1stVII win the Loretto Sevens!           

The Loretto 7s is always one of the highlights of the Autumn Term and after working hard in training over the past few weeks, the squad was looking forward to testing themselves against a number of the other prep schools and some rugby clubs.  Over the many years we have been going, we have played a very attractive game, moving the ball from side to side, keeping possession and waiting for the gaps to open up, and this group of boys have been quick to pick this up, and also run some fantastic lines to wrong foot the opposition’s drift defence.  Hopes were high, the weather was good and it promised to be a terrific afternoon of sport.

In the opening group game, we comfortably beat Melrose Rugby Club first up, moving the ball really well to score five tries and also dominating the breakdown with our specialist jacklers.  We played some really good sevens and it was a great start to the campaign.  Next up was Loretto which was a much more physical affair and we got drawn in somewhat, going that step too far rather than passing before the contact and keeping the ball alive. A narrow win, but pleasingly our defence was excellent and we defended with real discipline.  North Berwick were large and aggressive and we ended up losing to a conversion which was disappointing, even though we topped the group.  We tried to match their physicality which was not what the doctor ordered, when we should have kept the ball moving to stretch them across the field.  We scored some good tries however, and in the end, the narrow defeat did us the world of good as we realized where our strengths lay and played with so much pace and skill in the knock out games that were to follow.

In the semi final, we met Belhaven, and the boys produced a mightily fine performance against our old rivals.  We really did look after the ball superbly, getting it wide, supporting each other, pulling the defence this way and that and showing lots of patience for the holes to appear…..which they did.  A really good advert for seven a side rugby at this level, and so we were in the Final once again.

Finals in schoolboy sevens tournaments can often not reach the heights of previous games due to the all the players being tired and so concentration levels drop; however, this was not the case for the Cargilfield boys today as we faced up to a large and physical Mussleburgh RFC team.  Learning our lessons from earlier in the day, we really did keep the ball alive, moving it across the width of the pitch again and again, and despite some excellent tackling from the opposition, we kept possession, and when that happens, we score! We scored four tries, which put the game to bed, but the quality of the opposition meant we had to work really hard for them which is as it should be, but the boys were rightly delighted when the final whistle blew and the trophy was ours once again.

I do love sevens: it is the ultimate test of skill, patience, teamwork, communication and fitness. We played the best sevens today, but managed to combine the traditional Cargilfield way of playing with some added ‘go forward’ as we ran some great supporting lines which caused all the teams we played real problems.  As always, we learned a lot too, and I know this lot will be chomping at the bit for the Ardvreck Sevens which takes place right at the end of half term……we have set down a marker now.

A richly deserved win and it would be invidious to pick out any names, so I have not! It was a real squad effort, with everyone working so hard both with and without the ball, which made us so effective both in attack and in defence. A wonderful afternoon indeed!  A big thank you to the large number of parents who came along too; your support was invaluable at the end of a long and tiring day of sport!

1stVII win the Loretto Sevens!           

The Loretto 7s is always one of the highlights of the Autumn Term and after working hard in training over the past few weeks, the squad was looking forward to testing themselves against a number of the other prep schools and some rugby clubs.  Over the many years we have been going, we have played a very attractive game, moving the ball from side to side, keeping possession and waiting for the gaps to open up, and this group of boys have been quick to pick this up, and also run some fantastic lines to wrong foot the opposition’s drift defence.  Hopes were high, the weather was good and it promised to be a terrific afternoon of sport.

In the opening group game, we comfortably beat Melrose Rugby Club first up, moving the ball really well to score five tries and also dominating the breakdown with our specialist jacklers.  We played some really good sevens and it was a great start to the campaign.  Next up was Loretto which was a much more physical affair and we got drawn in somewhat, going that step too far rather than passing before the contact and keeping the ball alive. A narrow win, but pleasingly our defence was excellent and we defended with real discipline.  North Berwick were large and aggressive and we ended up losing to a conversion which was disappointing, even though we topped the group.  We tried to match their physicality which was not what the doctor ordered, when we should have kept the ball moving to stretch them across the field.  We scored some good tries however, and in the end, the narrow defeat did us the world of good as we realized where our strengths lay and played with so much pace and skill in the knock out games that were to follow.

