Tam's diary

I chaired the first meeting of the Scottish Children’s Rights Implementation Monitoring Group – including representatives from Scottish Government and Together. This was a very productive and positive first meeting for the group and we expect it to continue on a quarterly basis.

Events during this week were severely affected by the weather and several visits and events were postpone.

I spoke to a delegation of 20 Swedish educationalists who were visiting Scotland to find out more about Rights Respecting Schools. Their programme was likely to be disrupted because of the weather although I was able to fulfil this part of their itinerary.

I spoke to the Edinburgh Youth Issues Forum which met in the council offices – around 80 delegates from across Edinburgh. The event had an electronic keypad vote and a series of workshops on video blogs. I contributed to three of the video blogs and it got me thinking about the use of this form of blogging as part of my communication strategy.

I attended Shakti’s 21st UNCRC celebration party. I addressed around 20 children and their parents before they broke off into party activities. I was pleased to be able to do this event which I nearly missed through travel mix-ups and also because it is a group which I have not had any previous contact although I would hope to have in future.

Katie and I attended a conference of youth council representatives from across Orkney. This required some to stay over the night before, some to travel by boat and some to fly in that day – in all, around 100 attended. The council is keen to establish Scottish Youth Parliament representatives and was approached by two young people who expressed an interest and they later spoke to the organisers. I had the opportunity to meet with Alex Leonard, the genius illustrator of the cartoons we use – and to take part in his workshop as part of the event.

We visited Papdale Primary School and met with a small group of around 10 pupils who manage the playground through organising a number of activities for pupils – I expect they will forward details as part of a right brilliant thing. The school were due to vote the next day and had set up a polling station in the main entrance to the school. The headteacher gave very strong feedback on the materials and in particular, the website.

We visited Glaitness Primary School and witnessed several classes – 30 pupils including 5 pupils with special needs - voting in a special room decorated and set aside for the occasion. The school had used numerous exercises from the resource packs and showed us examples of these. (The pupils were obviously excited about the visit and kept appearing in the corridor when we were in discussion with the headteacher.)

Katie and I returned to the conference to catch the final session and say our thank you.

I gave oral evidence to the Scottish Parliament, Education, Culture and Sport Committee. This was in response to my request to give evidence on the publication of my annual report and launch of the consultation of my Strategic Plan. The session was a useful opportunity to update the Committee on events since April 201 and to explain how the results from a RIGHT blether and the Strategic Plan consultations will be taken into account for 2011-2015.

Stefan and I visited Rosewell Primary school, Midlothian. This was a delayed visit because of other commitments earlier in the month. I addressed the whole school assembly – around 50 pupils. The school had prepared for a celebratory party for the UNCRC, with birthday cards and party hats for all. I cut the cake and the party began.

Katie and I travelled to Orkney and dined with Tina Smith and two colleagues who were organising the events the next day.

I spoke at the youth justice conference in Aberdeen. I shared a platform with Fergus Ewing, Minister for Community Safety. The conference was focussed on the whole systems approach adopted in Aberdeen with regard to offending behaviour for those aged under 18 years. It provided an opportunity to speak about 16/17 year olds in custody (and indeed, 16-21 year olds in custody) and the link to poor outcomes for young people leaving care.

Sarah-Louise and I attended an event hosted by CLD in Glasgow to consider the most important issues for young people in Glasgow – after which there was a vote. Around 70 young people attended the event. As the event was taking place in the Mitchell Theatre, which was hosting the annual ‘gang show’, I spoke to the 50 cast members of the gang show who were taking part in the vote the next evening.

Sarah-Louise and I visited Auchinairn Primary, East Dumbartonshire. Three pupils had written to me because of a threatened merger which prompted negative comments about the school. I spoke to members of the school council, including those pupils who had written and then addressed the whole school assembly – around 200 pupils. The visit was accompanied by David Whitton, MSP and Una Walker, Chair of the Education Committee. The school had erected four election polling booths and were using real ballot boxes for the vote which was due to take place the next day.

I met with Matt Forde, Head of NSPCC in Scotland and three members of the management team. This was an introductory meeting to share strategic aims and objectives and engage in a discussion around current issues for young people in Scotland and the UK.

I attended the Respectme awards ceremony. This was to introduce the awards for the entries submitted as a result of ‘bullying week’ – around 40 pupils attended.

I took part in the live radio broadcast of Brian Big Debate. The audience was all young people, some of whom I now know through other contacts and for me, was an enjoyable experience.

In the evening I attended the Children in Need reception and event. The reception provided an opportunity to meet up with old contacts and speak to the head of children’s programming in Scotland.

I attended the Aberdeen Youth Consultative event which had around 120 young people from across Aberdeen providing input to the Council priorities – the meeting was also addressed by Annette Bruton, Director of Education. A vote was to take place later in the day after I had left.

