Creative partnership will be picture perfect
Glasgow School of Art to team up with Castlehead High
A Paisley school is enjoying a brush with success – thanks to an exciting new partnership with the world famous Glasgow School of Art.
Castlehead High School in the town is emerging as Renfrewshire’s creative centre of the universe, because of its strong academic achievements and its focus on sport, dance and musical theatre.
Council bosses will reveal the trailblazing secondary has brokered a deal with Glasgow School of Art to create School of Creative Education for 11 to 18- year-olds.
A report to the local authority’s Education and Children’s Services Policy Board this week will reveal Castlehead bosses and Glasgow School of Art have forged a partnership enshrined in a ‘Memorandum of Understanding.’
The agreement states “the Council” and “the GSA,” intend to “work together with a view to achieving their shared vision of establishing a School of Creative Education for 11 to18-year-olds in Paisley which nurtures and attracts learners regardless of their background.
“The school will place studio-based pedagogy and design thinking at the heart of the curriculum including its application within literacy and STEM subject areas, raising learner’s aspirations and attainment.
“By 2021, we will have established a School of Creative Education in Paisley and be working towards becoming a UK Centre of Excellence which nurtures and attracts learners by innovative teaching and learning regardless of learner back ground to achieve successful outcomes.”
Castlehead and the Art School have been working closely together to develop a school of creative education.
The project will boost creative learning in the school curriculum, increase confidence, and improve the path into future employment, self-employment, further and higher education for hundreds of youngsters.
The school will also encourage critical thinking and focus on the role of technology in learning as well as featuring studio-based teaching to help enhance creative skills, and to develop youngsters’ imagination, innovation and ambition.
While undergraduates from the Art School who are working with youngsters in Paisley will also work towards gaining new bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
The report adds the agreement “would be a significant contribution to Renfrewshire’s ambitions in harnessing the potential and power of culture and creativity.”
Castlehead alumni include Elena Baltacha, late tennis player, Majid Haq, cricket player, Iain Martin, journalist, Richard Madden, Games of Thrones’ actor and Seán Batty, TV weatherman.
The Paisley school has also been nominated for the 2017 Sunday Mail sportscotland Scottish Sports Awards.
Sheriff Rajni Swanney
Her defence agent told the court that his client would benefit from alcohol counselling and intervention from social workers.
He said: “I think she needs input to tackle her alcohol issues.
“I have formed a favourable impression of her resolve to deal with her problems.
Sheriff Swanney agreed and deferred sentence on McGowan for three months for her to be of good behaviour and for her to seek help with her alcohol use.
She said: “I will defer sentence for good behaviour.
“You will engage with mental health workers and alcohol service workers and, of course, be of good behaviour. I will also order a supplementary criminal justice social work report.”
She will return to court in three months to learn her fate.