In the semi final, we met Belhaven, and the boys produced a mightily fine performance against our old rivals.  We really did look after the ball superbly, getting it wide, supporting each other, pulling the defence this way and that and showing lots of patience for the holes to appear…..which they did.  A really good advert for seven a side rugby at this level, and so we were in the Final once again.

Finals in schoolboy sevens tournaments can often not reach the heights of previous games due to the all the players being tired and so concentration levels drop; however, this was not the case for the Cargilfield boys today as we faced up to a large and physical Mussleburgh RFC team.  Learning our lessons from earlier in the day, we really did keep the ball alive, moving it across the width of the pitch again and again, and despite some excellent tackling from the opposition, we kept possession, and when that happens, we score! We scored four tries, which put the game to bed, but the quality of the opposition meant we had to work really hard for them which is as it should be, but the boys were rightly delighted when the final whistle blew and the trophy was ours once again.

I do love sevens: it is the ultimate test of skill, patience, teamwork, communication and fitness. We played the best sevens today, but managed to combine the traditional Cargilfield way of playing with some added ‘go forward’ as we ran some great supporting lines which caused all the teams we played real problems.  As always, we learned a lot too, and I know this lot will be chomping at the bit for the Ardvreck Sevens which takes place right at the end of half term……we have set down a marker now.

A richly deserved win and it would be invidious to pick out any names, so I have not! It was a real squad effort, with everyone working so hard both with and without the ball, which made us so effective both in attack and in defence. A wonderful afternoon indeed!  A big thank you to the large number of parents who came along too; your support was invaluable at the end of a long and tiring day of sport!

The 1st girls had a great day at Loretto 7’s, winning the tournament in fine form, without losing a game all day. All matches were 12 minutes one way, so there was little time to settle and even less time for mistakes.

Our first match was against Belhaven. Captain Izzy dominated this game from start to finish and led her team well. Saphira started the scoring off after Izzy took the ball in to the circle from a long corner. Izzy hit the ball hard and Saphira tapped in the rebound. The play stayed in our attacking half and Izzy again piled on the pressure and this time her hard strike resulted in a well-deserved goal. Clara made her debut today for the 1sts and she slotted in to the team with little difficulty, working hard both in midfield and up front. Her tenacity on the pitch was rewarded by a goal which settled any nerves and pulled us ahead nicely. Flora and Izzy linked particularly well in this game and Flora kept the width and time after time got the ball past the Belhaven girls. Flora really was a class above the rest and played fantastically. Izzy scored in the last few minutes with a show-case reverse strike which hit the top of the net; pretty impressive!

Cargilfield 4 Belhaven 0

Our next match was against Cundall Manor from Yorkshire. This is usually a tough game and the girls did well throughout. We won a short corner early in the match and Emma was our main injector today. Her accuracy and power throughout the tournament was good, and she really didn’t put a foot wrong all day. Izzy opened the scoring with a rocket straight strike which saw spirits rise and the girls hungry for more goals. Clara really stepped up to the mark and played in a beautifully wide role, keeping the width and playing the ball strongly through. Saphira got on the end of one of Clara’s passes and slotted the ball cooly in to the back of the goal. Another short corner followed and a lovely strike from Laura was deflected in by Saphira for our 3rd goal. The Cundall girls took the centre but Izzy stole the ball, dribbled through, and hit a reverse strike in to the back of the net. Laura was a dominant member of our attack in this match and really worked her socks off throughout.

Cargilfield 4 Cundall 0

Our 3rd game was against Gullane Hockey Club who had a strong tournament last year. We looked a little sluggish at times in this match and lost our shape a bit. This made our defence have to work hard and Emma and Clemmie were put under pressure but both kept their cool and managed to keep the ball away from the goal. Our goal came from Saphira who got on the end of a hard reverse sweep from Laura. Flora hit the post and again, had a good match.