I met with Lyn Ross, Grampian Police as part of my preparation for a speech to be delivered the following week.

Cathy and I visited Old Machar High school for a GLOW meet. The meet was organised around the vote and I addressed 30 pupils in the school with another 4/5 schools joining the session. We needed a quick exit on this one to catch trains and planes.

Ezmie and I visited Shetland Isles. I met the one of the BBC crew off the plane as Newsround were covering the visit.

We visited Sandwick Junior High School for two sessions of speaking to pupils. These were attended by around 350 pupils (200 secondary age and 150 primary school age) from Sandwick, and the feeder primaries of Cunningsburgh and Dunrossness. The filming involved both large and small groups of children as well as the local photographer.

We visited Anderson High School and spoke to around 70 pupils. This needed a bit of time to get them warmed up and proved a usefully challenging session – Anderson is the largest school on the Isles.

I was interviewed by the Shetland BBC radio as a trailer for the Newsround item.

I addressed a small group of workers engaged with children and young people to lay out the strategic approach before catching flight to Aberdeen.

I visited St. Pauls Primary in Hamilton. This was an impromptu visit as it turns out I was supposed to visit St. Peter’s (this visit has since been re-arranged). Nevertheless, I was warmly welcomed and spoke to the whole school (70 pupils) and the local paper even turned up. I do hope the school will now sign up for a RIGHT blether.

I visited St. Elizabeth’s Primary in Hamilton. The head teacher was one of the two organisers of a previous event I attended in Hamilton and the school clearly do a lot of work around children’s rights. I spoke to the whole school (250 pupils) and presented a large number of individual achievement awards.

I visited Carnwarth Primary School, Carnwarth – Larry Forde, Director of Education was also present. The school arranged a show and display around the theme of children’s rights and I had to present their RSS award. The local community attended (around 70) as well as the 220 pupils for the show and the award ceremony.

At short notice, I visited St. Columba’s High School in Inverclyde. I addressed 1st-4th year pupils (around 400) and presented the first RSS award to a high school in Scotland. The pupils conducted a blether vote immediately afterwards. The vote was over in less than 15 minutes with all pupils taking part. I later joined some of the school council and pupils from neighbouring schools. This was a nice opportunity to meet up again with staff and pupils from Glenburn School which is part of the same campus.

I met with Mike Inglis, the new Governor of Polmont YOI. This was a really useful meeting as we shared views on 16/17 year olds in custody and how I might engage with Polmont and Cornton Vale in future on this issue.

I gave evidence to Scottish Parliament, Public Audit Committee. This was in response to the Audit Scotland Report on Getting It Right for Children in Residential Care in Scotland. I shared the platform with Peter McLeod, SW Director, Renfrewshire Council and Bill Eadie, SW Director, Stirling Council. This was an interesting session covering many familiar issues with respect to children in care and our ability to assess the value for money in terms of the size of the investment (250M per annum) and the outcomes for children (generally poor, but too many unknowns).

I visited Cornbank Primary School, Midlothian. I spoke to the whole school (280 pupils) and later spoke to a small group of P5s who had been doing a lot of work around children’s rights.

I visited Lasswade Primary School, Midlothian – I got a bit lost on route, but did manage to find it. I spoke to the assembled school of 300 in front of a display of work that the children had done around rights. I was treated to numerous songs performed by classes in the school.

I visited Woodfarm Secondary School, East Renfrewshire. I spoke to an assembly of pupils 1st-3rd year – around 250 in total. I later spoke to a small group of 10 pupils from the social education class who had organised the vote in the school and would have responsibility for the count. I stayed for the early part of the lunchtime to witness pupils voting in the assembly hall adjacent to the dining room – voting was brisk (as they say).

I visited Kirkhill Primary School, East Renfrewshire. I spoke to the assembled school in two sessions – this is a large primary with 550 pupils at the school. I was presented with a very full box of ‘right brilliant things’ as many of the classes in the school had majored on this area of activity – it contained several DVDs, several compilations of pictures and stories and a picture box of treasured people.

Sarah-Louise and I visited Dunning Primary School, Auchterarder. This was a whole school meeting with local primary schools also in attendance – at least 200 in attendance as well as senior Perth and Kinross education representatives. It was well covered by local press photographers. We toured the school and the whole event was covered by Media Education recording the responses to the visit.

We then all went onto Auchterarder Community School, where we spoke to P6 and P7 pupils – about 50 in total. The teachers involved had not heard of a RIGHT blether before, but were enthused by the response of the pupils and are committed to making it happen for the school, at least the primary section – this was also covered by Media Education filming.

I attended a play about young carers – The Monster in the Hall –this was excellent and got me thinking about the potential for the Young carers Festival – I have already contact Louise Morgan of the Scottish Young Carers Alliance on this.