Craigievar
Pre-visit information
| School Name and Local Authority: | Craigievar School, |
| Background: | The school is a small, rural school situated on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park. At the time of the project there were 41 pupils in the school, taught in 2 classes. |
| Local SNH National Nature Reserve: | Burn O'Vat reserve at Muir of Dinnet. |
| Reason for visit: | The aim of the initial visit was as a part of our "Moving On" project for transition. At the time of the first visit, primary 7 pupils were experiencing a transition week at their secondary school and the new primary 1 pupils were visiting from nursery. Staff in the school felt that the first formal experience of their new class would be of benefit if outside due to the preferred learning styles of the younger pupils. It also took the learning away from a classroom and would make the initial experience of team building less threatening. |
| Pre-Visit Planning and Preparation: | I visited the site with the Aberdeenshire teachers and SNH staff. The pre-visit was essential to allow my own understanding of the local area to develop and begin to form ideas of what was achievable and appropriate for the first visit with pupils. It also allowed me to consider other factors such as being risk aware. |
| Pre-Visit Planning with Pupils | As part of the research project I have involved the pupils in planning the visit. Most of the class had visited the area as part of a family visit as it is relatively close to the school. The school had previously undertaken a whole school literacy project with another small school around Traditional Tales and Nursery Rhymes. We used this as a context for our trip to Burn O'Vat. After researching folk tales set in Scotland, we settled on the story of Thomas the Rhymer (summary below). |
| Pre-Visit Preparation | The pupils and staff spent time in school reading and discussing the story so that pupils were familiar with the main points prior to the visit. Staff created 3 activities based on the story and prepared an approximate itinerary. Pupils also discussed the possible risks of a trip to a NNR, including the bus journey and prepared a list of what we would need to bring and wear. |
Summary of Thomas the Rhymer: Thomas is a young man who encounters a beautiful woman upon a white horse while he lounges on a bank. She reveals herself to be the Queen of Faeries and takes him up on her horse, after sealing his service with a kiss. They travel for a long time and when they stop he expresses hunger. She forbids him to eat other than the food and drink she offers him, and while they rest she explains where they are going. She shows him three paths, one beset with thorns which leads to heavan, one fair and lovely which goes to hell, and one green which leads to the faerie lands. She bids him to hold his tongue for seven years, and gives him clothing, and retains him among the faeries for those seven years.
