Wanted – teacher for tiny school in the wildest West
IT is a teaching position brimming with bonuses – stunning scenery, small class sizes, lots of peace and quiet for marking.
But the ‘idyllic’ job in the most remote primary school in Scotland – with a roll of only five – is proving difficult to fill.
For the successful applicant may find they need to take a boat to work every morning – or face an hour’s walk to the school from the nearest road.
Scoraig Primary School, set on a peninsula west of Ullapool, Ross-shire, is so out of the way that it is not on the National Grid and relies on solar power.
The pupils are aged between five and ten but there are toddlers in the 70- strong
‘Demanding but hugely rewarding’
community and babies on the way. In a few years the school roll could double.
Zoe Fothergill, administrator for the charity Scoraig Teaching Group, said the post would mean much more commitment than an ordinary job.
She said: ‘We live in a unique, offgrid community and the main reason we are struggling to find someone is because when the position was initially advertised, it wasn’t made clear that this is not just a job.Whoever takes on the challenge will be buying into a significant change of lifestyle.
‘In the summer or on a good day, this place is idyllic – it is absolutely amazing and t he wildlife is incredible.
‘But we are close to the elements and in winter months you need a lot of grit and determination to get through it. It can be a really big struggle and we need someone with a resourceful nature.’
She said those who responded to Highland Council’s initial advertisements were surprised to find that they had to reach the school by boat across Little Loch Broom.
The pupils are currently being taught by supply staff who have to be transported by ferry every day. Depending on experience, the salary is £21,867-£34,887 a year, with a High Remote Allowance of £2,475 a year.
However, it is not clear what the new teacher’s living arrangements would be. Miss Fothergill said: ‘Highland Council do not provide accommodation for teachers as they do elsewhere in the Highlands. As we are a tiny community of about 40 households, the options are limited and free accommodation as an extra incentive would be most welcome here.’
A Facebook campaign to find the next teacher has been launched and has already generated interest from a few potential applicants. One wrote: ‘I am a teacher from Melbourne, Australia. I would love to come and live in Scoraig. I’d be there in a heartbeat.’
Nuala Kennedy, a former Scoraig primary teacher, said: ‘I was lucky enough to teach at Scoraig for nearly ten years. There are small pupil numbers and mixed ages, allowing the atmosphere of learning to be like that of a family.
‘The job was demanding and challenging but hugely rewarding.’
Scoraig was resettled in the 1960s by people who wanted to live an alternative lifestyle. The postman calls only three times a week to the community, where i nhabitants include a violin maker, a tarot card reader, crofters and fishermen.