literacy The following report summarises the Digital Learning Education Team’s work with learners, teachers and their schools. It includes support with online learning, professional learning, resources, school events, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) initiatives and digital infrastructure. Glow Usage Statistics Glow is the online platform through which teachers communicate, plan and learn, and via which children and young people access digital learning, both in school and at home. In December 2021, there were 106,721 Google Workspace for Education sessions (this is typically the most used Glow application and is therefore a good indicator of engagement). At the start of 2022, January saw 251,965 sessions; usage had more than doubled since December (a 136% increase). There were 6468 unique pupils and 1186 unique staff logins recorded by Glow in December 2021. January saw negligible changes to this (a 0.7% decrease and 0.2% increase respectively), indicating an almost identical number of individuals using Glow in both months. Page 36
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33 Scottish Government - a device for every pupil The Scottish Government has made a commitment to provide a device to every learner by the end of the present parliamentary session. Further information on this commitment has not yet been received. It has been suggested that a phased approach may be taken, where devices are released once Local Authorities reach milestones in relation to network infrastructure. The Scottish Government have made a budget commitment of £15 million during 2022/2023 to support Local Authorities to prepare for a 1:1 device rollout. The device deployment phase of this grant is not expected until 2023/2024 and may also include Internet connectivity to support learners who do not have access at home. The Scottish Government has issued a survey to gather information on the landscape of digital maturity across all 32 Local Authorities. The survey is designed to help inform Education Scotland's future roadmap and the potential impact of large numbers of additional devices accessing Glow. Feedback has been sought from other Local Authorities on their plans for a 1:1 device roll out. A meeting has been arranged with practitioners to help inform the Authorities’ position on the most suitable types of devices. Rural Growth Deal The Scottish Government STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) strategy aims to build Scotland's capacity to deliver excellent STEM learning and to close equity gaps in participation and attainment in STEM. It also aims to inspire young people and adults to study STEM, and to provide a better connection between STEM education and training and the needs of the labour market in Scotland. Given that 17% of our population resides across 23 inhabited islands, it is difficult for some of our island and rural communities to access STEM engagement experiences (such as those located in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow). Consequently, various sources of funding are being explored and investigated for the creation of mobile STEM hubs. This proposal has been included as a possible option within the Council’s Rural Growth Deal (RGD) under the section “Attracting – Skills, Training and Education”. Page 37
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34 STEM Hub Dunoon The Council was successful in a funding bid to the Scottish Government’s Clyde Mission fund. The purpose of the fund is to provide capital support to projects that deliver economic stimulus. The Council has appointed architects to lead the transformation of the former Hill Street office in Dunoon into a STEM hub / community hub. The STEM hub will provide cutting edge learning in the following: Cyber Security Renewable Energy Biology and Marine Science Engineering and Physics The vision of the STEM hub is to implement a blended learning approach (physical, mobile and virtual) that delivers a full suite of high-quality and equitable STEM education and experiences in order to meet the needs of children and young people across Argyll and Bute, as well as equip individuals with skills to benefit and develop the local business community. The budget available for the refurbishment of the building and infrastructure is £807,500. STEM Funding The Digital Learning team was successful in a funding bid to the UK Government Community Renewal Fund (UK CRF) for £100,000. £78,100 of this grant is for the creation of high quality STEM curricular materials. Following a competitive procurement exercise, the Glasgow Science Centre is the successful supplier who will create at least 8 high quality full day STEM activities (suitable for second level – comprising of video, animation and workshops). Wellbeing, Rights and Relationships Our schools have continued to demonstrate a commitment towards becoming Rights Respecting Schools. With 38 Primary schools on their accreditation journey to achieve with UNICEF, 19 have achieved Bronze, 7 Silver, 1 Gold and a further 10 have registered to date. 4 schools have progressed their certification status in 2022, 9 in 2021, 11 in 2020 and 6 in 2019. The breakdown of engagements across the Local Authority is noted below. Page 38
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35 MAKI 9 x Primary Schools OLI 8 x Primary Schools HALCO 8 x Primary Schools Bute & Cowal 13 x Primary Schools Schools have been encouraged to engage with Argyll & Bute Council Poverty Awareness Training. 10 Primary staff members (teaching and non-teaching) participated in this training. A further training session was delivered in partnership with Education and Social Work to explore ways to engage with pupil voice in relation to Child Poverty. Kirn Primary School is piloting the approach to pupil voice on Child Poverty. Rockfield Primary School has undertook pupil and parental consultation concerning the cost of the school day. The National Parental Involvement and Engagement Census has seen a 7.6% increase in returns from Primary school parents and carers, compared to the pilot that took place in 2020. This survey concluded recently. Further analysis will provide the Local Authority and our schools with valuable information with regards to reviewing engagement as part of Covid renewal plans. Cardross Primary School contributed to the Education Scotland thematic inspection that resulted in “Engaging Families in Learning” engaging-families-in-learning-a-thematic-inspection-of-family- learning-feb-2021.pdf (education.gov.scot). This was published in February 2021. A number of our schools were involved in thematic inspections with Education Scotland. Inveraray Primary School has been included as a case study within the report that examines “Successful Approaches to Learning Outdoors” Successful Approaches to Learning Outdoors | National Thematic Inspections | HM Chief Inspector Report | Inspection and review | What we do | Education Scotland. This was published in February 2022. Numeracy MAKI schools have taken part in a variety of professional learning opportunities this session. Several schools have signed up for a series of sessions looking at SEAL (the stages of early arithmetical learning), an approach which seeks to ensure that children have a solid understanding of the building blocks that sit behind later Maths learning and are learning at a pace that is right for them. 7 schools have also taken part in training offered by the Learning through Landscapes organisation, which supports staff in delivering Maths in an outdoor environment. Inveraray Primary School has taken the lead in supporting other schools across Argyll in discussing ways in which we maximise pupil retention and recall in Maths. Schools have access to the online Maths programme, Sumdog, which supports a number of competitions and challenges, including regular Argyll and Bute inter-schools challenges. A P7/6 pupil from Tarbert was the highest scoring pupil in the February competition, Bowmore Gaelic Unit placed 3rd overall in the same competition, while Inveraray P4/5 were daily winners in the March contest. Secondary schools have also been engaged with a variety of Numeracy opportunities – all Maths departments are represented at the Northern Alliance’s Subject Specific Support Group, giving them the opportunity to discuss current issues in the teaching of Maths with their colleagues across the North of Scotland. Campbeltown Grammar School and Islay High School have attended training organised through the Northern Alliance in Maths Balance – an intervention designed to support S1 and S2 pupils who need some additional input to ensure they achieve their full potential. Page 39