Cargilfield 1 Gullane 0

We played Loretto next and we made quite tough work of this game. The Loretto girls were strong on the ball and were clearly keen to press us hard. The play was end to end, and we were lucky that Rosanna was switched on as she kept us in the match. Saphira also played well and she kept lovely and wide, pulling the Loretto girls out and driving hard in to the circle. Caitlin’s goal keeping skills were really put to the test in this match and she made a series of great saves to keep the opposition out. Despite this, we lost a goal after a sloppy defensive short corner and knew we would have to dig deep for the win. Izzy was determined to pull the game back, and quickly got the ball up the pitch; a clever pass to Saphira saw us score and equalise. The girls weren’t happy with a draw and kept on working hard and we were rewarded by a short corner and a hard strike from Izzy which Emma popped in beside the post.

Cargilfield 2 Loretto 1

Our final pool match was against St Mary’s. Despite a very one-sided game against this team earlier in the week, we struggled to play well, and the game in general lacked shape and structure. Both teams made good and bad passes, and it ended a rather disappointing 0-0.

Cargilfield 0 St Mary’s 0

We finished the round robin in 1st place which saw us play Belhaven again, as they had finished in 4th place. Flora and Emma were our players of the match; both simply dug deep and did their job. They did not let the opposition fluster them and played good hockey. Izzy started the scoring off after less than 2 minutes; she dribbled in from a free hit, pulled the ball on to the reverse and struck it hard in to the back of the net. A couple of defensive short corners followed but Clemmie cleared the ball well and play ended up in the other half. We won a short corner and after a hard strike from Izzy, the ball got lost in the goal keepers’ feet but Emma was literally on the ball and got it out and popped the ball in the back of the net.

Cargilfield 2 Belhaven 0

The final was played against St. Mary’s who had just beaten Loretto in the other semi-final. We were keen to stay positive and not let our formation disintegrate like the last time! We won 2 short corners and Izzy had another one of her rocket strikes which was saved but quickly rebounded back in to the goal by Saphira. This was enough to settle us and strong positional play from Laura kept the game flowing. Rosanna ran hard and made some great tackles which turned the play round. Both teams were beginning to tire but Saphira won a short corner and it was a fitting way to end the match with Izzy scoring on her reverse to secure the win.

Cargilfield 2 St Mary’s 0

It is impossible to pick out too many individual players as it was very much a team effort but well done to Caitlin for only letting in 1 goal all tournament, and to Izzy, Emma, Flora and Saphira for their work rate.

A very well-deserved win and all the girls deserve a long hot bath tonight and can wear their medals with pride. Thank you to Lucy Lanigan, current Scotland hockey player for supporting the girls throughout the day and presenting the prizes.  

Thanks also  to all the parents for their invaluable support today, and to Cuan for all his help coaching and umpiring.

The 1st girls had a great day at Loretto 7’s, winning the tournament in fine form, without losing a game all day. All matches were 12 minutes one way, so there was little time to settle and even less time for mistakes.

Our first match was against Belhaven. Captain Izzy dominated this game from start to finish and led her team well. Saphira started the scoring off after Izzy took the ball in to the circle from a long corner. Izzy hit the ball hard and Saphira tapped in the rebound. The play stayed in our attacking half and Izzy again piled on the pressure and this time her hard strike resulted in a well-deserved goal. Clara made her debut today for the 1sts and she slotted in to the team with little difficulty, working hard both in midfield and up front. Her tenacity on the pitch was rewarded by a goal which settled any nerves and pulled us ahead nicely. Flora and Izzy linked particularly well in this game and Flora kept the width and time after time got the ball past the Belhaven girls. Flora really was a class above the rest and played fantastically. Izzy scored in the last few minutes with a show-case reverse strike which hit the top of the net; pretty impressive!

Cargilfield 4 Belhaven 0

Our next match was against Cundall Manor from Yorkshire. This is usually a tough game and the girls did well throughout. We won a short corner early in the match and Emma was our main injector today. Her accuracy and power throughout the tournament was good, and she really didn’t put a foot wrong all day. Izzy opened the scoring with a rocket straight strike which saw spirits rise and the girls hungry for more goals. Clara really stepped up to the mark and played in a beautifully wide role, keeping the width and playing the ball strongly through. Saphira got on the end of one of Clara’s passes and slotted the ball cooly in to the back of the goal. Another short corner followed and a lovely strike from Laura was deflected in by Saphira for our 3rd goal. The Cundall girls took the centre but Izzy stole the ball, dribbled through, and hit a reverse strike in to the back of the net. Laura was a dominant member of our attack in this match and really worked her socks off throughout.

