Stronsay Junior High in the running for most enterprising school title

Stronsay Junior High School has been shortlisted as one of Scotland’s most enterprising schools.

The results will be announced at the Young Enterprise Scotland ‘Festival of Youth Enterprise’. The event runs 30-31 May at Hampden Park, Glasgow with a Marketplace of partner organisations to support young people, and workshops for educators.

The school, which has a roll of 45 from nursery up to S4, embraces some innovative practice and a collaborative way of learning that compliments the island’s remote and rural location.

Head Teacher, Dr Petra McLay, explained: “Children and staff are flexible and adaptable, and the school takes opportunities to work with organisations and visitors to promote collaborative interdisciplinary learning.

“There are geographical challenges living on a remote island, but we offer outdoor learning on our small island, residential trips on Hoy, opportunities to travel to Mainland Orkney and work with young people from other schools.

“We have strong links with Developing Young Workforce, Orkney College and Papdale Halls of Residence where senior phase children from the isles schools board to continue their education at Kirkwall Grammar and connections with our neighbouring island, Sanday with our primary classes taking advantage of the refit ferry timetable to visit and work with the young people there.”

Going further, Stronsay Junior High School offers up numerous programmes for its young people.

Louise McQuaid - Programme Executive Supplemental Education Services, former support for learning assistant and Lego Based play facilitator – lives on Stronsay and has been key to the school’s entrepreneurial attitude.

She explains: “The nature of living on an island lends itself to interdisciplinary learning and flexibility for the pupils, along with close community links that support our remote island culture. Stronsay Junior High School has offered various programmes including Princes Trust Achieve, Rural Skills, and Angling for Youth Development as well as opportunities to take part in the Orkney Outdoor Education Programme, RSPB Education Programme and Dandelion Festival 2023 with the Community Development Trust.

“The programmes add huge value to a small community and embody the core concepts of entrepreneurial mindset whilst providing opportunities to develop meta skills.

“Our young people are exposed to the brilliant ‘can do’ mindset of our staff. It is common to have three or four roles on the island: teachers who are also farmers, support staff who are lifeguards, bus drivers, airport attendants, business owners as well as the volunteer roles taken on within the community that allow our island to thrive.”

Sport is also a big part of island life from community five- a-side football where older children will play alongside the adults, Parish football, netball and darts leagues. Two secondary students are Sports Ambassadors and a school sports committee of children across lower primary, upper primary and secondary has been established. The aims are to promote positive values of sport, be a role model and champion for P.E. and school sport, increase participation opportunities and healthy lifestyles for everyone.

The school further embraces the Stronsay landscape and the skills of staff.

Louise explained: “Mr Antoine Pietri - itinerant French and RME teacher at Sanday and Stronsay schools – has for a number of years successfully led ‘Troot in the Shed’ across schools in the North Isles as part of the Angling for Youth Development programme.

“Mr Pietri brings the fish eggs from a hatchery by plane to the school. As an itinerant teacher, this is a daily commute on the local eight-seater islander plane from Kirkwall. Children take responsibility of the project to monitor the eggs daily. The simple set-up we have in school was using a tank in a shed to allow temperature control, hence the name ‘Troot in the Shed’.”

S1 students have had an introduction to SQA Rural Skills this year, focusing on agriculture – the island’s main industry, and blue industries, such as salmon farming.

In addition to visiting a local farm, the students looked at elements of being self-employed and business planning and designed their own farm. They had to work through a plan with financial capability of £2 million, deciding on what type of land-based farming industry they would have, research, business planning and justification behind their decisions. The course lends itself to interdisciplinary learning as pupils developed a Farmopoly game creating the board in woodwork classes and the board pieces in art.

Those living on the island and attending the school don’t view themselves as being entrepreneurial, but that’s exactly what they are, Louise feels.
“Living on a remote island means that we are naturally resilient, resourceful and make things happen! There is a population of around 350 with a school roll of 45 and we often don’t appreciate all of the skills that we use daily – communication, planning, problem solving, overcoming challenges, being adaptable, taking leadership of a task.

“It’s not really considered to be organising an activity with the intention of being enterprising, but that’s exactly what we are doing. Everything is for the benefit of the community and so many people here have an entrepreneurial mindset adding value socially to the small community. They will rarely consider themselves as entrepreneurs or engaging in social enterprise activity but ‘just what needs to be done’.”

Thanks go to partner agencies who have assisted - Sport Scotland, Outdoor Education Orkney, Stronsay Development Trust, RSPB, Dandelion, Orkney International Science Festival, Cooke Aquaculture and local businesses.