Category Archives: Things we like

Fruit from the Skills Trees – Developing Skills in Argyll and Bute

An online framework is helping primary pupils to take a systematic approach to developing new branches of learning – and the portfolios they build will keep supporting them beyond their school years.

click here for more info from the TESS Friday 1st June 2012

Stay Safe Competition

Smart Compliance – Lanarkshire’s “most innovative business”, announced at the Lanarkshire Business Excellence Awards 2012, are launching a competition for all pupils in both primary and secondary schools throughout North Lanarkshire.

They are looking for a pupil to create a name for their latest life saving invention – a new generation carbon monoxide/smoke detector that saves lives, time and money. The pupil with the winning idea will win £300 for their school and a £50 gift voucher for themselves.

One person per week in the UK dies from carbon monoxide poisoning and every year there are 55,000 house fires in the UK that kill 700 people.

The device self checks batteries, circuit and sensors and transmits updates weekly via SMS/GPRS to landlords or homeowners.

Pupils can enter the competition at www.smart-compliance.co.uk The closing date for the competition is 12th June 2012.

See the documents attached for further information.

This competition has been sponsored by Smart Compliance in conjunction with NLC Regeneration and Infrastructure and NLC Learning and Leisure working in partnership with Business Gateway.

Graphic – Stay Safe competition 2

Chapelhall Primary’s Design Challenge

Primary 4-7 pupils at Chapelhall Primary were involved in a design challenge linked to their school houses.  They were put in mixed teams within the four houses which are Owen, Wallace, Bruce and Livingstone.  They were given the challenge of designing a house shield which represents the skills and qualities pupils have to be part of that house.  In groups of four, they had to decide who would be the Managing Director, Production Manager, Buyer and Creative Designer.

After coming up with a name for their group, the children started to work together on developing ideas for their design.  The buyer in each team was the only person allowed to buy supplies from the shop which was run by the enterprise committee.  After carefully spending their money and recording their purchases, each team presented their final design to the house captains and teachers from each house.  The Captains showed the designs from each group and every member of the house was allowed to vote for one design.  The winning team from each house received a prize and house points and everyone who took part was given a certificate for their wider achievement jotters.  The winning shield designs are now being sent away to be professionally printed so that they will be displayed proudly in the school for years to come.

Mr Murray of Chapelhall Primary said,  ‘This was the first event our enterprise leaders organised and they did a fantastic job.  Every group worked cooperatively together and supported and encouraged each other.  The Enterprise Committee and Mr Murray would like to say a big thank you to everyone who was involved in this event.

‘We are hoping to plan a similar event for the infant classes in school.  However, next up is the planning of our annual school show which we hope, with the committee’s support, will be even more successful than last year.’
Well done!