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36 Literacy All Secondary English departments are also represented at the Northern Alliance’s Subject Specific Support Group and have been involved in the setting up of 2 sessions to support the discussion of consistent standards across the whole of the North of Scotland. Dalintober Primary School and Lochgilphead Primary School are also represented at Education Scotland’s Literacy and English Curricular Network, where they have the opportunity to work alongside colleagues from across Scotland to discuss key priorities in Literacy. Primary practitioners across MAKI have engaged with a range of Literacy development opportunities. These include 4 sessions examining approaches to the teaching of writing and 3 sessions exploring Storyline, a way of engaging pupils with Literacy in an inter disciplinary context. MAKI practitioners have also taken part in a series of sessions introducing practitioners at early level to Emerging Literacy, an approach to Literacy learning which ensures that every child is working at a pace appropriate to their developmental stage. Page 40
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37 Ardrishaig Primary School We focused on a small group of girls within our Nurture work at school who were displaying self- image and self-esteem behaviours because of eating disorders, dyslexia and bereavement. As part of Covid Recovery we have focussed on wellbeing within our nurture sessions. We deliberately kept the group small to take part in self-care activities. The girls planned Spa afternoons where healthy treats were provided. During these sessions the girls enjoyed 1:1 time with each other. After week 2 the girls opened up about feelings about food and how they saw themselves. This then allowed us as a school support them around times of anxiety and with their families. The biggest impact has been that we have made referrals to support the girls and families into looking further into ‘why’ they are experiencing concerning habits. These tendencies could have gone unnoticed in the classroom as they try so hard to cover up and cope. At a school level the girls are smiling more and love their sessions. They have been baking and eating new healthy treats. They have been taking care of their hair and have even been carrying a little hand cream too make themselves feel special. Small steps! Page 41
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38 Keills Primary School A priority in this year’s school improvement plan was to increase opportunities and raise awareness relating to the UNCRC. A pupil led steering group was set up to raise awareness around the school community. All children were placed into ‘KIT’ (Keill’s Improvement Teams) and work weekly on action plans and creative projects to highlight the importance of Children’s’ rights. This work has been linked to our Health and Wellbeing curriculum and children have identified ways in which the articles are implemented in their school life. This work ties in with the NIF key priority of improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing along with Argyll and Bute key objectives; ensuring children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed and strengthening leadership at all levels. Children have an increased awareness of their rights and are actively involved in making decisions that affect the school. Children feel that they have a strong voice within the school and are becoming ‘change makers’. They feel more confident in supporting each other and embracing the UNCRC by showing respect for all The school has just achieved the Rights Respecting Schools Bronze Award: Rights Committed. This recognises our commitment to placing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of our ethos and are working towards becoming a Rights Respecting School. Page 42
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39 Small Isles Primary A priority in this year’s school improvement plan was to increase opportunities and raise awareness relating to the UNCRC. A pupil led steering group was set up to raise awareness around the school community. All children were placed into improvement teams, a pupil council, outdoor learning team and rights and Health and Wellbeing team. Pupils have engaged with the “How Good is Our School?” document and groups have planned events and developed action plans for school improvement. This work ties in with the NIF key priority of improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing along with Argyll and Bute key objectives; ensuring children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed and strengthening leadership at all levels. Children have an increased awareness of their rights and are actively involved in making decisions that affect the school. Children feel that they have a strong voice within the school and are becoming ‘change makers’. They feel more confident in supporting each other and embracing the UNCRC by showing respect for all. The school has just achieved the Rights Respecting Schools Bronze Award: Rights Committed. This recognises our commitment to placing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of our ethos and are working towards becoming a Rights Respecting School. Page 43
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40 Achahoish Primary School Oyster Bed Reintroduction Project Highlighting good work in Numeracy, Outdoor Learning, Learning For Life and Work. All pupils in Achahoish Primary joined with Heart of Argyll Wildlife for a one year community study, aimed at charting the reintroduction of native oysters into our sea. The first visit to the beds in November was to weigh, measure and mark our individual oysters so we can continue working on our growth survey though the year. Children learnt about following instructions, water safety, the importance of oysters to our eco system and why they are being reintroduced. All pupils took measurements and recoded findings in graphs. During the second visit in April, we took the same measurements and began to look at changes and similarities. Children were able to apply their learning in number and measure to a real life setting. They could see the application for recording our findings and could talk about links to jobs within the community. This study will continue through the year. ‘We measured the oysters and recoded their size,’ said P3 ‘We I found the average wind speed by taking 6 results adding them then dividing by 6’ said a P5 ‘We were using what we learn in maths skills,’ said a P3 One P3 measured the PH of the water, ‘it was 7,’ she said ‘We weighed the oysters in grams using scales,’ said P4 Page 44
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41 Carradale Primary School P4-7 STEM focus was the ‘Scottish Engineering Leaders Award’. Each year pupils at Carradale Primary School compete in this nationally recognised competition. The process involves the group interviewing an industry engineer; this year we interviewed a Motorsports specialist. The pupils then think of a problem that needs to be solved and from this begin designing an invention. The final step involved the children writing a persuasive letter about why their invention should be built to a panel of engineers who grade the pupils work. In recent years, Carradale has had a number of pupils receiving a ‘Distinction’, the highest level of award. This results in the pupil’s designs being displayed at a local university. Staff have been working closely with pupils to develop the outdoor learning environment and play spaces around the school. Through consultation with pupils, specific outdoor resources were selected and during staff inset days these areas were developed. The pupils have shown high degrees of engagement in their learning and play in these spaces. The forest den, mud kitchen and gardening/growing areas have been beneficial to the pupils’ school experiences. Carradale P4-7 pupils have continued to use technology in order to enhance learning throughout the curriculum. Pupils continue to grow in confidence using a variety of media to present learning and communicate with others. Learning has involved writing emails to their peers and teaching staff in other schools through Glow. Pupils are increasingly selective in presenting learning, demonstrating proficiency in their use of sway, Jamboard and google slide presentations. Castlehill Primary School Page 45
