Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth made a special visit to Aberchirder Primary School on Friday as part of Maths Week Scotland.

She was welcomed after a prior visit to Banff Academy in the morning by head teacher Lisa Campbell and pupils from primary seven who acted as her guide.

But the layout of the school remains familiar to the minister, who attended from primary one to primary five, before her family moved to Fife where she continued her education.

And there was a touching reunion as her primary four teacher Barbara Bowie still teaches early years pupils at the school.

With the focus on Maths Week, pupils were keen to showcase what they have been doing under this years title of Maths in Motion.

This has included Place Value Target shooting, Place value Daily Mile Planning journeys using timetables, SUMDOG work and taking part in Maths week Scotland contests.

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Commenting on her visit Ms Gilruth said: "It is so lovely to come back to Foggie Primary school.

"I was last here in October 1993, so nearly 30 years ago when my family flitted to Fife from the north-east so its lovely to come back and even lovelier to meet Mrs Bowie who taught me when I was in primary four."

On Maths Week she continued: "It is really fascinating to see the innovative approaches that teachers are taking now in regarding to teaching numeracy.

"It's night and day to when I was in school and the government is providing additional support for Maths Week Scotland, but the way in which teachers deliver numeracy in the classroom has really changed, even in the last five to ten years they are using really innovative methods.

"For example here in Foggie (Aberchirder) I have seen examples of young people using games to talk about numeracy, using music and having lots of different opportunities to engage their brains in why numeracy is important and those are skills for life, and actually making children understand why having numeracy is important will be beneficial to them in terms of their future life prospects in going onto work and education and training."

And on changes brought by modern technology she said: "We have a manifesto commitment to roll out more digital connenctivity across all schools, but additionally we have a commitment in the programme for government this year to roll out a digital strategy rolled out across local councils to build up their connectivity.

"For instance in some schools getting wi-fi access can be challenging, for others it might not be so challenging if they are in a modern building, but we have to work with local councils to build that capacity and also recognise that not all learning takes place with paper and pen as it may have done in years past.

"And the skills that go with digital connectivity are really important and it was good today to see young people engaging with digital technology, using that to help support their learning and ensuring that when they do leave school that have those skills."

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