Dunbar Grammar School

After a busy end to the end of the previous week, I was looking forward to catching up with admin, communications and my classroom observations.-Chance would be a fine thing!  Monday saw a reasonable return to normality, rounding off with our SMT and PT briefing.  The balance between allowing SMT, including myself, to be out of school, whatever the business, and the effect this has on the running of the school and the stress on the remaining staff is a difficult one.  This has been the case recently and needs to be discussed at our SMT strategic meeting.  This is not to say that the school cannot function without all of us but it does give an insight into the potential impact of a reduced SMT under the name of efficiency savings!  And now a case in hand!  I was out on Tuesday visiting Perth and Kinross Council as part of a Council Management group looking at possible performance systems which could apply across the Authority.  On Wednesday afternoon I then met with the group in John Muir House to agree the next way forward.  Whilst I accept that there needed to be an education rep and that I found the whole experience very interesting, the whole question of balance immediately returns. On Wednesday morning I was phoned by a French contact who had been given my name by HMIe to possibly take part in a training conference for prospective French HT’s and Inspectors who are required to undertake a comparative study of other European education systems.  I feel privileged to do this and as long as the IT installation of SKYPE is not a barrier I will be representing Scotland in two of these conferences in the new year.  On Thursday, I met with our dance committee to look at the way forward.  We currently have four groups, including staff, who are being taught by students from the school.  However, it has been brought to my mind that the teachers also need to progress and as such are not getting any expert tuition from dance specialists.  We are looking at ways of overcoming this despite budget constraints.  I also met with J. Irvine from the Countess playgroup to investigate closer links with the school and in particular the S6 Community Experience and Music department.  In the evening I attended the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Evening where over 60 students were presented with their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards-and astounding group of young people and staff without whose dedication we could not run the scheme to this exemplary level.  Friday morning saw me again involved in work for the Council as an interviewer for the supply list.  This took up the whole morning for me and one of the DHT’s – back to the question of balance as one of the other DHT’s was also out of school.  In the afternoon we welcomed K. Robertson and the ‘Literacy Team’ who delivered a very interesting and informative in-service on many aspects of literacy across the curriculum.  And then it was the weekend!