| Iona Primary School and ELC is situated on the Isle of Iona; an island off an island, approximately three hours from the mainland. The children live and learn within a small supportive community, where everybody knows them from birth. They have access to a variety of outdoor opportunities including the beaches, the Atlantic Ocean, fields, cliffs and caves. They experience regular wild life sightings from migrating birds, to seals, whales and dolphins. They have access to fresh food from the land and the sea and may raise their own animals on crofts.
Iona Primary School has extensive outdoor space in front of the school for learning, play and PE. There is also an extensive piece of land, historically the ‘School Master’s Garden’ that the children access for learning and recreation. This space includes an orchard, spaces for isolation or group play and trees for climbing. The school has access to Iona Village Hall for PE and performances, a new building adjacent to the school. We provide swimming lessons for all stages, traveling to Oban over a six week period each session. These sessions also provide opportunities for interactions with unfamiliar adults, shops and road safety. We also provide sea swimming lessons, teaching the children how to read the tide, risk assess the sea and survival techniques, as well as enjoying this exciting learning environment. Iona Primary works closely with Bunessan Primary, Lismore Primary and Adrnagour Primary to support transition to Oban High. The children get together at all stages over the session and there are residential trips in P6 and P7 for the children to get to know each other before transitioning into Oban Hostel. The school currently has 3 children attending the ELC and 9 children in the Primary. The ferry has been suspended 19 days over the session 2023-2024, resulting in staff being unable to attend and having to report to Bunessan Primary. The Head Teacher lives in the school building and teaches the Primary Children during ferry related disruption. The ELC closes on these occasions. The construction of a Break Water barrier has recently started. This will be complete for the summer of 2027. This will reduce weather related cancellations for the ferry service. |