High School lifts Innovation prize

Photo – Ewen Weatherspoon

Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards

- Inverness High School scoops an Industry Award

Inverness High School have beaten off competition from Baxter’s Foods, one of the nation’s largest food producers to lift another prestigious title. The school’s REAL Food enterprise which has attracted interest from Prince Charles, won the Innovation Award at the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink awards at the Drummossie Hotel on 26th September. The enterprise which has been running for two years provides our pupils with opportunities for personal development, work experience and engagement with food from seed to retailing. The school have a thriving stall in the Victorian Market as well as other retail outlets in businesses and villages in the area.
The Awards, supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Forum and Williamson Foodservice, celebrate excellence and achievement in the food and drink industry in the Highlands and Islands. Judged by a panel of industry experts with representatives across the sector. Hazel Gordon, chair of the Highland and Islands Food and Drink Forum, said: “The Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards aim to encourage high standards, collaboration and innovation across the area, and it’s great to again see this year’s awards highlighting businesses and individuals who have excelled in our industry. We also hope all the winners, who really have come from near and far, go on to further benefit from the profile their Awards bring with them.”
REAL Food, Inverness An integrated market garden and retail based social enterprise, in Inverness High School, in the heart of the city, to provide youngsters with opportunities for personal development, work experience, community involvement and engagement with the story of food by linking the enterprise activities to the curriculum. It is now working, with pupil involvement, to expand its local sales base in locations such as the Scottish Natural Heritage HQ, Raigmore Hospital, The Victorian Market, Inverness and in a range of village markets based in Culbokie, Evanton, Strathpeffer and Kirkhill. http://real-ihs.blogspot.com/

Three years as a School of Ambition

Inverness High School celebrated three years as a designated School of Ambition on Friday 26th September. We invited a number of partner orgainisations and guests to hear about the last three years progress. Part of the story is about our school farm and vegetable retailing but there are many other aspects of the school's work that have developed over the last three years. We have dramatically improved our IT in the school and this is integrated into teaching and learning. Pupil Leadership activities are also developing and our focus has been on developing pupils early in their secondary school career. Our Activities days and school dress code are other aspects of the school that have developed over the last three years.

Certainly a lot to celebrate - although School of Amition funding stops this year the activities were have started will continue.

Young Chefs

Andrew Mackenzie and Lauren Fraser were narrowly beaten in the Final of "Battle of the Chefs" at Eden Court Theatre on Thursday evening. This event, part of the Highland Feast celebration pitted eight pairs of budding chefs against each other - producing a three course meal in front of an assembled audience. Andrew and Lauren progressed through two preliminary rounds into the final and were beaten by the narrowest of margins. Judges for the event were Alan Little of the Riverside Restaurant and Anne Law of Eilean Dhu in Fortrose. The budding chefs had to produce inventive and healthy meals using local ingredients (some of them very local - off our school farm!) Lauren and Andrew made Beremeal Blinis with Isle of Skye smoked mackerel and Balmungie Quail eggs for their starter, in the first round; then Clachnaharry Apple and Bramble Oaty crumble with a Crowdie, Honey and Whisky Cream in the semi-final. They prepared Denalder Estate Venison Loin with Crushed new potatoes and a Duo of our own School Grown Kale served with a Moniack Plum wine and chocolate sauce, in the final. They worked efficiently and hygenically in front of an audience while explaining what they were making and why they had chosen it. Both pupils a real credit to the school and their teachers.

S2 Leadership course

All our S2 pupils participated in a Leadership course run for the school by "The tree of Knowledge" training organisation. All S2 pupils participated in the first day of training and for the second day they elected a leadership group to represent them. This group undertook further training and will work with our new Youth Worker, Lizzie Cox, when she joins us shortly. Everyone seemed to enjoy the activities on the course and we look forward to the ideas S2 pupils will contribute to developing our school.

Royal Marines show S4 the secrets of the Armed Forces curry! S4 pupils were given a demonstration of forces cooking and had a go themselves. Rumour has it that CHOCOLATE!! is one of the secret ingredients. What do they say about an army marching on its stomach?

Royal Navy provide team-building training

On 8th September the Royal Navy provided two trainers to work with our newly appointed prefects. They worked on some team-building exercises which also tested their fitness levels. Some of the prefects thought thy were fit until the Navy showed up!