Sheila and I visited Angus Council. We initially went to Maisondieu Primary where I spoke to and was questioned by over 100 pupils. They were very well prepared and had spent considerable time on the questions to be asked.
We went onto Brechin High School and participated in a meeting of the 25 Angus School Council representatives from seven or eight secondary schools, where they were planning a consultation day with pupils. We then had a session with the head teacher and six pupils from Brechin High, outlining their (very positive) views of the school. There is potential to link into Schools and Youth Councils as a way of communicating between the Commissioner and tapping into representative groups across Scotland. There was also the opportunity to inform the School Council of some concerns about the town environment raised by the pupils in Maisoindieu Primary.
We met with Neil Logue (Director of Education) and Robert Peat (Director of Social Work and Health). The meeting provided the opportunity to discuss the blether results and work plans, and prompted a challenging angle on the educational attainment / achievement area of work. It may be worth revisiting this as the work unfolds. There was considerable discussion around the strengths and limitations of legislative changes.