Fact File

Introduction

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's Education Department is based in the Comhairle headquarters in Stornoway, and in the Lionacleit Education Centre in Benbecula. The Education Development Service, which operates mainly from 2 centres, the Education Development Centre in Kenneth Street, Stornoway and the Lionacleit Education Centre, provides considerable support to schools.

Community Education

The Community Education Service is responsible for the provision of leisure and recreation and to develop the concept of Education as a process of lifelong learning. From 1 April 2001, the service, which was previously part of the Arts and Leisure Service, became part of the Comhairle's Department of Sustainable Communities.

Gaelic Education

Both Gaelic and English are used in the delivery of the curriculum in accordance with the Comhairle's Gaelic Policy. The aim of the Gaelic Policy is “to enable children who go through Gaelic Medium Education to become equally literate and fluent in the use of Gaelic and English and to make provision for all other children to have access to Gaelic in the curriculum.” There are Gaelic Medium classes within 24 Primary Schools throughout the Islands. One school, Stoneybridge in South Uist offers only Gaelic Medium education in P1 and 2. Gaelic Medium Education in the Western Isles consists of an initial two-year immersion phase (P1 and P2) in Gaelic, with a gradual move towards bilingual education thereafter. Further information can be accessed through the Comhairle website.

All pupils study Gaelic, in addition to English and French, in the first 2 years of secondary education. In S3 and S4 pupils are required to study Gaelic, French or German, and some schools afford pupils the opportunity of studying two languages. The possibility of studying three languages is available in one school, which also offers Spanish in S5. Pupils follow either the Gaidhlig course or the Gaelic Learners Course. Gaelic-medium teaching is expanding in other areas of the curriculum such as Social Subjects, Home Economics, Technical Education, Mathematics and Art. Currently 4 schools offer Gaelic Medium Education but this number will increase to cater for more pupils coming from Gaelic Medium Units in primary schools.

Pre-School Education

Pre-School Education is largely delivered through a partnership arrangement between Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and 31 registered pre-school providers in the private and voluntary sectors and 5 pre-school providers under Comhairle management. There are some 36 pre-school groups operating within the Western Isles of which 20 groups operate through the medium of Gaelic. One nursery based in Stornoway provides both Gaelic and English sessions.
The Pre-School Service aims to:

provide a part-time, pre-school education place for all 3 and 4 year olds
deliver quality inclusive pre-school education through active partnership
ensure quality of education provision through monitoring and evaluation
ensure positive and pro-active communication with parents
ensure best value in the management of finance and resources

Primary Education

There are 39 Primary Schools in the Western Isles. Of these, seven are primary departments of 5-14 schools (P1-S2) and two are departments of 5-18 schools (P1-S6). The schools range in size from the one teacher school at Cliasmol in Harris to the twenty teacher Stornoway Primary School. Most of the rural schools are two or three teacher schools.

With support from the Quality Improvement Team, based at the Education Development Centre in Lewis and the Lionacleit Education Centre in Uist, schools review and develop the curriculum in accordance with the recommendations of the 5-14 Development programme. The main areas of the curriculum in Primary education are: Language, Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Expressive Arts, Religious and Moral Education

Curriculum Delivery

An important element in the delivery of the curriculum is the service provided by itinerant specialist staff in Art, Music, Physical Education, Home Economics and Technical Education. In addition, some schools benefit from tuition given by itinerant instructors in Instrumental Music and in Gaelic Music.

Additional Support Needs

In line with the Scottish Executive’s Inclusion Strategy and the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Inclusion Policy, children with additional support needs are catered for where appropriate within mainstream classes in schools (and pre-schools) with additional support as required from Learning Support teachers and Learning Support auxiliaries. In addition, the Authority has specialist provision at Stornoway Primary School, Sgoil nan Loch, the Nicolson Institute and Sgoil Lionacleit for children with severe and complex needs. A project called the Alternative Curriculum Education (ACE) project provides off-campus education for young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties who are experiencing difficulties within mainstream education. A service for visual or hearing impaired children is provided by a specialist itinerant member of staff. A small number of pupils attend special schools on the mainland.

Secondary Education

There are 11 secondary schools in the Western Isles. All are comprehensive schools with four of these catering for the full 6 year range - Castlebay Community School, Sgoil Lionacleit, Sir E Scott School, and the Nicolson Institute. There are 7 rural two-year schools throughout the Isles, from which pupils transfer to one of the above secondary schools.

Curriculum Delivery

Schools, in particular the 6-year schools, are resourced to a high standard with the specialist equipment required for Science, Technical Education and Home Economics and with computers, word processors and audio visual and reprographic equipment. The smaller 2-year schools are also provided with such equipment although the range available is less comprehensive. Since the establishment of the post of Schools Industry Liaison Officer in 1984, strong links have been forged between schools and local businesses, as evidenced by the fact that the Western Isles consistently has the highest proportion of pupils undertaking Work Experience programmes in Scotland. Pupils are also afforded opportunities to be involved in Enterprise Education, whereby they must set up and run a mini-company, co-operative, or voluntary organisation.

Further and Higher Education

Further and Higher Education are provided by Lews Castle College, which is the sole provider in the Western Isles. The College has been an incorporated Further Education College since 1993 and is an academic partner in the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) project. As well as the main Stornoway campus, redeveloped and opened in November 2000, the College has a major centre at Lionacleit, Colaisde Bheinn na Faoghla and learning centres at Castlebay, Lochboisdale, Tarbert and Ness.

Careers Service

The Western Isles careers service exists to help all individuals in the islands community make a satisfactory transition from education, and where appropriate training, to suitable work against a background of equal opportunities. The Company has been operational since 1 st April 1995.

The Careers Office is open to the public and provides vocational guidance, careers information and an employment / training placing service for young persons, parents and employers. Adults also use the Careers Service for advice on suitable careers and Further / Higher Education opportunities.