Mary Farrell
Headteacher, Hollybrook Secondary School, Scottish Business in the Community, Responsible Business
Our aim in Hollybrook is to improve the educational achievements and life chances of all of our young people. We believe this has to include better preparation for work through improved skills, greater confidence and improved attitudes toward enterprise and work.
Our partnership with Scottish Business in the Community’s Closing the Gap programme has afforded our pupils opportunities to improve their life chances in so many different ways. The children’s confidence and self-esteem has improved as well as their expectation, motivation and enthusiasm to get a job after leaving school.
It’s also good for the staff here at Hollybrook as they get the chance to learn from the businesses who come into school to help us. We’re also on track to get an Investors in People accreditation thanks to working with the Glasgow team of Scottish Business in the Community.
I should also mention how much the school benefited from a Seeing is Believing visit – our fantastic ICT suite is testament to the that – but the children also got a lot out of it, especially when The Prince of Wales himself came to see the school to see what had been achieved. Working with Scottish Business in the Community has been great for the school, the staff and the pupils. It means we really are "Closing the Gap" at Hollybrook.
