Bright apprentices are back in class to help build pupil power
THE pioneering pupils at Garrowhill Primary are an enterprising bunch.
The East End schoolchildren have come up with all kinds of plans and projects to support each other and the wider community.
When they moved into their brand new building, the older children were keen not to lose all of the playground games and equipment they had enjoyed over the years – and they wanted to make the most of the Bakewell Road site.
“Our pupils love our playground – it’s a great big space, and we are incredibly lucky for a city school to have such a big outdoor area, with trees and greenery,” explains principal teacher Lorna Chatham.
“When our new school was built, on the same site as the old one, everything had to move around and the children were worried that the younger ones would miss out on some of the things they had enjoyed.
“So they pushed for new playground activities to be created and thanks to the apprentices at City Building, we could make it happen.”
City Building – alongside our other generous partners Glasgow City Council and City Charitable Trust – backs the Evening Times Streets Ahead campaign, which aims to help people and groups improve their streets, gardens, parks and more. Our initiative, which has been running since 2011, focuses on bringing communities together, helping great projects get off the ground.
The team from City Building helped the pupils redesign the playground, adding giant clocks and compasses for learning, traditional games such as hopscotch and a trim trail.
Councillor Allan Casey, chairman of City Building, said: “Our apprentices have a fantastic record of giving back to the communities of Glasgow and studies show outdoor play has a positive impact on raising attainment.
“By painting games within the playground, they are contributing to the health and wellbeing of all the pupils and possibly future City Building apprentices.”
Lorna adds: “The apprentices were fantastic – they worked really hard and listened to what the pupils wanted. It was brilliant.”
One of the young workers, Cal McLean, is a former pupil of Garrowhill Primary.
He said: “It was good to see some of my former teachers again and to see how the new school building looks.
“I was a pupil in the old school, and remember the playground games. They were really important to us, so it was great to help build new ones for today’s pupils. Hopefully they will enjoy it as much we did.”
It’s not just the pupils who will benefit from Garrowhill’s plans, as Lorna explains.
“We have just begun planting fruit and vegetables in our garden, and had our first successful harvest of potatoes and carrots,” she smiles.
“Parents and friends came in to the school to choose what they needed, so they could take them home to cook – it was fantastic and we hope to build on that now the work is done. We also have a
mini-orchard with pear and apple trees.”
Lorna adds: “We are extremely proud of our community links here at Garrowhill Primary and we are delighted to have so many supportive parents.”
The Garrowhill pupils are often spotted out in the community, carrying out clean-ups on the surrounding streets and inside the local park, with the support of the council’s Environmental Task Force.
The school choir visits local sheltered housing complexes and care homes to perform concerts throughout the year.
Garrowhill Primary is one of a handful of schools in Glasgow participating in the Rotary Club’s RotaKids scheme, which aims to encourage young people to support their local communities.
Philip Halewood, principal teacher, explains: “They organise all kinds of things, from our school fundraising to readings at the local Burns ceilidh, our remembrance commemorations and more.”
School captain, and primary seven pupil Craig McMahon, is part of the RotaKids team.
“I love helping to organise fundraisers like the McMillan Coffee Morning which help other people,” he said.
Abby McTaggart, who is also in primary seven, added: “Being part of RotaKids has made me more confident and able to walk up and talk to people.”
Philip added: “It’s a fantastic boost for our pupils, increasing their social awareness and encouraging young people to take responsibility for their own communities.”
Is your school Streets Ahead? Tell us all about it by emailing streetsahead@ heraldandtimes.co.uk Each month we will be featuring the best stories from schools across the city.
For a copy of the Streets Ahead funding application form, email ann.fotheringham@heraldandtimes.co.uk