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42 All classes - Outdoor Learning With the help of funding from our local Co-Op, Castlehill purchased lots of new Outdoor Learning equipment. This is now stored in a central area within the school, where all classes have access to it. A timetable has been compiled so that every class has several slots a week, where they have priority over the use of the equipment and the outdoor areas. Activities cover the whole curriculum but main focuses tend to be language and literacy, numeracy and maths, science and STEM. A folder showing ideas for activities, is also kept in the storage area and teachers continue to add to this as they explore new ideas. Early results show that the children love the outdoor activities and engagement is high. We have found that the resources can be adapted to meet the needs of all age groups and abilities. Learning Outdoors is excellent for the health and wellbeing of all involved and gives a new take on how different skills can be taught and learnt. All classes – Seesaw Page 46
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43 Seesaw was introduced as another means of communicating with parents/carers during these difficult times. Parents/carers were given the option as to whether they wanted to sign up for this, thus allowing them to see their child’s work almost on a daily basis. The response from parents was exceedingly high. Teachers and pupils select work and activities to photograph or write about, then send them to the parents/carers. Parents/carers can only see their own child’s work, with the occasional ‘group’ photo included for all to see, if this is appropriate. Parents have the opportunity to ‘like’ or ‘comment’ on the images. Comments sent in by the parents have to be ‘approved’ by the teacher, before they can posted. Feedback from parents/carers is extremely positive, with many saying that they just love to see what the children have been doing and get an insight into to what is happening in the classroom. Parents/carers of older pupils in particular have commented that it means they can engage a great deal more with their child’s learning. Pupils will also now ask to have work photographed or recorded so that they can post it on Seesaw. Teachers have also commented on how useful and worthwhile they find this platform. They often post videos of the classroom wall displays and this is much appreciated by the parents/carers. Page 47
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44 Drumlemble Primary School OUTDOOR LEARNING We have been continuing to develop outdoor learning throughout the session as part of our School Improvement Plan and have now embedded planned outdoor sessions for every child for an afternoon each week. The children are able to use their skills in real life situations and cooperate to solve problems and carry out tasks linked to their classroom learning. P1-3 have been extending their ‘Landscapes’ topic outdoors. One of their challenges was to build Campbeltown using loose parts such as planks, crates and logs. One child said, ‘I built the Campbeltown Cross’ while another said, ‘I made the woodpile at the pier.’ Other outdoor learning involved building a farm and painting the local landscape. P4-7 used outdoor learning to enhance their ‘Transport’ topic. They built vehicles from large loose parts and measured a real car to create scale drawings. A child described this activity as ‘Making your brain really work!’ They also created chalk road systems. Both classes have used the outdoor area to develop numeracy and literacy skills, carrying out practical activities such as making equations, using natural materials to represent numbers, and telling stories in the garden area. There are also free play opportunities at playtimes where children can access loose parts, the mud kitchen, gardening tools and sports equipment. All these activities require children to negotiate, share, cooperate and evaluate. The outdoor space allows the children greater freedom to explore and promotes their Health and Wellbeing. The children express obvious enjoyment in their time outdoors. Page 48
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45 Clachan Primary School Highlighting good work in Literacy, digital literacy and STEM All pupils in Clachan Primary took part in the Schools Animation Project with the Campbeltown Picture House, this led to participation in the Ecolas Project. Storyboards, film posters, models and props in our wall display All Clachan pupils attended Campbeltown Picture House over a period of 10 weeks to learn skills and applications of animation and film making led by Alasdair Satchel. Back in the classroom, each pupil worked independently to create their own short animated film. Starting with creating a story board, the children thought about progression and setting a scene. This was used as a stimuli for writing, as the children wrote scripts and stories adding depth to their original ideas. The next step was to create our animated characters and props. We were fortunate to attend a session led by Aardman animation’s Jim Parkyn to help pupils think about personality and movement. Exploring emotion and communication through animation In school each child set up their own production area, and independently shot their own short film following their scripts and storyboard, thinking about emotions and emotional language, both verbal and nonverbal. This helped our young people explore their own feelings and think about how they communicate. In creating the films, the pupils had to first learn how to use Stop Motion Studio software on their ipads, use filming techniques, sound recording and Garage Band. The short films were shared on the big screen at the cinema, celebrated by parents and family- bringing the children pride in their work and building confidence in their abilities as story tellers, technology users and creative thinkers. This project allowed our learners to take the next step in filmmaking, joining the Ecolas film project. In this film making approach the pupils continue to learn apply digital technology to create ways to communicate and develop ideas. Page 49
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46 Craignish Primary School The children in Craignish Primary school have recently been learning about keeping safe, managing emergency situations and first aid. All the children from P1 to P7 took part in activities and learning relevant to their age and stage and really rich ‘hands on’ learning took place. At the early stages the children learnt about what to do in an emergency situation and practiced dialing the emergency services. The children in P1-3 were also learning about the recovery position. All the children were able to practice this and learned to assess and manage risk in order to protect themselves and others. At the upper stages the children looked at various emergency scenarios and in cooperative groups talked about the steps they’d take to respond. This involved learning CPR, managing cuts and falls and bumps to the head, cardiac arrest and choking. The impact of this very practical learning experience was considerable across our school with all children able to talk about their learning and recognise the importance of the skills and knowledge they had acquired. This directly impacts the national priority - Improvement in children and young people's health and wellbeing. Page 50
