Apr 1, 2009 
ONE of Scotland’s leading independent schools is sending its science teachers into a state school in a ground-breaking partnership between the public and private sectors.
Physics, chemistry and biology teachers from Glenalmond College in Perthshire will visit nearby Murthly Primary to offer support and help boost interest in the sciences.
In return, primary pupils will visit Glenalmond to use its facilities, while students at the private school who are considering a career in teaching will meet staff at Murthly.
Until now, partnerships between the sectors have typically been attempts to cross social divides, or have involved small numbers of pupils studying Advanced Highers not available at their own school. This project is particularly relevant given recent research which showed children’s poor attainment in science.
Supporters say such partnerships could benefit both the state and private sectors if created across Scotland.
Gordon Woods, the warden at Glenalmond, said his staff could offer support to primary staff who were naturally “generalists” without necessarily having a detailed knowledge of science.
Glenalmond teachers will go into Murthly Primary to help both its pupils and teachers kick-start a science project.
Mr Woods said: “Then, maybe a week later, someone will go back and help them take it a step further. It’s about giving them support, giving advice to the class teacher and working with them to team-teach. If it works well, I would like to see it done again.”
Mr Woods was keen to say it offered his staff – and potentially his pupils – an advantage, too.
A spokesman for Perth and Kinross Council described the partnership, which will also involve music lessons, as “forging positive links”. He added:
“We hope to carry on this friendship into the future.”
Such schemes might help deal with the problems Scottish pupils experience with science in the later years of primary school.
A report last year saw Scotland fare worse than many other western nations. At P5, only 51 per cent of pupils had teachers who considered themselves very well prepared to teach science.
Last June, the Scottish Survey of Achievement revealed too few P4-P7 pupils attained expected levels in science. While almost 55 per cent of P3 pupils achieved the required standard, that dropped to just 6 per cent in P7.
Elizabeth Smith, the Scottish Tories’ schools spokeswoman, praised the Glenalmond initiative and said it was a two-way street. “There should be greater sharing of facilities between the independent and state sectors,” she said. Judith Sischy, director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools, said: “SCIS would like to see greater sharing of good practice and facilities, particularly where there are shortages in subject specialists.
“In a climate of financial pressures, it seems wise to explore all opportunities for the sharing of resources.”
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