Nether Currie Primary School is on the outskirts of Edinburgh, in the southwest of the city. Edinburgh is the Capital City of Scotland in the United Kingdom. The school was built in 1961 and lies at the center of an attractive housing estate with the majority of children living locally and able to walk to school. Our pupils are in 7 classes from Primary 1 to Primary 7, covering the ages 4 to 12. Most children move to the local secondary school - Currie Community High School - after Primary 7. Our very good links with the High School ensure that the transition is as seamless as possible. We also work closely with Juniper Green and Currie, the other two cluster primaries.
We have a large playground with plenty of room for children to play a range of games. Extensive grassed areas with picnic tables are also enjoyed by pupils whenever possible, as well as a climbing wall, climbing ropes, a tunnel, and access to the woods and play area in Muirwood Park.
The school is an important part of the local community. The many groups involved with our school include a very active Parent Teacher Association and an elected Parent Council. An established partnership with The Friends of Muirwood Park also helps to support our work and there are good links with Currie Library and Currie Kirk. The single-story, split-level building contains 7 classrooms and associated cloakroom and toilet facilities, a support for learning base, and a library. There is a large hall (with stage) which provides accommodation for dining, recreation and social gatherings, and a bright, well-equipped gymnasium.
At Nether Currie we strive for excellence academically whilst also seeking to develop each child's interpersonal skills, values, and beliefs. To support this process we have eight values that are embedded into the life of the school. These are:
- Caring
- Healthy
- Active
- Responsible
- Inclusive
- Safe
- Motivated
- Achieving
Children are rewarded for displaying these values through our house points system. The children have been working hard this year to develop a character to represent each of our values, and this family of characters will be published in time for the next school year.
To help promote a positive learning environment that nurtures the development of our school values, each child is placed in one of our three school houses: Kinleith, Lennox, and Norton. Children earn house points for displaying our school values, and these are totaled up at the end of each week. The winning house gets an extra five minutes of break time the following week.
Each house has children from Primary 1 to 7 allowing our older children to inspire, care for, and help to nurture our youngest children. Each year there are many opportunities for houses to meet and complete tasks, collaborate, and compete with the other houses in a very positive way. By creating opportunities for our children to compete and succeed in a supportive and structured environment, we are encouraging them to aim high and become the very best they can be.
At Nether Currie we strive to create a warm and caring environment where children and staff treat each other with mutual trust and respect. We believe that this approach creates the most effective learning environment, both in terms of academic attainment as well as the development of children's values and beliefs.
We believe that learning positive and appropriate behavior is an incredibly important part of developing our children as people. In school, we use a restorative approach to behavior management which seeks to restore positive relationships through discussion and reflection. This is also very effective as a preventive measure as our children become more able to manage their behavior, stopping things from getting out of hand before they do.
Building strong and trusting relationships between all involved in the school is very important in delivering the best outcomes for our children. Positive relationships have been linked with improved interpersonal skills, motivation, and attainment.
At Nether Currie we seek to develop positive relationships through restorative practice, our school values, our house points system, and our day-to-day interactions between staff and children. We employ a unique blend of fun and humor to the serious task of education, helping our children to feel safe, happy, and motivated to come to school. Staff model polite, kind, caring, and nurturing behavior reinforcing our school values every day and in every lesson.
