Here are the winners and finalists for this years Scottish Education Awards in the category ‘Enterprise and Employability across Learning’:

Early Years and Primary

• Winner:  Ferguslie Pre-Five Centre 
• Finalists:   Bonhill Primary School and Cargenbridge Primary School

Secondary

• Winner:  Braeview Academy    
• Finalists:  Ellon Academy and Linwood High School

Here is a brief description of the schools’  achievements:

Ferguslie Pre-Five Centre, Renfrewshire

One example of the ways in which Ferguslie Pre- five Centre in Paisley has taught enterprise to its children is through creative play. The centre’s pupils were asked to build a “dog house” using large blocks. They researched the design of the dog house using iPads but couldn’t find a way to get the triangular roof to stay up. The children asked the local high school pupils if they could help them out with their design problem. They used Google Earth to plot their route to the high school and then one of the children led their peers and staff to the high school using their map.  The high school built the roof for the children, who voted on which colour it should be painted. They continue to use the dog house in their creative play.  Other inspirational initiatives include a community café co-run by the children for the wider community, managing a community plot project, growing and selling food, running their own newspaper, making and selling craft items in the café etc. .

Bonhill Primary School, West Dunbartonshire

Bonhill Primary School in West Dunbartonshire has been awarded three Social Enterprise Awards. One was given for its Bonhill Buds project, which sells home-grown produce to the community; one for its Malawi Rice Challenge, through which rice is sold to help farmers in Malawi and develop the school’s Fairtrade philosophy; and one for 2nd Time Around, the school’s recycled uniform shop, which supports families within its community and generates revenue to fund a weekly dance class and parent café. The school plans to apply for a fourth award for its Hens Project, through which it sells eggs to support the local community. The school’s enterprise company has also developed its own  tartan.

Cargenbridge Primary School, Dumfries and Galloway

To teach pupils about enterprise, Cargenbridge Primary School near Dumfries has teamed up with DuPont Teijin Films, a manufacturer of polyester film that employs around 230 people at its site in Dumfries. Over the past four years, the factory has worked with the school to celebrate World Quality Day. Each class is set a challenge to produce quality work by using creativity and problem solving such as creating an outfit from recycled material, including polyester film. This year’s focus was on food and health and included staff from DuPont Teijin working with pupils to teach them about the “plan, do, review” strategy, which is a transferable skill that can be applied across the curriculum

Braeview Academy, Dundee

At Braeview Academy in Dundee, developing skills for employment is embedded into the curriculum. Careers education includes each department delivering presentations on the pathways available through their subject, while local business people visit the school to talk about their areas of work. Braeview is also an early demonstrator school for Skills Development Scotland’s enhanced offer. The school has links with Dundee & Angus College which delivers cosmetology lessons in the school’s hairdressing salon, employability skills for S4 and S5, mechanics lessons and construction and motor vehicle maintenance lessons for S3 pupils identified as requiring additional support and motivation.

Ellon Academy, Aberdeenshire

Ellon Academy in Aberdeenshire took part in the compilation of the Wood Report and was recognised by one of its authors, Alison MacLachlan, for being “excellent in improving outcomes for pupils in relation to enterprise and employability skills”. Every pupil undertakes annual enterprise and employability-focused enrichment programmes, which are delivered by mixed-faculty teams and partner employers. S6 pupils complete a Be All You Can Be day with the RAF, inspirational speakers and other partners while S5 classes engage in a Business Challenge Day with 25 advisors from industry at the University of Aberdeen as students for the day, and all S4 pupils undertake work experience.

Lindwood High School, Renfrewshire

Renfrewshire’s Linwood High School introduced a “whole school employability programme” following an audit in 2013. The programme develops each pupils’ skills from S1 through to S6 and includes a focus on local careers and the chance to work with local business partners. Pupils develop skills such as communication and teamwork through inter-disciplinary learning projects, which include raising money for charities. These achievements are recorded in the My Merit system, which then feeds into each pupils’ application forms and CV during their senior years at school. Linwood also works with Skills Development Scotland and takes pupils on visits to the science centre at the West College Scotland and the University of the West of Scotland.

Find out more about all other Education Award winners and finalists here.