Father, husband, Head of Education at Inverclyde Council. Learning all the time! Passionate about developing excellence and equity for all. Views are my own.
Huge thanks to education staff working in childcare hubs over the long holiday weekend. I do wish people would stop referring to schools being “closed”. All of our staff have been working flat out since 23/3 either at home teaching remotely, working in hubs or prep learning packs
If you’re going to clap tonight or play your pipes, please give a massive round of applause for all the education team here in Inverclyde, both those out in schools and here at HQ. They’ve done a superb job managing remote learning, setting up childcare hubs and getting food out!
Maybe on the return to school we should ask what have you learned vs what have you forgotten? Avoid a deficit model. He couldn’t do this when we locked down and now he can!! Flying a kite btw!!
A great morning for
@StJohnsPG
and
@inverclyde
! Well done to all involved for organising this visit. Thanks to
@actnforchildren
for supporting us! The children were a credit to us all!
What an exciting morning for our friends at
@StJohnsPG
who received a visit from
@KensingtonRoyal
today.
Pick up a copy of tomorrow's paper for the full story and photographs!
Video:
@georgemunro_cam
5 years ago in March I was appt HOE which brought us home to start adoption no 2. Today a court confirmed the adoption order for Asim to be our son - the final part of our forever family! I can’t describe the journey, but it’s done. Sheer determination got us here! Thrilled!
A huge thank you to all staff in education services who have done an outstanding job in the most exceptional of circumstances during 2020. Your commitment to our young people and their education is inspiring. I hope you all have a great break over the holidays!
#teaminverclyde
So proud of team Inverclyde today as I visited the hubs. Wonderful to see staff working through the public holidays to provide childcare for key workers. Thanks to them all.
My thoughts are with the family of Gerry McHugh and the
@ndhs1
community at this time. Gerry was highly respected and had served the school and its community exceptionally well. He will be very much missed. A great teacher! So very sad.
By all accounts we have ended the week with all pupils phased and inducted safely back into school. We are all learning, reviewing and tweaking but the overall message has been how wonderful it is to see and hear young people in our schools again. Thanks to Team Inverclyde!!
Schools close today for the Easter holidays however the childcare hubs will remain open. Teachers will not share remote learning again until Monday 20th April. Have a good holiday everyone despite the lockdown situation. Thanks to all staff working over the Easter break in hubs.
Blown away by team Inverclyde, both the staff at Ed HQ and staff in schools and across HSPC, all pulling together to make sense of the rapidly changing context and planning to support families. Thank you team!
Some famous friends of Inverclyde sent our HOEs conference some messages of encouragement. Thanks to all of them for taking the time to do this. Cheered us all up no end! Here’s a few ....
My thanks to teachers in Inverclyde and everywhere for everything they are doing at this time. They really are going above and beyond at a very difficult time. We are all very grateful to you! National Thank A Teacher Day – May 20th | Thank a Teacher
I hope all Inverclyde teaching and support staff are enjoying the first Sunday of the holidays after a Herculean task since March. Thank you all again! Good luck to those staff working over the holidays to run our summer hubs. I’m sure they’ll be a great success!
The Easter hols are at an end! Thanks to all education staff who have kept the hubs running and have ensured families have been supported with food! An amazing team! Remote learning from schools starts again on Monday morning. Schools will continue to be in touch with families.
Great news that we will be back full time in August. A formal letter will be sent out to all parents tomorrow with more information to follow next week. Looking forward to seeing all our young people back again!
Really pleased for the team at Inverclyde Academy for being one of, if not the most improved schools in Scotland. There are many things aside from this measure that make this a great school. Well done to everyone for supporting one another to achieve even better!
I hope many Inverclyde schools will promote national acts of kindness day tomorrow?! After the tragedy at the weekend we must be kind and reach out to others!!
A huge thank you to all staff, partners, pupils and parents in Inverclyde for ensuring that we’ve had a great start back to the year in unprecedented times. The team spirit is so strong but we now need a good holiday. Have a very restful October week and enjoy the peace!!
We are busy with planning for childcare hubs due to start next week. Thanks to all parents who have completed the survey so far. This is helping our planning. More news on this early next week. We are aiming to start this provision from Wednesday 25/3/20. Team Inverclyde!
All of our schools are open today and in many cases thanks to the valiant efforts of FM staff and Headteachers! Here is Liz Ruddy HT
@WhinhillPS
getting the site ready this am! Thanks so much everyone!!
Ok Team Inverclyde, we need to say a fond farewell and best wishes to
@renfrewdiane
who retires tomorrow. Please reply to this tweet with a message, pic or video to give Diane a great send of. Not the ending we had planned!!! Good luck Diane. Come on Inverclyde do your best!!!
An amazing team of staff working flat out at the Greenock Town hall on a Saturday to pack food bags alongside a team of delivery drivers out distributing them!! Team Inverclyde!!!!
The hub tour commences. Alison Irvine HT
@MoorfootPr
giving the most thorough briefing to the wonderful staff team! It’s a military operation up here!! Thank you to all
@_stcolumba
@Gourockpr
St Ninian’s!!
