One door opens

History

Children celebrating their school’s centenary opened the doors to the public as part of Scotland’s Open Doors initiative. Pupils and staff at Bearsden Primary have been dressing up in 1911 costumes to show what life was like when their school opened.

Extra books

Literacy

Dolly Parton is helping more vulnerable pupils, after one council negotiated extra books from the singer’s Imagination library initiative. Under the scheme, every “looked after” child under five is entitled to a free book each month. Perth and Kinross Council has persuaded the Dollywood Foundation to include under-fives with voluntary social work involvement.

Diabetic pupils

Health

Scottish primary teachers are being urged to use new free resources to help diabetic pupils. The Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust (IDDT) Back to School pack and lesson plans aim to improve understanding of the condition. With 2.5 million people in the UK diagnosed as having Type 1 or 2 diabetes, many teachers will have pupils with the condition.

Going for golf

Sport

Thousands more Scottish children will be encouraged to try golf, thanks to a further pound;2 million investment in the national sport from the Scottish Government. First Minister Alex Salmond announced the funding on the final day of the Johnnie Walker Championship. It is the latest drive in the Government’s bid to introduce every nine-year-old in Scotland to the game.

Peek ahead

Careers

Primary pupils in Inverness got a sneak preview of what college life will be like. Under a new scheme, youngsters from Merkinch Primary donned overalls, hard hats and aprons at Inverness College UHI, where students gave hands-on practical workshops. The four-week initiative is offered to pupils from P4 to P7 to allow them to sample some of the vocational courses on offer at the Midmills campus.