Language skills boost
A string of Stirling’s schools have been recognised nationally for developing language skills among teachers and pupils.
Stirling Learning Community - which includes Stirling High, Allan’s, Borestone, Braehead, Cambusbarron, Gargunnock and St Ninians Primaries – received a Scottish Languages Employability Gold Award from Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT).
The Scottish Governmentfunded organisation, which promotes and supports high-quality language learning and diversity across the country, also presented St Mary’s Primary in Bannockburn with a silver accolade in the same category.
The achievements celebrate schools that are helping young people learn about the world of work and the value of language skills, through forging partnerships with businesses and other organisations.
Only one other school in Scotland earned this recognition from the SCILT, highlighting the scale of the Stirling schools’ success. It comes after Bannockburn Primary School was highlighted as a shining example for its use of an innovative languages programme earlier this year.
Stirling Council’s chief education officer Kevin Kelman said: “The fact that two out of the three national award winners lie within Stirling Council shows we are leading the way in an important area of the curriculum.
“Learning languages equips our children and young people with valuable skills and knowledge that can help them achieve their potential.”
Schools worked with Stirling University, The British Council, Caged Beastie (film and animation company) and the Confucius Institute for Scottish Schools.
As part of their project, more than 200 P7 pupils produced a documentary that was premiered to parents and carers at Stirling High in June.
The verification panel for SCILT stated: “It is a top example of innovation in promoting languages through employability. There was a high level of planning and professional commitment that is evident in both the structure of the project and the outcomes.
“There was a lot of evidence of a range of pupils from l schools being involved in a variety of activities with a range of partners.
“Through reading and listening to feedback, it has had an obvious and clear impact upon the culture of language learning in the schools involved in the project, for both learners and staff.”
St Mary’s worked with Bannockburn House, with the verification panel stating: “There is a lot of evidence of innovation in the use of Information Communications Technology. There were good examples of planning and linking towards Developing the Young Workforce and Curriculum for Excellence, as well as the practical application of languages in an employability setting.”