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47 Glassary Primary School P1-3 Numeracy: Capacity, measuring with increasing accuracy. Independent data-collection. Literacy: Following written instructions. Science: Exploring dissolving in water. a) Children in P2 and 3 took part in an activity measuring in millilitres with a degree of accuracy. They had previously learned about reading scales. They followed numbered written instructions independently and cooperatively to make a magic potion where the ingredients made layers so that the teacher could see the accuracy. b) Children in P1-3 grouped in mixed pairs. They followed verbal instructions given prior to the session carefully, and mixed a range of labelled substances with an amount of water they measured out themselves having practiced pouring and observing scales. They observed whether the substance dissolved or not, and recorded their results independently. These activities encouraged enjoyment, cooperation, independence and confidence and allowed the teacher to step back and observe progress. The impact was that the children felt like real scientists and felt trusted. Page 51
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48 Glassary Primary On Friday the 1st April the whole school took part in activities to raise awareness of the number of people who do not have access to fresh water and good sanitation. The children found out how children suffer in so many different ways for lack of access to. The children raised over £60 for Water Aid, a charity whose aims include full access to clean water for the whole world by 2030. This was as part of our commitment to our Rights Respecting Schools Bronze award. We are learning about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Right Number 24 (The right to clean water etc.) We walked down our Glen, to represent the distance some children have to walk to collect water. We tried to balance bean bags on our heads too. Unfortunately some of our activities were postponed, ironically because of rain. However, we will be having active quizzes, races etc soon (weather permitting). The activities have been planned with the pupils, who have used their literacy skills – reading to find out about the charity, writing to promote the event on the 1st April and reporting on the day. We also used maths and numeracy skills in calculating the distance of our walk, data handling and money. Page 52
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49 Kilmartin Primary School This session P4-7 pupils have been able to develop listening and talking skills by participating in weekly Homework Shares. They have chosen activities from a grid made up of options that they discussed and compiled as a class, each term. They have been able to choose activities that have involved applying literacy, numeracy, and creative skills. They have been encouraged to focus on the process and not the result. Presenting their homework to the class has developed pupil’s communication skills and they have been supported to build confidence with this. Peers have been encouraged to ask questions and give feedback about presentations, which has developed listening and questioning skills. This weekly activity has had a positive impact on pupil’s health and wellbeing as well as literacy skills; pupils engaged well with presentations, and exploring different types of questions (considering relevance, open ended and inferential questions) to achieve better understanding, learn more or challenge. This has led to pupils demonstrating improved confidence, inclusive behaviour, empathy, and enjoyment of being listened to and respected, with their contributions valued in a supportive environment. Many presentations have been made using power points and pupils have enjoyed creating and sharing these and developing their digital literacy skills. Homework Shares have given pupils regular opportunities to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors as well as developing skills for learning, life and work. Page 53
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50 Port Charlotte Primary School At Port Charlotte Primary School we have been focussing on our nurturing approach in line with HGIOS 3.1 ‘Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion’ and Argyll and Bute’s key objective ‘Ensure children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed’. This means that all children have the emotional and psychological support that they need to grow, develop and learn. Relationships are key and we follow the principle that all behaviour is communication. Our staff have undertaken lots of training about neuroscience, child development and building relationships. Our pupils are very kind and supportive to each to each other and they emulate what the staff model, reinforcing our nurturing ethos. We have been working on mindfulness, working in mixed age clans, learning Makaton, learning about empathy, nurture groups and learning about emotions. We recently reviewed our nurturing ethos with our pupils who had lots to say about it. Archie said “I learned that accepting our feelings, showing we care and being kind and helpful all help our mental health”. Ruby said “The older children help the younger children. We also help children who find things harder than others.” We believe that this approach is allowing our pupils to thrive and follow our school motto of ‘Be the Best you can Be’. We are delighted that our hard work has been recognised by the Council’s new ‘Our Children Their Nurturing Education’ Award Scheme: we have been awarded a Silver Nurture Award, the highest level awarded so far. Page 54
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51 Gigha Primary School and ELCC Our children have become Young Reporters, taking on the responsibility of documenting and recording school events and activities and using this information to regularly report to our island community. Our children lead a range of partnership projects including community food waste composting and a new community recycling shed with boxes for stationary, toothpaste and toiletry tubes, batteries and garden pots/seed trays. Food growing in our new raised beds and polycrub is also a focus for their partnership work with local families. Staying in close communication with all partners enabled our children to take a pride in their school, bolstering their sense of belonging and promoting confidence and agency in taking decisions about issues which are important to them. These activities have been crucial in covid recovery and have helped to combat the sense of disconnection, isolation and loneliness that many of us have experienced. They have also served to help develop key creative literacy and numeracy skills as well as interpersonal skills of co-operation, teamwork and dialogue. The culmination of their efforts will be to host a Children’s Festival on Gigha on 10th and 11th June 2022 for which the children have led all of the planning and organising of activities. This has enhanced their skills in creativity and wellbeing, using a rights based approach to ensure that their festival has kindness, inclusion and a true Gigha welcome at its heart. They have exercised their imaginations to demonstrate great ingenuity, adaptability and an incredible sense of playfulness! Page 55
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52 Inveraray Primary School This year we have used Outdoor Learning as part of our COVID recovery strategy. This has helped children to develop resilience and learning readiness and has, in turn helped to raise attainment in literacy and numeracy. Our outdoor strategy has taken on board the views of parents, young people and national advisors and ensures a cohesive and progressive outdoor learning experience from the nursery through to P7. Our work has gained national recognition in the press (TES online) and with Education Scotland where it was included as a case study in the recent thematic inspection. Children in all classes learn skills relevant to outdoors, social interaction (e.g. teamwork and communication), personal skills such as self-regulation and literacy and numeracy skills in school grounds, at the beach and in local woodland. Our youngest children spend around 50% of their learning time outdoors, children in P1-3, around 30% and children in P4-7 around 25% of their time. This time helps them to be even more ready to apply skills to learning back in the classroom. Page 56
