Evie and Firth Primary Schools welcome “home grown” Head Teacher

A born and bred Orcadian – with a breadth of teaching experience across Orkney – has been appointed Head Teacher of Evie and Firth Primary Schools.

Mrs Emma Jane Rendall, from Stenness, says the “exceptional” life experiences growing up, living and working in the county have led her on a path which now allows her the chance to give something back to communities.

A farmer’s daughter raised at Seattersquoy, Mrs Rendall has already taught at Evie and Firth Schools and Dounby, Rousay and Westray throughout her teaching journey of more than 20 years.

However, it was in 2020 – the year of a global pandemic – that life at school was to change in many ways for Mrs Rendall.

She said: “The pandemic hit in 2020, and it had a massive impact on everyone. The fact the school doors closed was a huge reality check and suddenly the school community was thrown in a completely new direction.  

“The school communities went through turmoil and the value of the school and its stability for the children and their learning was made very clear.  The responsibility for the schools to get it right for every child in the face of this adversity was huge.  The Local Authority provided digital technology to families who needed it, and the staff in the school committed to upskill overnight to provide a digital connection, which was outstanding.  The families of the school were proactive and got on board and we had classes with live streamed learning and teaching where 100% of pupils attended, half in school and half at home.  It was an amazing achievement by all.

“During all of this, I managed to pass my Into Headship PGCE by changing the focus of my study at the last minute to ‘Leadership During Change’.  I was then in a place to take on the role of Acting Head Teacher for Evie and Firth in 2021.  This gave a ‘try-before-you-buy’ opportunity for both me and the schools.  I was welcomed into the role by both school communities in such a positive and supportive way that I really felt a passion for the job from the start.  I hoped that it would be a successful partnership for everyone and gained the courage to apply for the permanent post.”

Born in the Balfour Hospital in 1974 to Stuart and Frances Seator, Mrs Rendall was given a good grounding in practicality and physicality thanks to growing up and helping out on the farm with her brother Derek.

She attended Stenness Primary School in the era of Thora Linklater and Gregor Lamb, which she describes as being a “massively cultural experience, rich in music, art and drama”.

“Gregor Lamb has been an inspiration to me my whole teaching career as a result.  I was even a member of the Stenness Peedie Folk playing the guitar and tin whistle in the Folk Festival and on TV.  I then moved on to Stromness Academy. We spent the first year in the old Stromness Academy building and we were the last 1^st year to attend there.  We went on shuttle buses to and from the new building at Garson, and that was certainly an experience.

“The lasses in our year re-established the Stromess Academy Hockey Team and it took off.  We went on to win the Inter-County against Shetland. Being part of the Juior Inter-County was a tremendous experience and great for meeting new people especially from Kirkwall Grammar School.  We had a great bond between the two schools at that time, even having joint discos.

“I was a member of the Harray Young Farmers and I think I have learnt some of my most valuable skills as part of that experience.  I was able to fix my first car, a red Maestro, on the road south to University with hair bands, because of the car maintenance workshop we did.  Not to mention the speech making competitions…which is coming in handy now!”

It was when her peedie sister, Inga, was born when Mrs Rendall – a former Stromness Shopping Week Queen - was 15 that she discovered a love of children and looking after them.

“This is when I understood the power of the relationships we build from a very young age, but more importantly the responsibility we have for getting that right. We were lucky to have excellent teachers at Stromness Academy and I was able to gain qualifications in the midst of having a great social life. At the end of 6^th Year, our Head Teacher, David Sillar, gave me the opportunity to attend Voss Folk School as part of Orkney’s link with Norway.  I jumped at the chance and this was a fully funded experience giving the opportunity of a lifetime.  I studied art and Norwegian, sailed from Bergen to Shetland and back as a crew member on the Statsraad Lehmkuhl and was exposed to a whole new culture.  I learnt to ski, speak Norwegian and understand more about sustainable living.  That was an amazing experience.”

The following year she set off to Edinburgh to study at Moray House Institute of Education which was part of Heriot-Watt University. After four years’ studying, she gained a Bachelor of Education (Hons) and returned to Orkney.

Her first teaching post followed in Rousay.

“I was in the Portacabin, as the school had 3 classes at that time.  Alison Mainland was the Head Teacher and Sandra Swannie was my mentor.  I learnt so much in that first year and would have loved to have stayed, but the class role dropped and the school lost a class. I then headed to Evie Primary School for three terms to cover maternity leave.  Sue Whitworth was the Head Teacher, and again, I loved the school and would have loved to have stayed, but the job was temporary.

“I was really lucky and went straight to a part-time job in Dounby Community School in April 1999.  Hilary Morrell was the Head Teacher at that time, and she has been a role model for me in my career.  In 1999 I got married to Mark Rendall and I went to live in Westray.  I worked part-time in Dounby and covered in Pierowall Junior High School during the other half of the week for Helen Lumsden as Principal Teacher, when Ali Sangster was the Head Teacher.  I even covered in the secondary department and did French and Home Economics…  or tried to anyway.

“I had my first child, Tommy, in 2000 and at this point we moved to the Mainland.  I worked full time at Dounby and had my second son, Robbie, in 2005.  I became Principal Teacher in 2011, appointed by Alasdair Forsyth who was the Head Teacher at that time. I moved to Firth Primary School in 2015, where Ingrid Rendall was the Head Teacher, to develop my skills as a leader in a new context.  The intention was to broaden my experience in the hope of becoming a Head Teacher one day. In 2019 Joe Hill became Acting Head before Emma Ritchie was appointed as Head Teacher in January 2020.  I was very grateful for all the opportunities and support I got at that point, including the opportunity to do the Into Headship course in 2020.  Little did I know that it was going to be during a global pandemic, but the rest, as they say, is history!

“Being born and brought up in Orkney has been exceptional and I have been very lucky to have experienced everything Orkney has afforded me, and I hope to continue to give a piece of that back.”