Education, Page 5 - Kibble, A Lasting Legacy. Residential, secure, education, fostering, social enterprise, training for young people and youths.
menu

themes

themes

Page 5

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Education: Into the twenty-first century

View the Education booklet

Two key structural changes occurred towards and during the last quarter of the twentieth century: the re-designation of Approved Schools to List D schools in 1971, following the Social Work (Scotland) Act of 1968, then Kibble’s transition to an independent social enterprise in 1996. The latter change followed local government reorganisation, specifically the break-up of Strathclyde Regional Council, and the consequent restructuring of Social Work departments.

Montage of Kibble shows

Montage of Kibble shows

These are pictures from the talent shows and pantos that are a regular feature on the Kibble calendar.

‘One of the main effects of the first change was a shift of power, from Approved Schools Headteachers to the newly-formed Children’s Hearings system; this was particularly the case with respect to duration of a boy’s stay in Approved School, as Robin Hall, a former Depute Head at Kibble (1968-71) and subsequently Headteacher at Thornlypark Approved School, told us:

‘One of the reasons they (Head Teachers) had power was, the sentence came from the Courts – one to three years or whatever, and there was the Head, who determined when the boy would go. So it was the Head that decided on the boy’s release and so that exercised enormous power over the young people as to when they would get out. Now as you know, when the Children’s Hearings came into being, it wasn’t the Head that decided that at all, it was the Children’s Panel… this is now 1971 when the Children’s Hearings came into being and overnight that power that I was talking to you about just vanished.’

(Robin Hall, Interviewed 23rd June 2005)

Kibble’s transition to an independent social enterprise allowed the organisation greater flexibility in terms of freedom to innovate with regard to curriculum and practice. For example, it enabled Kibble to continue to have the young person at the centre of his education programme, drawing on experiences and learning situations which actively engage him in learning. In addition, as Kibble’s current Depute Head Teacher, Pauline Harte explained, it allowed for the following changes to be implemented:

Kibble staff and pupils on a visit to the Galapagos islands

Kibble staff and pupils on a visit to the Galapagos islands

In 2007 Kibble staff and pupils, as part of a Global citizenship initiative, travelled to Ecuador and the Galapagos islands.

  • Closer working between Education staff and Care colleagues to ensure care and education aims for the youngster are owned and promoted by all
  • Further support for parents and carers in their drive to secure better outcomes for their youngster
  • Enhancement of Kibble’s curriculum to ensure future skills for successful living in Scottish society were embedded, i.e. Skills for Work, Enterprise, Multi-Cultural education
  • Use of divergent thinking to engage the most troubled youngster, e.g. working with the impoverished people of Ecuador
  • Development of fun in learning through whole school events such as daily assemblies, bi-annual talent shows, sports days, and charity events
  • Greater availability of flexible programmes of learning, such as one-to-one tuition
  • Reduction of class sizes and increased support for learning staff within the classroom

Development of Kibble’s integrated array of services, including education, is an ongoing process. The organisation continuously promotes and facilitates research, training, and reflective practice in all aspects of child care and education, thereby ensuring that Miss Kibble’s original bequest is indeed a lasting legacy.

Prev page