Deputy head to build on school’s strengths

Aug 28 2009 by Caroline Boxer, Strathearn Herald

CRIEFF Primary’s newly appointed deputy head teacher is brimming with enthusiasm for her new role.

Lorraine Slabbert (40), pictured, started in the post on August 17 joining her new colleagues for the two in-service days at the start of term and is already feeling quite at home at the Commissioner Street School.

“Everybody has been very welcoming,” she told the Herald. “And it is a really nice feeling becoming a new member of the team.”

Graduating in 1991 at Northern College of Education in Aberdeen, Lorraine began her teaching career in city schools in Dundee and Perth before moving into more rural locations.

She is no stranger to Strathearn having taught P3 to P5 for a time at Blackford Primary School.

From there she gained her first promoted post as senior teacher at Fossoway Primary and nine years ago she left the classroom behind to work with Perth and Kinross Council’s strategic team in Perth to take on the role of Early Years Support Officer (Nursery to P3).

“My main roles in this position were core training and development work with primaries and nurseries,” explained Lorraine. “I also carried out quality assurance and training with private nurseries who are in partnership with the local authority.”

With the introduction of the new Curriculum for Excellence Lorraine decided it was time to return to the classroom.

She said: “The Curriculum for Excellence has inspired me to get back into schools and be more hands on and develop this in a school setting.

“The whole ethos being developed through the Curriculum for Excellence for the pupils, teachers and parents alike is a really positive one and it was absolutely brilliant when the post came up at Crieff Primary. It really came at the right time.

“I am coming to the school with a huge amount of enthusiasm and I have been met with a huge amount of enthusiasm too.

“The school has lots of strengths and this is a good opportunity to build on them.

“The staff are really committed and work exceptionally hard and have certainly taught me a lot so far.

“The children have also been brilliant. They are so responsive and welcoming.”

Although the post is non-teaching, Lorraine is looking forward to spending some time working with the children and staff within the classrooms and nursery.

She will also continue working with curriculum development and training and is excited by the fact that she will have a chance to see how this evolves within the school.

Out of the classroom, Lorraine lives just outside Auchterarder with her South African husband Johan and her eight month-old son Noah.