Don Ledingham’s Learning Log

8.30-10.00 Directorate Meeting: Helen McMillan was at the meeting to discuss Early Years and Childcare, with particular reference to line management issues. The remainder of the meeting was taken up with routine business matters.
10.00 - 10.30 Met Maureen Jobson to reflect upon
The Standard for Headship - this is a useful document and sets out clearly [...]

9-12.00 Business Continuity scenario exercise This exercise had been set up by Steven McLachlan (the Council’s Emergency Planning Officer) and Chris Lawson (our Health and Safety Officer). When I first met Steven and Chris to chat about emergency planning I was worried that we didn’t seem to have any emergency plans in place in the [...]

8.30am -9.30am Directorate Meeting - only agenda item was the restructuring of the department. The process is leaving a lot of people fairly sore. However, today seemed to be a turning point. Basic agreement about the education side of the department - now just needs finalcostings and timescales. Alan Ross and myself are to work [...]

8.30 am Met Clare O’Sullevan, the consultant helping the department with its restructuring process. Alan Ross joined us for the first 45 minutes. I get the feeling we are beginnning to make some real progress. Undoubtedly there are going to have to be some key decisions made in the next few weeks but the signs [...]

Met with David Scott and Donald McGillivary fro the Association of Headteachers Scotland (AHTS) from 8.30 - 10.00am. Very enjoyable meeting and characterised what I hope will be my relationship with unions. We solved a lot of problems and they made some very useful suggestions. One of the key suggestions was that we develop a [...]

Got in this morning at 7.30am to prepare for the rest of the day. Met Pauline Evans at 8.30am. Pauline is our Childcare Information Officer. She has responsibility for giving information to childminders, playgroups and nurseries. I'm beginning to understand the importance of early years and childcare. Pauline showed me an excellent website she helps [...]

Met Maureen Jobson, education officer, at 8.30am. We talked about the work she has been doing this week with all our nursery nurses and teachers. The sessions have been looking at how we can improve the planning process. There can be no doubt that an enriching and well structured nursery experience provides a very sound [...]