Cargilfield 4 Cundall 0

Our 3rd game was against Gullane Hockey Club who had a strong tournament last year. We looked a little sluggish at times in this match and lost our shape a bit. This made our defence have to work hard and Emma and Clemmie were put under pressure but both kept their cool and managed to keep the ball away from the goal. Our goal came from Saphira who got on the end of a hard reverse sweep from Laura. Flora hit the post and again, had a good match.

Cargilfield 1 Gullane 0

We played Loretto next and we made quite tough work of this game. The Loretto girls were strong on the ball and were clearly keen to press us hard. The play was end to end, and we were lucky that Rosanna was switched on as she kept us in the match. Saphira also played well and she kept lovely and wide, pulling the Loretto girls out and driving hard in to the circle. Caitlin’s goal keeping skills were really put to the test in this match and she made a series of great saves to keep the opposition out. Despite this, we lost a goal after a sloppy defensive short corner and knew we would have to dig deep for the win. Izzy was determined to pull the game back, and quickly got the ball up the pitch; a clever pass to Saphira saw us score and equalise. The girls weren’t happy with a draw and kept on working hard and we were rewarded by a short corner and a hard strike from Izzy which Emma popped in beside the post.

Cargilfield 2 Loretto 1

Our final pool match was against St Mary’s. Despite a very one-sided game against this team earlier in the week, we struggled to play well, and the game in general lacked shape and structure. Both teams made good and bad passes, and it ended a rather disappointing 0-0.

Cargilfield 0 St Mary’s 0

We finished the round robin in 1st place which saw us play Belhaven again, as they had finished in 4th place. Flora and Emma were our players of the match; both simply dug deep and did their job. They did not let the opposition fluster them and played good hockey. Izzy started the scoring off after less than 2 minutes; she dribbled in from a free hit, pulled the ball on to the reverse and struck it hard in to the back of the net. A couple of defensive short corners followed but Clemmie cleared the ball well and play ended up in the other half. We won a short corner and after a hard strike from Izzy, the ball got lost in the goal keepers’ feet but Emma was literally on the ball and got it out and popped the ball in the back of the net.

Cargilfield 2 Belhaven 0

The final was played against St. Mary’s who had just beaten Loretto in the other semi-final. We were keen to stay positive and not let our formation disintegrate like the last time! We won 2 short corners and Izzy had another one of her rocket strikes which was saved but quickly rebounded back in to the goal by Saphira. This was enough to settle us and strong positional play from Laura kept the game flowing. Rosanna ran hard and made some great tackles which turned the play round. Both teams were beginning to tire but Saphira won a short corner and it was a fitting way to end the match with Izzy scoring on her reverse to secure the win.

Cargilfield 2 St Mary’s 0

It is impossible to pick out too many individual players as it was very much a team effort but well done to Caitlin for only letting in 1 goal all tournament, and to Izzy, Emma, Flora and Saphira for their work rate.

A very well-deserved win and all the girls deserve a long hot bath tonight and can wear their medals with pride. Thank you to Lucy Lanigan, current Scotland hockey player for supporting the girls throughout the day and presenting the prizes.  

Thanks also  to all the parents for their invaluable support today, and to Cuan for all his help coaching and umpiring.

A tremendous day of sport at Loretto on Sunday! There were tournament wins for the U13 and U11 girls’ hockey teams and also for the U13 Rugby sevens  the U11 boys narrowly lost in the Final, conceding a try in the last play of the game. It was great to have so many parents supporting the children and our thanks to Loretto for their excellent organisation of the day  

Read more here. 

A tremendous day of sport at Loretto on Sunday! There were tournament wins for the U13 and U11 girls’ hockey teams and also for the U13 Rugby sevens  the U11 boys narrowly lost in the Final, conceding a try in the last play of the game. It was great to have so many parents supporting the children and our thanks to Loretto for their excellent organisation of the day  

Read more here. 