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53 Rhunahaorine Primary School Throughout this session the children have worked on a stop motion animation project. Funding was granted from the West Kintyre Windfarm Trust which paid for ten visits to Campbeltown where the children worked with a professional film-maker and Campbeltown Picture House staff. Children learnt about different styles of medium in animation. Each child used a storyboard and plan to build on their ideas to produce their own using stop motion. Finally they composed their own soundtracks using ‘Garage Band’ which was added to their films. Glenbarr and Clachan Primaries were also involved and the project culminated with all the children watching their own animations on the big screen at the picture house. Each child received a small Oscar style trophy to celebrate their success. The project broadened the children’s horizons of just what they are capable of and to opportunities which are available in their futures. This was an exceptional project at an opportune time following covid restrictions enabling all the children to travel out their boundaries and have some learning fun. Page 57
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54 Tayvallich Primary School ELC As part of Health and Wellbeing the ELC children were learning about “Our Body” and were very interested in the skeleton. The children created a skeleton using natural materials outdoors. This involved lots of counting and measuring of different sized sticks for the ribs. The children used pebbles for the fingers and toes and again this involved counting out pebbles. The children were in total control of this exercise and had no adult intervention. They lay down on the ground at the end to see if they were the same size. This ties in with our national and local priorities in spending time outdoors and developing children’s language and numeracy. The impact of this exercise was that the children took control of their learning therefore learning at their level and engaging fully in what they were doing. Their interests were being developed and also being extended by their new knowledge of the skeleton Page 58
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55 Tayvallich Primary School Whales, Dolphins and Sharks Live Session. We had the opportunity to take part in a live information session, delivered virtually by the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust. The session was appropriately pitched to the pupils within the multi composite class and gave them a taster of the type of marine animals that live in our waters. The children were fully engaged throughout the session and had many questions they wanted to ask, as well as information that they wanted to share. The session ignited their interest within this area and they asked if it could be their next topic focus. The decided to focus on the minke whale, bottlenose dolphin and the basking shark, all of which were in the live session. The children worked collaboratively and created a mind map of what they already knew, followed by what they wanted to find out. From this we were able to plan our learning and provide the pupils with a variety of learning experiences. The pupils loved the topic, however due to pupil and staff absences as a result of covid we didn’t get to spend as much time on it as we would have liked. As a result of this the pupils will be continuing with their topic after the Easter break. Page 59
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56 Tayvallich Primary School 4 – 7 I was given the opportunity to sign the Primary 6 and 7s up to a cyber-resilience course. This consisted of three workshops over the course of three weeks where pupils were faced with several tasks. Each workshop required me to put a lot of time into setting up the classroom to ensure it was ready for the live workshop. I needed to make sure all resources were available and clearly set out for the pupils. The pupils were all very engaged in each session and enjoyed exploring and learning new skills in technology. The pupils had to each sit a final test at the end of the three weeks. This tested their knowledge of each workshop. All pupils passed and received a level 3 SQFA qualification from this. They all filled out a questionnaire about their confidence and feelings towards cyber resilience and digital citizenship. All pupils agreed their confidence has risen greatly and they would consider a future career in digital/cyber work. Page 60
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57 Lochgilphead Primary School Our P4 pupils recently took part in a STEM workshop delivered by Astro Physics students from Edinburgh University. The University students are building a rocket that will be launched into Space and wanted to find excellent young engineers to share their rocket design ideas. The pupils were tasked with each designing their own rocket. After making their models, they then had a test launch! It was a competition to see whose rocket could travel the furthest. Rocket launchers made of tubes and water bottles were used; the pupils stamped on the bottles, using air force for the launch. Pupils then used trundle wheels to measure, record and compare how far each rocket had travelled. None of the rockets made it quite as far as space but the children had a thoroughly good time and shared the following reflections: “If your rocket has good aerodynamics, it will fly really far.” “We had a lot of fun designing our rockets. We designed the cone, the wings and the fins. All of our rockets were unique.” When asked if they would consider a future career in engineering, many of the children said they would; highlighting the importance of workshops such as this in terms of Developing the Young Workforce and supporting our young people to understand the broad range of career opportunities available to them. Two female students delivered the workshop, also promoting the role of women in science. P4 now know that, in terms of learning and careers, the sky is definitely not the limit! Page 61
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58 Dalintober Primary School This year as part of our SIP, Play Pedagogy has been a key focus of development within P1-3 classrooms. Realising the Ambition: Being Me has been a key driver for this, ensuring that children are allowed to explore and develop within their learning and ensuring a smooth transition from ELC – P1. In August, staff began looking at their classroom environments in order to make these calming places for the children to work and learn. Neutral colours were introduced on walls, loose parts were gathered and areas within the room were created. Across the stages there has been a variety of free choice play, adult initiated learning and child-led learning. Maths and literacy have been a key focus area for play, ensuring a variety of materials and resources have been on offer to the pupils to practice and develop their skills. Fine motor skills have been a key area that staff have ensured that there has been resources to develop. Through this we have seen pupils develop their hand muscle strength and movements which has helped them with their progression into writing. Block play has allowed pupils to show their creativity and imagination through the models and structures they have created. Role play/small world has allowed for development of talking/listening through creation of stories. Pupils have been involved in planning their own learning, discussing what they want to find out about and then drawing plans and creating role play areas of their choice to meet their learning. Staff have noticed that social skills have developed in children through their opportunities to work with a variety of peers in a context of their choice. Page 62
