Hello all, had a great day out with all the P5 pupils as part of our Medieval Elgin topic and took them to Spynie Palace, just outside Elgin, run by Historic Scotland.
As part of their bikeability training we got them all (two were transported by car) on bikes and used the good cycle networks which pass right by the palace, home of the Bishops of Moray. it fitted in well with sustaianabilty and discussions we are having about eco schools also.

The journey went well and we were welcomed by Lynda from Historic Scotland, who took us back in time to storm the palace and go on a tour to find the inhabitants. It was wonderful to get a full insight from a member of staff who knows the background very well.

The pupils were very well behaved and were enthusiastic about things in the past, especially if you throw in dungeons, tortures and characters like the Wolf of Badenoch, how could you go wrong!

Evaluation and personal Reflection.
myself and Angela Mitchell, the other P5 teacher were very pleased with the morning as everything went very well. no blood , vomit or excrement so all’s good!
A bit of joined up thinking came to fruition as we got the pupils trained up in bikeability to then use this as a means to explore the local environs, get them fit and healthy and look after the planet. certainly we hit a few E’s and O’s today. having taken pupils out on bikes it is always pleasing to see the pupils grow in such a short time and to also not see cycling as an end point but merely the channel to access learning experiences and outcomes.
using Historic Scotland is always good, as pupils benefit from the experiences of the guide. looking forward to Elgin Cathedral next week.