Our childcare hubs begin to close down from today. Our huge thanks to the team of staff from across education services that has been involved in running these to support parents who are key workers.
What an end to my first academic year in Inverclyde! Thanks to the fantastic team at HQ, all school leaders and Chairs of Parent councils for their unstinting work and support, particularly since March. Thanks as well to pupils and parents for coping so well with Lockdown! REST!!
Was on a visit to
@KilmacolmPS
yesterday and met a young man in P3 who said that being back at school is better than going to Disney Land!!! Love it!! Such a lovely calm and settled environment with everyone happily back at school!!
The fact I couldn’t see a thing on the way up the coast this am made the journey home all the more spectacular! Had to stop and share the view on my drive home!
We have arranged a Foundations of Writing CPD retrospective on 21/4/20, 3.45 - 5.45pm in Greenock. 2 of the original teachers who piloted and used the programme, one of whom is the teacher on the cover of the famous red book are presenting. If you’d like to come DM or email me!
Ok folks the move to Scotland is on and we are heading for being in the new house on 5/3/20! This is finally it, so please cross everything that still crosses for us!!! Sitting in Glasgow Airport on a Friday night, after a very busy week, for the penultimate time! I hope!!!!!!
On World Teacher day I say a huge thanks to all teachers everywhere but a particular thanks to the team of teachers in Inverclyde who continue to impress me with their passion, dedication and drive to keep making things better. Inspiring!
Please remember that tomorrow is an inservice day and Monday is a local holiday so our schools will be closed to pupils. Thanks again to everyone for making the return to school so successful and I hope you all rest and recharge ready for the run up to the October holidays!!
Welcome to the NQTs who have found out that they’re coming to teach with us in Inverclyde. We will see you very soon at your induction days with us and wish you every success for the year ahead!!
@AlisonMcLellan4
will take very good care of you, along with the rest of the team!
At the end of another long term I say a huge thank you to all staff in every establishment in Inverclyde and to our central teams and partners for their hard work! A well done and thank you to all pupils and their families too!! I hope you all have a good holiday and a rest.
Never underestimate the importance of a good den in the early years! This has been a haven today and the source of much play and rest!!! Also some peace and quiet..... won’t lie!!!
Hubs were a big success today! Thanks to all those involved. Superb effort from those who have stepped in to volunteer. We are so very grateful, as were the KWs arriving this morning! If parents don’t need their place please tell the hub or let them know the pattern you need!
Well done to pupils, families and staff for managing through day one and the unexpected Teams technical issues. All remote learning provision is under constant review and schools will be in touch as this evolves. Schools happy to help in whatever way they can - just get in touch!
Thank you again at the end of the first full week of remote learning to all pupils, families and staff across the service who have worked so hard this week. We’ve come a long way and need to acknowledge this, rest up now and continue to work together to make things even better!
Merry Christmas to everyone in Inverclyde!! Thank you for the incredibly warm welcome! It’s been an intense 4 months but I’m loving the work! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to our young people. Inspiring! And relax.....
Thanks to all of our staff across education services who have worked tirelessly and collegiately over the last few weeks to get ready for welcoming back staff tomorrow and pupils from Wednesday! A real team effort.
I hope that all staff across Inverclyde’s education service have a great long weekend. They all deserve a well earned rest! Shout out to staff in ELCs who work on next week!! Thank you all for your ongoing hard work, dedication and commitment.
A huge thanks and well done to everyone working in ELCs/schools and as part of Education services for ensuring a smooth start back to the term and that we are all ready for learning to commence from Monday the 11th! What a great team we have working so hard for our young people !
We wish all senior phase leavers the very best and good luck for the future as they leave school today. They have shown huge resilience this year and are a credit to themselves, their families and their schools.
A great visit to St Ninian’s this morning with the whole school diligently focussed on literacy! Fantastic writing outcomes on display with exceptionally high levels of engagement. Really impressed with the work being done with support staff. Education Scotland are too!
A great article about how Inverclyde Academy has turned itself around and continues to improve! Well done to the team
@invacad
Head teacher says making pupil welfare her top priority was key to turning school around | Greenock Telegraph
Thanks to all staff across education services for their ongoing hard work this week. We are all continuing to learn, reflect and tweak our plans. Pupils continue to settle really well. Remember your face coverings from Monday everyone!
Great to speak to HTs remotely today and hear more about how they are working at the moment. Calls being made to families on a regular basis as well as teachers sending out work for pupils. Lots of care and thought going into planning this. Feedback from parents very positive!
We'd like to give a huge thanks to everyone who works in early learning and childcare!
Thank you for everything you do for Scotland's children and families and the difference you make every single day ✨🌟💫
Delighted for the team at Glenpark Nursery who have received 2 Excellent ratings from the Care Commission. A fantastic centre going well beyond to meet children’s needs! Really exceptional.
@JoeGriff73
A Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all Inverclyde education staff, partners, pupils and their families! I hope you all have a great holiday and that 2022 is successful and peaceful for us all! Your support and hard work this year have been hugely appreciated.
