Pointed praise from McConnell

11th March 2005, 12:00am
Knightsridge primary in Livingston has earned a pat on the back from the First Minister, who singled it out in his speech to the Scottish Labour Party conference.

Jack McConnell visited Knightsridge three weeks ago and said that while it was not in one of the richest parts of Scotland, “this great little school transformed itself in three years”.

Mr McConnell said: “The children were proud as punch of their school and their achievements, immaculately turned out in their uniforms, singing songs they had written about how great their school is, proudly telling me that their results had increased threefold in just three years.

“The kids, the headteacher, staff and parents of that school were just fantastic.”

But Mr McConnell had a barb waiting: “And now it’s time for Scotland’s secondary schools to reach all the way to the top too.”