Message from His Majesties Chief Inspector – Janie McManus
Hi Vhairi
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector Visit – 13 January 2025
I am writing to express my thanks for the warm welcome and insightful experience during my visit last week. It is clear that you and your staff are deeply passionate and enthusiastic about your work, and I appreciate the time you all took to share your insights with me. The innovative use of floorbooks in capturing and reflecting children’s learning experiences is commendable. I greatly valued the opportunity to see firsthand the positive impact this approach is having.
It was a joy to see children fully engaged in their learning within the warm and homely nursery environment you and your staff have thoughtfully created. I was particularly impressed by the way children were actively exploring and experimenting with their learning in the outdoor areas. And of course I enjoyed getting help to prepare fruit sticks.
Please extend my sincere gratitude to your staff for sharing their work during my visit.
I wish you and your team continued success.
Yours sincerely
Janie McManus HM Chief Inspector of Education
A Visit from Alan Russell, Chief Executive & Janie O’Neil, Director of Education, to our ELCC
Good morning everyone,
We were extremely pleased to welcome Alan Russell, Chief Executive and Janie O’Neil, Director of Education, to our Early Learning & Childcare Class in November 2024.
Alan Russell shared this statement in his December’s message –
‘I’ve had the pleasure of visiting several schools this year, meeting colleagues who nurture an incredible sense of community and of course chatting to our young people who never cease to amaze and inspire in equal measure. I’ll share some insights and photographs from a great visit to Williamsburgh Primary School and Nursery in my next update but want to take this opportunity to congratulate head teacher Vhairi Cochrane and her team on their hugely positive inspection report which was a real testament to the whole school community and very well deserved.’
Link to video highlights of visit –
Williamsburgh ELCC sharing good practice.
At Williamsburgh we believe that the thoughtful use of technology by adults can engage children in key life skills such as play, self-expression, and maintain young children’s natural curiosity. It supports the development of computational thinking which will support current and future life success.
When technology is used appropriately it is a very powerful tool for learning, it increases access to learning opportunities for all children and families and can strengthen relationships among parents, families, early educators, and young children. Technology is more effective for learning when adults and peers interact or co-view with young children.
Renfrewshire Council, invited Williamsburgh Early Learning and Childcare Class to showcase and share good practice with educational establishments across Renfrewshire.
Below is a link to the video created by Nicola Fraser to showcase how we at Williamsburgh use seesaw to share the learning across our nursery community, and how we give our children the opportunity to share their experiences and take some ownership of their learning journal, by sharing photographs, mark making and recordings. This has given families a child’s view of a day in their nursery experience, and gives children the right to express their views freely (UNCRC Article 12)
What our children will be learning this term.
Term 2 overview
Williamsburgh ELCC Learning together Programme
STANDARDS AND QUALITY REPORT June 2024
Click on link below to access
,Standards Quality ELCC FINAL Aug 2024
The above report, will inform you of our progress and achievements in the last session, based on the evidence gathered through self reflection, and feedback from Parents/Carers, children and staff, and inform you about our plans for 2024-2025. We value your feedback and opinions. Thank you
Williamsburgh ELCC Improvement plan 2024/25
Good morning everyone, below is our improvement plan, identifying our priorities for this academic year. Thank you
Click the link below to access