A nursery and a high school in Edinburgh have achieved top marks at the Scottish Education Awards by scooping two prestigious trophies.
Hope Cottage Nursery won the Making a Difference (Early Learning and Childcare) award for their eco and sustainability projects while James Gillespie’s High School won the Gaelic Education Award for their development of Gaelic Medium Education (GME) and the part it plays in the school community.
And a hat-trick of national awards could be on the cards as later this month Firrhill High School are in the running to be named the best secondary school in the United Kingdom in the Times Educational Supplement (TES) awards on 23 June.
Hope Cottage’s philosophy is to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible and they have moved to a plastic free setting. They follow three simple rules in their daily practice of cutting down, cutting out and sourcing natural not synthetic. The children love the outdoor play spaces such as their wildlife-friendly garden and Forest Schools where they learn about nature, gardening and recycling.
James Gillespie’s was highlighted for fostering a culture of respect, ambition and achievement through the Gaelic Medium and helping promote the flourishing of the language. Their award recognised the school has developed a positive culture of continuous improvement in Gaelic Medium and Gaelic Learner Education while improving outcomes for all learners in ways which eliminate inequity.
Cllr Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, said:
It’s great to see that Hope Cottage and James Gillespie’s were successful in these national awards which reflects the excellent learning and teaching being provided in all of our settings right from early years up to high school.
Children and staff from the nursery gave an outstanding presentation to the Education Committee last week on what they are doing about the climate emergency – we all learned a lot. Best of luck to Firrhill in the TES Awards next week – let’s hope Edinburgh manages to complete the hat-trick!
Lisa McLaughlin, Principal Teacher at Hope Cottage Nursery, said:
We nurture our children’s love and wonder of the natural world. Engagement with our families and the wider community is extremely important to us. Through sharing sustainable play experiences, highlighting an ECO section within our monthly newsletters and appointing our sustainability leads, we have been able to make long lasting changes in not only our nursery, but in the lives of our children and their families.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank the highly skilled and dedicated team at Hope Cottage. These go ‘above and beyond’ each and every day, ensuring their interactions with children are meaningful and the experiences they provide are enriching. We hope this award will inspire other settings to make small sustainable changes. We can all ‘make a difference’ so let’s begin by making one small change today.
Neil McCallum, Head Teacher at James Gillespie’s High School, said:
We’re delighted to have won the Gaelic Education category. It’s an honour to be recognised and is a reflection of the hard work of all the staff.
The collaborative approach taken by staff has seen the growth and development of the range of subjects being delivered in the GME and has ensured that Gaelic is embedded in the culture of the school. This award is recognition of that and the excellent learning and teaching that takes place.