FUNDING has been found to provide Merkinch, Central and Dalneigh Primaries and Inverness High with a “Joopy Janny” or attendance officer to round up pupils who regularly skive.

At their recent meeting MPS school board heard that the funding was only for one school year initially, but if it proved successful it would be up to the local authority to continue the scheme.

The new Deputy Head Mrs Fay Broadley was welcomed to the meeting. She said her biggest job would be deputising for Head Teacher Mrs Morrison, particularly dealing with parents and answering the phone! In curricular areas she would be looking after health, reading and writing, and she would continue with her support work and pastoral care of P1 to P3. She would be taking infant assembly and have a full teaching commitment in the mornings.
She explained that there was a very high level of support, with MPS having three and a half support teachers - altogether the Inverness and West area had a pool of 30 support teachers.

Returning to the question of cash, it was also hoped that funding would be found to get the assistance of someone with a counselling approach to help with parents. “We spend a great deal of time talking with parents who are upset,” Mrs Morrison explained.

The 30-hour a week post of co-ordinator for the Healthy Living Centre in the former janitor’s house was being advertised, and it was hoped, in association with mp33, to attract funds for an Adult Basic Education course, particularly to attract young mums with literacy problems. The various modules include helping children with their homework, diet and cooking, health, benefits, and driving test etc. All modules have an IT component, board members heard.