This week P2 had our exciting trip to Craigmillar Castle. On our arrival we were met by two groups of P7 children from Castle View Primary School. One group were the ‘object handlers’ who  shared their expert knowledge of what life was like for the Preston family who lived in the castle in the1600s, and showed us some of the artefacts used by them.  The other group comprised Lord Simon Preston himself and members of his household. They took us on a wonderful tour around the castle starting at the ‘yett’ with the ‘murder holes’ up above, and then into the splendid banqueting hall.   We were led up winding staircases to the roof of the keep where we viewed the ‘p’ pond, and then stepped down into the depths of the castle where we were crammed into a dark, damp dungeon along with a prisoner incarcerated for stealing some bread. We were intrigued by the discovery of a skeleton hidden in the walls, and by the signing of the Craigmillar Bond by nobles intent on getting rid of Lord Darnley. Was Mary Queen of Scots in earshot of the plotting, we asked ourselves? We then climbed onto the ramparts, and pretended the castle was under attack. We fired arrows through the crenels and poured hot sand onto the enemies below trying to scale the castle walls. A thrilling day, and our thanks to the Junior Tour Guides who helped to bring Craigmillar Castle alive and who royally entertained us all!

This week P2 had our exciting trip to Craigmillar Castle. On our arrival we were met by two groups of P7 children from Castle View Primary School. One group were the ‘object handlers’ who  shared their expert knowledge of what life was like for the Preston family who lived in the castle in the1600s, and showed us some of the artefacts used by them.  The other group comprised Lord Simon Preston himself and members of his household. They took us on a wonderful tour around the castle starting at the ‘yett’ with the ‘murder holes’ up above, and then into the splendid banqueting hall.   We were led up winding staircases to the roof of the keep where we viewed the ‘p’ pond, and then stepped down into the depths of the castle where we were crammed into a dark, damp dungeon along with a prisoner incarcerated for stealing some bread. We were intrigued by the discovery of a skeleton hidden in the walls, and by the signing of the Craigmillar Bond by nobles intent on getting rid of Lord Darnley. Was Mary Queen of Scots in earshot of the plotting, we asked ourselves? We then climbed onto the ramparts, and pretended the castle was under attack. We fired arrows through the crenels and poured hot sand onto the enemies below trying to scale the castle walls. A thrilling day, and our thanks to the Junior Tour Guides who helped to bring Craigmillar Castle alive and who royally entertained us all!

On Thursday both Primary One classes walked through the falling leaves to catch a double decker service bus to Lauriston Castle. The children explored the grounds of the castle for hours searching for different colours and shapes of leaves. They learned to identify a variety of types of trees and discovered the difference between safe and dangerous berries growing wild. They enjoyed splashing in the biggest puddle EVER and negotiated the stepping stones across the Japanese lake. They were cheerful, tireless, attentive, well-behaved and ultimately exhausted!

On Thursday both Primary One classes walked through the falling leaves to catch a double decker service bus to Lauriston Castle. The children explored the grounds of the castle for hours searching for different colours and shapes of leaves. They learned to identify a variety of types of trees and discovered the difference between safe and dangerous berries growing wild. They enjoyed splashing in the biggest puddle EVER and negotiated the stepping stones across the Japanese lake. They were cheerful, tireless, attentive, well-behaved and ultimately exhausted!

Old boy Alastair ‘Sandy’ Gunn’s name shines brightly on our War Memorial in Chapel this morning. He would have been 100 years old today. 

An escapee from Stalag Luft III in March 1944, he was one of the men re-captured and executed by the Gestapo after taking part in 'The Great Escape'.

Old boy Alastair ‘Sandy’ Gunn’s name shines brightly on our War Memorial in Chapel this morning. He would have been 100 years old today. 

An escapee from Stalag Luft III in March 1944, he was one of the men re-captured and executed by the Gestapo after taking part in 'The Great Escape'.

The Potential Scholars embarked on an art trip to the National Galleries of Scotland to gather first hand information on collage techniques from an assortment of great artist which we shall use in future project work.

Read more here.

The Potential Scholars embarked on an art trip to the National Galleries of Scotland to gather first hand information on collage techniques from an assortment of great artist which we shall use in future project work.

Read more here.

Our enthusiastic outdoor pursuits group had a great time up in the Pentland Hills on Wednesday. The weather stayed fine and everyone really enjoyed the spectacular views from the top. It really is a popular option amd lots of children take part in our OP provision which is on offer every day of the week. 

