Port Ellen Primary School on Islay has been selected from thousands of nominations across the UK to be named Primary School of the Year.
The island school won the coveted Gold Award at the Pearson National Teaching Awards in one of 16 categories.
Port Ellen Primary uses its surroundings on the Isle of Islay to inspire its curriculum, making sure pupils are part of the community.
This community also sails across the water to other islands where links between schools have been developed to reduce the isolation that can trouble some remote areas.
Lessons at the primary school include building wave powered devices, surveying the island’s heritage sites, campaigning for local issues and developing a social enterprise from a phone box.
It also holds Gaelic close and ensures children get the chance to learn the language as well as its instruments and history.
The award was presented to Port Ellen Primary School – which currently has around 60 pupils – last week.
‘We continue to grow’
Head teacher Maureen Macdonald, said the school looks to do something different, even if it doesn’t always seem like the easy route.
“It has been a great privilege to have been shortlisted for such an accolade among some inspirational schools across the UK, but to have gained the top prize is quite overwhelming and humbling,” she said.
“The sense of pride and joy within the entire school community is palpable.
“Despite being a small island school we believe, speak and think ‘possible’ which means often stepping beyond our comfort zone and challenging the status quo. We continue to grow and to keep improving but for now, we will collectively enjoy this moment.”
Unsung heroes
This is not the first time Port Ellen Primary has been recognised for the way it delivers its teaching, with the school picking up a number of awards surrounding Stem and entrepreneurialism in recent years.
The Pearson National Teaching Awards, founded in 1998, aim to highlight the often unseen people who make schools and colleges so special.
Yvonne McNeilly, Argyll and Bute Council’s policy lead for education, said: “Maureen and her colleagues play a pivotal role in helping to shape the future of the school’s children and young people.
“They are the backbone of the school community, going above and beyond every day to provide pupils with the guidance and confidence required to succeed.
“Other than parents, teachers have arguably the biggest influence on a child’s life, and the staff at Port Ellen should be very proud that their efforts have led to them beating off stiff competition from across the country to win this prestigious award.”
Conversation