Grapevine grapevine 50w | Page 9

New Headteachers for Clackmannanshire New headteachers have joined schools and a nursery in Clackmannanshire to help continue work to improve education and reduce the attainment gap. Colin Bruce is the new headteacher at Alloa Academy, Siobhan Haldane is leading Craigbank Primary and Veronica Cully has been headteacher of Strathdevon Primary since last term. Meanwhile, Sauchie Nursery has also welcomed a new Head of Establishment, Lynsey Graham. A recruitment exercise is also now underway for a new Headteacher for Alva Academy, following the retirement of Sharee MacKerron in February next year. The Education Service in Clackmannanshire is focused on raising attainment for all our young people, and is one of the Attainment Challenge authorities in Scotland receiving funding and support to assist in this work. The new headteachers join their colleagues working towards priorities of: Improving attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy; closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children; improving health and wellbeing and improving employability skills and sustained, positive school leaver destinations. Abercromby Nursery are Top Players Well done to Abercromby PS Nursery, winners of the Nancy Ovens Play Award for Scotland 2017. This award is recognition of all the effective and positive play and learning delivered at Abercromby Nursery indoors and outdoors. between learners, educators and families as they all share a common goal to encourage the children to have as many opportunities to engage in meaningful and purposeful play in a safe and secure environment. Senior Early Years Practioner Laura-ann Owen said: “We have been developing our environment and mindset towards play over the past five years and as a team we have a shared understanding about the importance of play and how our learners develop and learn through creative and real life play experiences. Laura-ann concluded “We celebrate this award with our learners and families and thank them for their continuous support, partnership and commitment to our Nursery. Children first always!” “Our learners are at the centre of all play and learning and have created a rich and exciting outdoor environment. They inspire the educators with their imaginations as to how we can create fun, challenging and exciting spaces outdoors. Children are very confident and always look at the benefit to taking risks instead of thinking of it as a ‘RISK’.” The children have established a culture where outdoor play is valued and sits at the top of the nursery agenda. They appreciate the world around them, respect the natural environment and are leaders in their play and learning. Relationships are strong Grapevine 9