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59 Furnace Primary School As part of our Ancient Egyptian topic we mummified Barbie! During this process we used lots of appropriate vocabulary to describe each stage whilst using our imaginations to remove the organs, salt the body then wrap in cloth (toilet roll). The children from P3-7 learned about the various artefacts people would be buried with and created their own list of what they would like in their tombs. Activity ties in with improving attainment levels in literacy through developing their confidence in explaining processes and sequencing Page 63
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60 Glenbarr Primary School Glenbarr have been working with other small schools on a Digital Literacy Animation project in conjunction with Alasdair Satchel and Campbeltown Picturehouse. Each child across the school learned skills in model making, filming, animation and sound which culminated in the making of an animation linked to that of their peers. Glenbarr children decided to create films on the theme of “The Perils of Glenbarr Eco Farm” and each film had a humorous eco theme, such as Mrs Macdonald’s eco car doing doughnut spins, the cows fuelling the tractors with methane gas and such like. This collaborative working gave our children the chance to connect with others outside their close community and to meet other children with whom they had shared interests. This went some way towards our priorities in increasing wellbeing, as well as addressing experiences and outcomes for digital literacy, as identified in the SIP. A showcase is being held at The Picturehouse on April 1st to share our learning with parents and celebrate the children’s achievements. The project has impacted on our children positively by enabling them to get out of the confines of the school and mix with other children from small schools. It has given them a chance to achieve in a new area of learning and has also provided opportunity to celebrate achievement Page 64
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61 Tarbert Academy A topic in Primary 7 and 6 has been Global Food. The learners have explored global trade including where our food comes from and how international trade works. They thoroughly enjoyed playing a trading game simulating finances and resources a range of countries may have and the impact this has on wealth. They have learnt about the parts of the Healthy Eating Plate and produced persuasive leaflets about healthy snacks and food for children. They have had regular baking sessions to taste different staple ingredients such as oats, flour and rice and learn about cooking methods. The children have followed procedural instructions and weighed out ingredients using a variety of scales and spoons to measure fractions of amounts. Their bread was amazing and the children took great pride in serving Red Nose cakes to other children at morning break. The class have learnt about the digestive system and where different nutrients are absorbed. They have also taken part in a range of science challenges linked to food such as separation of substances and reversible and irreversible changes. The children have set up a fantastic school Tuck Shop after exploring the Healthy Food in Schools Guidelines and food labelling. They have been researching new products weekly depending on how items have sold. They have also learnt about advertising, profit and loss, health and hygiene and balance sheets. They have done a superb job and hope to purchase some fun maths resources for the school from the profit made. Page 65
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62 Bowmore Primary School Gaelic Week To celebrate our Gaelic language and culture, we took part in Seachdain na Gàidhlig 2022. We organised a range of activities for all children throughout the school. G1-7 and P1/2 spent a morning in the woods to learn Gaelic Vocabulary, build dens and listen to a Gaelic Story. The children had been learning about the Easter story and they collected lots of natural materials to create an Easter picture. The children benefitted from being in the outdoors and gained new experiences. We invited all of the P7 pupils from all over Islay and Jura to take part in a bilingual transition activities. The children participated in Gaelic warm up games to get to know each other and to learn some Gaelic Vocabulary. They then took part in orienteering where they were put into teams and use their map reading and teamwork skills to navigate their way round the school grounds. At each point, there was a jigsaw piece to find. Once they had collected all of the jigsaw pieces, they used their problem solving skills to make the jigsaw which spelt out a Gaelic place name. They had to then work together to mark the place on the map. This was very successful and allowed the children to get to know each other through Gaelic activities. They then played a game of Gaelic Beetle Drive where the used their Gaelic numbers and body parts. The children thoroughly enjoyed meeting their peers that they will be with in High School and this helped to ease some of their anxieties about moving up. Bowmore Primary School GME Trip The Gaelic medium P4-7 class were the first to attend a residential school trip, as soon as Covid restrictions allowed in April 2022. The three day event was held in Edinburgh and organised by CnaG with participants from all GME classes in Argyll and Bute, and further afield. Experiences were lead and were taught through the medium of Gaelic which included a visit to Dynamic Earth, The National Museum of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle as well as a range of leisure activities organised by our school in the evenings, where Gaelic was spoken in a different context and out with our learning environment. Page 66
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63 As a small class of only six pupils ranging from P4-7, and living on a remote island, it is rare that the opportunity arises to interact with other Gaelic speaking pupils of their age group. Covid-19 has presented a lot of challenge around Gaelic medium education in being able to develop Gaelic literacy skills in face to face social situations. For some of the pupils in the class it was the first school trip attended as restrictions have not permitted over the past two years. It is at the centre of the National Gaelic Language Plan as well as our school policy on GME to give our pupils opportunities to interact with other Gaelic speaking members, out with our school environment to promote Gaelic and develop a positive ethos for those immersed in the language in everyday education. The impact of this trip was not only social and wellbeing benefits but ensured Gaelic could be practiced in a fun and social environment and also allowed development of Gaelic vocabulary in new curricular contexts and a deepened appreciation for our language, highlighting possibilities for language usage in the future. Pupil Pippa Hannett, G6 wrote on return to school. ‘Bha mi cho toilichte nuair a rainig sinn Dun Eideann agus chunnaic mi an aite-fuirich againn! Cha robh mi a-riamh ann an Dun Eideann agus bha e cho gasta. Chunnaic sinn Greyfriar’s Bobby agus dh’ionnsaich sinn mu atharrachadh na gnath-shide aig Dynamic Earth. Ach an rud as fhearr leam-Laser Tag!’ Page 67
