Glasgow Trip 2023
| The North Isles cluster (Burravoe Primary School, Cullivoe Primary School, Mid Yell Junior High School and Baltasound Junior High School) have organised a P6/7 school trip outwith Shetland for many years. This allows our pupils to experience a wide range of activities that would not be available within Shetland and it also allows all of our pupils an opportunity to develop their skills in team working, independence, problem solving and leadership whilst staying away from home. As our schools are remote within Shetland, many of our pupils will be leaving Shetland for the first time and most will be away from their parents for the first time. Observing how pupils interact, communicate, delegate and work together are all life skills that it can be hard to replicate in a classroom environment. These trips also help pupils with their self-esteem and confidence as well as providing an opportunity for cultural awareness and appreciation of the wider, natural world. Parent and Pupils Councils had asked for us to resume these trips and to ensure the year groups who did not go (due to COVID) also had a similar experience. Funding opportunities were explored and the schools approached: Cooke Aquaculture – a major local employer, who also employ many parents North Yell Development Council Unst Community Council Sandisons Trust Viking Energy Community Benefit Fund Total costs for all pupils in P6, P7 as well as those in S1 and S2 across the whole North Isles came to approximately £40,000. The majority of this funding was secured although additional fundraising was required which involved the pupils going on the trip to organise Famers Markets, Car Washes and Family Social Nights. Parents did not need to make any payment for their child’s attendance. This allowed us to take P6 and P7 to a residential centre in Loch Insh as well as S1 and S2 to Glasgow. Both trips took place in May and June 2023 and were hugely successful. |
About The Author
P. Thomson
Paul Thomson is a full time member of the Unst community, Retained Firefighter with Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and Head Teacher at Baltasound Junior High School - the UK's most northerly school.