Spark ideas

SCIENCE

Fifteen Aberdeen schools are joining a new Scottish programme designed to boost science education for primary pupils. The Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) will be introduced by Aberdeen City Council. It was started last year in England to raise the profile of science in primary schools, which receive gold, silver and bronze awards under the initiative.

Crime does play

DRAMA

The first play project in Scotland funded by the proceeds of crime and designed to reduce the chance of deprived youngsters growing up to become future offenders has been launched. Just Play is supported by pound;350,000 from the Cashback for Communities initiative, which uses money recovered from criminal activity. Run by Tayside Police and Angus Council it will offer vulnerable children meaningful play.

Dahl in dialect

LANGUAGE

Scots poet Christine De Luca read extracts of her Shetland dialect translation of a Roald Dahl story to primary pupils. Ms De Luca read Dodie’s Phenomenal Pheesic to a P5 class at Sound Primary in Lerwick, Shetland, on Monday. The reading was broadcast via Glow.

Brush up skills

ART

Workshops for primary pupils are being offered by the National Galleries of Scotland. The sessions, focusing mainly on music and drama, are part of a programme of educational workshops at the galleries. Primary teachers can also get tips on how to lead more creative art lessons, using techniques including print making and textiles.

Constructive class

GENERAL

Nursery and primary pupils in Dundee have been invited to see how construction of their new schools on a shared site is progressing. Youngsters from Park Place Nursery and Primary and St Joseph’s Primary paid a visit to the pound;9.6 million development at the start of the new session. The project is expected to be completed by autumn next year.