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64 Bowmore Primary Literacy / Numeracy P1/2 Literacy and Numeracy in P1/2 This year BPS took a different pedagogical approach to literacy and numeracy in the Primary 1 class. The approach to literacy, particularly writing, was a priority in our School Improvement Plan. In class we focussed on improving fine motor control through a variety of play activities, letter formation, dictation and focussed CVC practice using alphabet arches, games, concrete materials and apps. Homework took a similar approach and regular videos from the teacher to the parents, through Seesaw, supported parents. This consistent approach has reaped its rewards having a significant impact on the children’s writing skills with Primary 1 children writing detailed sentences independently. We have seen similar improvements in numeracy in the P1/2 focussing on ensuing the foundations of number are firm. To enable this we used a variety of different approaches including; delivering SEAL to the whole class, numicon, number bonds, Sumdog, Active Learn games, use of the active board and individual challenges set for an area of number/maths. The individual challenges motivated the children as they got to celebrate their success with the whole class when they had achieved their target – in turn motivating their peers. These targets were shared with parents via Seesaw including ‘things you can do at home to help.’ To support this further we sent home support packs so parents have the materials in order to help their children. This has resulted in greater confidence and success in number work with some children achieving higher than expected Page 68
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65 Bowmore Primary School P3/4 Last term, Primary 3 and 4 became budding engineers! The children were presented with a design challenge; they had to work together to create a vehicle that could travel the furthest down a ramp independently. Initially, they researched and investigated the core components their vehicle would need eg axles, body, wheels. Then the children set to work straight away, putting the engineering cycle into action. First they had to define the problem before brainstorming all the possible solutions. To enable them to do this, they had to draw on their previous learning about forces and properties of materials. The children then worked in pairs to design their vehicle, labelling the materials required. There was great discussion at this point in the process. With the planning complete, the children then worked cooperatively to bring their creations to life. This was quite a challenge! When complete, the children shared their creations with the rest of the class, explaining each part, how it moved and justifying the materials they chose. It was then time for each pair to test their vehicles in the hall. Some designs were more successful than others and some improvements had to be made; all part of the process. There was great tension and cheering could be heard from the hall as each pair placed their car at the top of the ramp then measured the distance it travelled. Argyll and Bute’s shared vision for Education Services of ambition and excellence were evident throughout. Bowmore Primary School P5-7 Through interdisciplinary learning, P5/6/7 have been learning about ‘Scottish Myths and Legends’. The children were able to identify and describe the main features of this particular genre using evidence from each text. They were able to identify and visualise the different characters and settings from each story, summarising the key points whilst making comments about the writer’s style. As a high quality assessment, the children were then asked to write their own mythical story applying their knowledge of structure and using the features appropriate to the genre. They created stories and illustrated them, before using their talking and listening skills to share them with younger children as part of World Book Day. As writing is a focus on the school improvement plan, this topic allowed the children to develop their writing skills as well as give them the opportunity to apply their learning in a creative way. Page 69
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66 Bowmore Primary School Short Story Winner Writing is an area that we as a school are working on developing. Giving the children opportunities to improve the overall quality of their work through various contexts and genres allows each child to edit and self-assess their work, seeing progression over time. In February, all children in P5/6/7 entered the ‘Scottish Book Trust’s 50 words competition’. The task was to write a creative story about a blanket within a word limit of 50 words. This proved to be challenging. Aurora Rangasamy a pupil in Bowmore Primary, P6, was February’s winner. She ensured there was a variety of punctuation in her piece as well including exciting openers to engage the reader. Aurora’s achievement was celebrated at our whole school assembly, through the school’s social media as well as in the local paper. This literacy achievement has given others ambition to up level their own work and enter more local and national competitions. Page 70
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67 Port Ellen Primary School P2-4 To tie in with the COP26 event in Glasgow the whole school undertook interdisciplinary learning on the theme of climate change. This also tied in with one of our Eco-School action points – Eco Action. Classes participated in the Argyll & Bute online conference, looked at climate change and causes, investigated the cryosphere and sea level changes through scientific investigation, thought about the impact climate change would have on the weather patterns and how rising sea levels would affect us here in Islay just as much as far flung islands in the Pacific. We looked to see how what we could do to help and how we could live more sustainably. We worked with the Islay Energy Trust to find out about a more sustainable energy mix for the island and had a big focus on reducing waste. P2/3/4 thought about the waste associated with Christmas and made adverts persuading people to reduce their waste at Christmas. Both P2/3/4 and P5/6/7 had input from a local company reusing denim. P5/6/7 designed and made eco-bags while P2/3/4 reused denim in their various designs for toys, tool belts and bags. Learning for sustainability and developing scientific literacy are key to developing responsible citizens of the future. Page 71
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68 Port Ellen Primary Gaelic Learning Primary 5-7, which is a multi-composite class of 20 children, participated in a series of workshops run by Treoir. This group of local Islay and Jura art, music and drama specialists came into school and delivered really engaging and fun Expressive Arts mixed with Gaelic language sessions. There was storytelling group work with percussion added followed by a mix of visual art whilst encouraging Gaelic vocabulary and phrases. At the beginning there were a few shy pupils but soon they were all engaged and became more confident to try new experiences as the workshops progressed. They particularly enjoyed outdoor learning with Treoir too, exploring their local environment, learning Gaelic words and taking this back to the classroom for more creative artwork. This healthy, cultural learning is important to the school and can be seen throughout all ages and stages. Everyone makes use of our amazing school grounds and outdoor learning resources plus we are very fortunate to be located right beside our adopted beach. Port Ellen Primary School P5-7 For Maths Week Scotland this year the school took part in the Maths Inside photography competition. This competition is open to everyone in Scotland; you comment on the maths that relates to a photo. It helps build an understanding of the relevance of maths to our everyday lives and helps build connections for children in their mathematical understanding. We had 2 children who received a Second Level Commended Entry and certificate; Iona for her picture of the logs from chopped down trees on the Oa and Connor for his use of maths to estimate the number of words he read in a book. We also had a highly commended at Early Level for Elana’s photo of the sea. Even more exciting we had an overall winner at second level; Finlay for his photo of fishing boats in Port Ellen- he talked about the different maths you needed to be a fisherman. Even MORE exciting we had the Overall Category Winner for ‘Climate Change’; Evie for her photo of a locally caught fish we filleted for our food topic. She wondered about the maths needed to Page 72