Congrats to Elyse and the Moorfoot team on being shortlisted for the
@EducationScot
awards 2020!!! Whilst we are very sad the awards won’t go ahead we are all so proud that the exceptional work at this Inverclyde school has been recognised in this way - shortlisted for 2!! Wow!!
Tonight’s meaningful quest was, “Will Santa not spread the virus if he’s going into everyone’s houses?” I said “Well he’ll maybe have to wear full PPE / face masks etc and always wash his hands before and after every house and try not to touch / eat things. Seemed to satisfy him!
Have a well earned break over the February weekend everyone! Enjoy the rest! Schools reopen hubs on Thursday 11/2/21. Thanks again to all staff for such a great start to the year and their efforts and innovation re remote learning.
A huge thank you to all staff across Education services for their hard work, resilience and commitment this year. I hope that everyone has a good rest when it comes! What an exceptional and dedicated team we have!
Great start to the day saying goodbye and thank you to Mr Johnston, English teacher
@StStephensHS
for the past 42 years! Such dedication and loyalty to one school and its community! Thank you Joe for all you have done and we wish you a long, happy and fulfilling retirement!
Thanks to all staff who have delivered remote learning and in school hubs since January and are delivering their final sessions today. Further thanks to secondary staff who continue to be flexible, creative and adaptable and are ready to deliver a blended approach until Easter!
I hope all staff, pupils and families having a long weekend enjoy the break and recharging of batteries! A well earned break after a busy start to the term!
A very Merry Christmas to all pupils, families and our amazing staff across education services for all their dedicated hard work in 2022! I hope you all have a great holiday whenever you’re taking it over the festive period!
A huge thank you to all staff across the service who have worked so hard to get the term / year off to a flying start. Despite some challenges everyone’s determination to move forwards has been clear! Have a great holiday everyone!!
What a week that was! Thanks to staff in all schools and our partners for ensuing a very smooth first full week!! After visits to
@ndhs1
and
@StPatricksPS15
over the last two days it’s clear how well staff have inducted pupils back to school and how well pupils responded! Sleep!!
A great start to the week with a visit to
@Glenpark_elc
! As ever the standards were so high with lots of innovative practice going on! Great to see the new outdoor classroom or Agora Qualia as it has been named. A fantastic space with a focus on HWB. Thanks for the warm welcome!
Thank you
@martin_compston
for taking the time to talk to our young people at this time! Much appreciated!! Looking forward to the next episode of The Nest and series of LOD!!
Huge thank you to
@martin_compston
who answered lots of questions from our Drama students in a Zoom meeting tonight. What an inspiration for our budding actors 🎥 🎭
Can any parents of Inverclyde pupils please use Covid.educationhq
@inverclyde
.gov.uk to communicate any news, updates or information about positive cases over the weekend?
Congratulations to Connor. What an amazing achievement!Talented teenager from Inverclyde lands coveted place to train as a composer | Greenock Telegraph
I wish all pupils, staff and families a great summer holiday and a huge thank you for everyone’s hard work this year! I hope everyone has a good rest and enjoys some happy family time. Thanks to all in the Education Service for another great year.
Happy retirement Elaine. It was nice to have a coffee today and say all the best! Thanks for all you’ve done for Weymss Bay, Inverkip, Inverclyde and Yoker, back in the day!!!! Enjoy all the holidays coming up. Well deserved.
Delighted to announce we have won a Cosla Excellence award this evening for our work in relation to Historic Links to Slavery. Thrilled that this crucial piece of work has been recognised in this way!
Not long until the first 2023 Excellence Awards winners are announced. Follow along on our Twitter & Facebook channels for live updates.
If you need a reminder of this year's finalists ➡️
#COSLAAwards23
Merry Christmas and a huge thanks to all Inverclyde pupils and their families. Your support and understanding during 2020 has been much appreciated by us all. I hope you all enjoy your holiday and that 2021 is a better year for us all.
Congratulations to the finalists in the category of Digital Innovator of the Year in the
#ScotEdAwards
2020. These awards recognise and celebrate the exceptional achievements in Scottish education. Well done! Find out more:
If you are a S6 pupil in Inverclyde and today would have been your official last day we wish you all the very best for the future! It’s not the ending anyone had planned but we hope you will have fond memories of your time in school. Good luck!!
Poor from BBC - really misleading headline causing confusion! He didn’t say this!! Key words were may and might! And the SG will be deciding for Scottish schools. Lots of planning going on! Stay calm folks!
Great send off this week to
@NordiqueNorman
as he retires as an Education Officer! It has been a pleasure and privilege to work with Norman and we all wish him well for a long, happy and healthy retirement! Thanks for all you’ve done for Education in Inverclyde Norman!
A huge thank you to all our dedicated staff who have supported pupils’ learning so far this Easter whether it be Easter Schools in secondary, DofE trips and 52 week ELC establishments! What a great team we have!!
So that’s me now finally visited every school / establishment in Inverclyde!! Great visit to Larkfield Children’s Centre this afternoon. All children very actively engaged in their learning indoors and out, including learning the Highland fling!! Fantastic stuff!! Great ethos.