Page 62 - Herioter 2020

End of an era

as S6 stage final

pantomime

Not every Christmas ‘tradition’ can last
forever. So it was with the S6 Panto,
a staple of Heriot’s pre-Christmas
entertainment for many years. S6 pupils
would turn the tables on the teachers,
satirising staff and their ways, with some
portrayals more gentle than others. Even
if was always good fun, the panto had
Pupils and parents peruse the exhibits perhaps become an anachronism, flying in
Exhibition inspired by movie characters, and it was the face of the school’s sector-leading role
interesting to see the many materials in the Rights Respecting Schools agenda.
showcases art used to create the outcomes. The S5 Nonetheless, the Class of 2020 put on a
worthy final show before an audience of
and design students presented a wide variety of their S6 contemporaries. In a story written
expressive work including portraits, still and directed by William Ringham, the
work life compositions and built environment school lost its charitable status and while
paintings, showing off their skills and some teachers sought to fundraise to
In early December, students, parents creativity with materials. The range of save the school, others had more devious
and teachers gathered to admire the work was extraordinary, as each piece motives. After the inevitable conflict, there
National 5 Design Portfolio work and was unique and completed to a very high
the Higher Expressive Portfolio work. was of course a happy solution. It was one
The S4 students designed teapots, standard. of those you-had-to-be-there events –
inspired by a specific café, or headpieces, Aoife Meachem (S4) bizarre, joyous and very Heriot’s.
Mr Jonny Muir

Rugby team Learning in the Junior School seven years ago
and the Sapere organisation also noted
come up in short Enhancement that ‘the significant impact of having the
majority of pupils in a large school with
in final acknowledged as experience of Philosophy from Nursery
to P7 cannot be understated’. Heriot’s
In dismal weather and in front of a sector-leading is now recognised as the leading school
noisy away following at Murrayfield, The Junior School Learning Enhancement in Scotland in this area and have hosted
Heriot’s 1st XV were beaten 26-10 by Team achieved the SAPERE Gold Award training events, sharing best practice in
Merchiston Castle in the final of the U18 in December, becoming the only school in the teaching of Philosophy with schools
Scottish Shield Competition. Scotland to have achieved the accolade. across the country and on the continent.
Commenting on the award, Sapere’s
spokesperson said: ‘George Heriot’s is an
outstanding example of how Philosophy
for Children (P4C) has the potential to
transform a school. We were impressed
by the unusually large team of well-
trained and highly experienced P4C
facilitators in the Learning Enhancement
Department. This team has been an
incredible on-site training and coaching
resource and is testament to the fact that
P4C is now embedded across many areas
of the curriculum and ethos of the school.’
Pupils celebrate the school’s SAPERE
Heriot’s embarked on teaching philosophy
Captain Kirkpatrick leads the Heriot’s charge Gold Award

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