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69 calculate how many fish and other creatures there are in the seas and how we know if we are overfishing. We were also a highly commended school for the number and quality of our entries. Bowmore and Port Ellen Primaries – Islay Distilling is a huge part of life on Islay and has been for centuries, providing work to many generations of Islay families. The schools on Islay have always been wary of carrying out a distilling topic as it could be deemed controversial with its extrinsic link to alcohol however Bowmore and Port Ellen Primaries were granted permission from Education Scotland and are currently working on a joint topic on distilling. The schools have been very lucky to be able to visit Bruichladdich, Bowmore and Laphroaig so far with a visit to Ardbeg happening next week. Through these visits the children have been able to see first hand the whisky making process as well as the different jobs and careers which are available within the industry. Bowmore’s G4-7 and P5-7 visited Bowmore distillery where they learned about the germination process on the malt and then how the barley turns into whisky. The children were able to link their learning from school experiments to real life distillery operations. Page 73
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70 The classes generously gifted a fab goody bag from the distillery containing a 'germinate your own malt at home kit'. Port Ellen’s P2/3/4 were able to walk to Laphroaig and meet with manager Barry MacAffer. He gave them an excellent tour of the distillery and it was fantastic for the children to see the whole process from malt to cask. The children loved the malting floor and even had a go of turning the malt which was a real hit. James said that he wanted to do that when he was bigger! Barry explained all the science behind the different processes which helped the children put the experiments they had been doing for science week into a real context. The children were all given a bag of barley to try and germinate back at school and this will be added back into the whisky one day! The children loved his enthusiasm for his job and he made the process easy for them to understand. P5/6/7 in both schools have been using some distilling equipment bought using successful kickstart funding. This has allowed them to ‘distil’ cherry cola to extract the cherry essence. The children were amazed at the strength of the essence they were able to extract and plan to use it again to find out more about fractional distillation. During Science week both schools carried out experiments using yeast to observe chemical reactions. The children tested the yeast in varying temperatures and amounts to see whether they could get enough carbon dioxide to blow up a balloon. This was then linked to the process of changing wort to wash. On Tuesday 22nd March Port Ellen Primary had a ‘googlemeet’ with Georgie Crawford from Farkin distillery to find out more about the plans for the new distillery there. The children were very excited to hear about the process of this building and were given the opportunity to ask questions about how it will be powered, its sustainable goals and the potential for new jobs and housing for the community. The younger classes in the schools have been taking a slightly different approach. P1/2 in Port Ellen have been exploring their senses and caring out many different experiments to investigate how these work together to help us understand the world around us. We are now planning on linking this knowledge to find out about the chemical reactions between sugar, barley, water and yeast to create a wash. We plan on creating our own syrups and cordials in order to make our own mocktails to share at our open afternoon. P1/2 and G1/2/3 have been learning about farming and its impact on how we live. The children have been investigating food miles and the importance of shopping local. They plan to look at the barley growth on Islay and how this supports our many distilleries. Page 74
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71 School Contacts A - PRIMARY SCHOOLS ESTABLISHMENT NAME NAME TITLE ADDRESS POST CODE TELEPHONE NO. Achahoish Primary School Lucy Blake Head Teacher Shared Headship Clachan Achahoish Primary School Achahoish, Lochgilphead, Argyll PA31 8NZ 01880 770288 Ardrishaig Primary School Louise Paterson Head Teacher Ardrishaig Primary School Ardrishaig, Argyll PA30 8HF 01546 603695 Bowmore Primary School Maureen MacDonald Head Teacher Shared Headship Port Ellen Bowmore Primary School Bowmore, Isle of Islay, Argyll PA43 7JX 01496 810522 Carradale Primary School Richard Long Head Teacher Shared Headship Drumlemble, Castlehill Carradale Primary School Carradale, Campbeltown, Argyll PA28 6SD 01583 431244 Castlehill Primary School Richard Long Head Teacher Shared Headship Carradale, Drumlemble Castlehill Primary School Campbeltown, Argyll PA28 6LE 01586 553446 Clachan Primary School Lucy Blake Head Teacher Shared Headship Achahoish Clachan Primary School Clachan, Tarbert, Argyll PA29 6XL 01880 740258 Craignish Primary School Donna Scholefield Head Teacher Craignish Primary School Ardfern, Lochgilphead, Argyll PA31 8QN 01852 500652 Page 75
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72 Dalintober Primary School Caroline Armour Head Teacher Dalintober Primary School Dalaruan Street, Dalintober, Campbeltown, PA28 6HG 01586 552053 Drumlemble Primary School Richard Long Head Teacher Shared Headship Carradale Castlehill Drumlemble Primary School Drumlemble, Campbeltown, Argyll PA28 6PN 01586 810240 Furnace Primary School Lesley Goodwin Head Teacher Shared Headship Minard Furnace Primary School Furnace, Inveraray, Argyll PA32 8XN 01499 500627 Gigha Primary School Julie Wilson Head Teacher Gigha Primary School Isle of Gigha, Argyll PA41 7AA 01583 505259 Glassary Primary School Alison Ralston Head Teacher Shared Headship Tayvallich Glassary Primary School Glassary, Lochgilphead, Argyll PA31 8QA 01546 605219 Glenbarr Primary School Caroline Armour Head Teacher Shared Headship Dalintober Glenbarr Primary School Glenbarr, Argyll PA29 6UT 0158 3421292 Inveraray Primary School Jay Helbert Head Teacher Inveraray Primary School Inveraray, Argyll PA32 8YH 01499 302218 Keills Primary School Andrew Welch Head Teacher Shared Headship Small Isles Keills Primary School Port Askaig, Isle of Islay, Argyll PA46 7RF 01496 840657 Kilchattan Primary School Kim Bentley Head Teacher Isle of Colonsay, Argyll PA61 7YR 01951200340 Kilmartin Primary School Namaste Bevan Head Teacher Kilmartin Primary School Kilmartin, Lochgilphead, Argyll PA31 8QF 01546 510293 Page 76
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73 Port Charlotte Primary School Maggie MacLellan Head Teacher Port Charlotte Primary School Port Isle of Islay, PA48 7TW 01496 850327 Port Ellen Primary School Maureen MacDonald Head Teacher Shared Headship Bowmore Port Ellen Primary School Port Isle of Islay, PA42 7BW 01496 302141 Rhunahaorine Primary School Catriona Brown Head Teacher Rhunahaorine Primary School Tayinloan, Tarbert, Argyll PA29 6XG 01583 441269 Small Isles Primary School Andrew Welch Head Teacher Shared Headship Keills Small Isles Primary School Small Isle of Jura, PA60 7XG 01496 820244 Tayvallich Primary School Alison Ralston Head Teacher Shared Headship Glassary Tayvallich Primary School Tayvallich, Lochgilphead, Argyll PA31 8PW 01546 870220 B - JOINT CAMPUSES ESTABLISHMENT NAME NAME TITLE ADDRESS POSTCODE TELEPHONE NO. Lochgilphead Joint Campus Ann Devine Principal Lochgilphead Joint Campus Lochgilphead Joint Campus, Kilmory, Lochgilphead PA31 8AA 01546 602598 C - 3 - 18 SCHOOLS ESTABLISHMENT NAME NAME TITLE ADDRESS POSTCODE TELEPHONE NO. Tarbert Academy Neil McKnight Head Teacher Tarbert Academy School Road, Tarbert, Argyll PA29 6TE 01880 820269 Tarbert Academy (Primary) Neil McKnight Head Teacher Tarbert Academy (Primary) School Road, Tarbert, Argyll PA29 6TE 01880 820269 Page 77
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74 E - LEARNING CENTRES ESTABLISHMENT NAME NAME TITLE ADDRESS POSTCODE TELEPHONE NO Lochgilphead Joint Campus Learning Centre Ann Devine Principal Lochgilphead Joint Campus Learning Centre Lochgilphead Kilmory, PA31 8AA 01546 602598 F - NURSERIES ESTABLISHMENT NAME NAME TITLE ADDRESS POSTCODE TELEPHONE NO. Campbeltown Nursery Fiona Armour Head of Centre Campbeltown Nursery Campbeltown Argyll PA28 6LE 01586 552397 Page 78