HMIE has launched the latest in its school im-provement series, a new edition of The Child at the Centre. Graham Donaldson, the head of the inspectorate, marked the occasion on Tuesday at Fallin Nursery, outside Stirling. It is aimed at the pre-school and early primary stages, asking them to measure themselves against the HMIE’s six-point scale from excellent to unsatisfactory. Mr Donaldson said encouraging children to learn through “purposeful play” will be among the things inspectors will be looking for.
A group of Glasgow youngsters is heading for the hills tomorrow - the Himalayas, to be precise. The 26 pupils and three teachers from 17 secondary schools will spend most of their time high up in a remote mountain village, working with locals to renovate their derelict school.
The trip involves teaming up with a charitable organisation, Fulcrum Challenge, which aims to give senior pupils the opportunity of personal development in a demanding setting, culminating in a project based in a third world country. The pupils have raised more than pound;50,000 for their adventure.
TV presenters and Hollywood actresses have been coming to the aid of Britain’s smallest mainland secondary, Kinlochbervie High in Sutherland.
Its 66 pupils came up with the idea of holding an auction ro raise funds for a minibus - with some celebrity help. Among the contributions have been a cartoon from Harrods owner and Highland laird Mohammed Al Fayed and a signed copy of Prince Charles’s book The Old Man of Lochnagar. The school says it needs the minibus to compensate for its remoteness, but cannot buy one out of the annual pound;1,200 budget it gets from High-land Council.
Bin It! is the latest campaign aimed at schools to encourage pupils to dispose of their chewing gum properly - with the public-spirited help of its Wrigley manufacturers. The new initiative will take the form of a programme led by an actor who will visit over 20 schools in the UK before the summer break, including Aberdeen’s Kincorth Academy next Thursday.
* www.chewitbinit.co.uk
Perth College has resolved its dispute with the Educational Institute of Scotland over the creation of new management posts, which had led to strike action. Following the involvement of ACAS, the arbitration service, 12 curriculum managers are to be consulted on whether they want to be represented by the EIS.