Read more here.

Our enthusiastic outdoor pursuits group had a great time up in the Pentland Hills on Wednesday. The weather stayed fine and everyone really enjoyed the spectacular views from the top. It really is a popular option amd lots of children take part in our OP provision which is on offer every day of the week. 

Read more here.

This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the opening of the Pre Prep at Cargilfield and we are marking this with a day of celebration on Friday 18th October.

We would like to extend a warm invitation to all former Pre Prep pupils and staff to join us for this and enjoy a walk down memory lane.

Do get in touch if you are keen to come along!

This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the opening of the Pre Prep at Cargilfield and we are marking this with a day of celebration on Friday 18th October.

We would like to extend a warm invitation to all former Pre Prep pupils and staff to join us for this and enjoy a walk down memory lane.

Do get in touch if you are keen to come along!

1stXV  39   Dollar Academy  19

Last week’s rather frenetic try fest with Fettes had been firmly put to bed during training this week, and I have been impressed with how well the whole senior squad has trained with various children slowly coming back from injury and competition for places really hotting up.  

Unfortunately, Max’s hand split open again, so we would be without our skipper and fly half for this game against Dollar Academy, which is always one of the toughest games of the season, and the first signpost for us as to how this season might pan out for this group of boys.  Dollar play with the ball in hands, they have lots of fast runners, and they are usually pretty physical and competitive at the breakdown.  Today would be no different, so I was delighted with the really impressive team performance that we put together and it was another outstanding game of rugby at this level, with both sides showing tremendous skill, commitment and a real ferocity at the breakdown.  No quarter given or asked, and some superb team tries were run in.

The first five minutes saw Dollar keeping possession of the ball albeit in their own half, and we just could not get our hands on it; they moved the point of attach impressively and tested our defence which was excellent today, right the way through the match.  We made our first time tackles – Edward leading from the front in this respect and others followed – and won the battle of the breakdown convincingly all game, as we flooded numbers in and rucked and counter rucked exceptionally well this afternoon.  Their coach commented on it and our superiority at the breakdown was the real difference between the two sides today as we starved Dollar of possession at the start of the 2^nd half and pulled away from them.

We opened the scoring with Edward finishing off after some excellent continuity, and after a Dollar try, it was Jack who broke through some tackles to touch down and then Quin to give us a 15-7 lead at half time.  Standing in for the injured Max as captain, he led the side really well today, encouraging all his players and putting in a barnstorming performance at inside centre, running some very direct lines but also using the men outside him when the gaps out wide started to appear later in the game.  

So at half time, the game was very much in the balance, with the breakdown fiercely contested and both sides looking powerful in attack and in defence.  However, we really hit our straps at the start of the second period, scoring four unanswered tries which put the game to bed and a shell shocked Dollar side were powerless to stop out relentless surge and precise attacking play.  Glen came on the wing at the interval and scored an excellent hatrick of tries, running powerfully but also staying wide, using the space out there and linking up really well with his centres.  An attacking blitz that blew Dollar away and showed just what we can do once we have done the hard work up front to win possession and wear defences down; it was a reward for the work of Alexander, Joshua, Ned, Hugo and Leo who carried so well all game and made excellent decisions as to when to off load or go to ground.  The forward pack were mightily good today and it was the backline who benefitted from this.

Conceding two late tries in the final few minutes was perhaps understandable considering the huge defensive effort the whole team put in today; it was a real step up from last week’s game against Fettes which although we won, we lacked that defensive organisation that is so important and only comes through playing together and talking to each other all the time.  It was a superb effort this afternoon with Rory stepping in at fly half and Ollie at scrum half, and both got the back line moving really well today; Rory in particular showed lots of vision and his tackling and jackling, as always, was quite outstanding.

This was a proper performance and I was delighted to see the hard work we have put in in training pay dividends today.  Dollar were a better side than Fettes last week, and we really had to dig in, defend and then take our chances when they appeared after going through phase after phase.  We are just two games in to what is a long season, and plenty of challenges lie ahead; however, we set the standard today, and I know the whole team will be keen to build on this over the coming weeks.

Very well played, every single one of you.  In 16 years running the rugby here, this is a game that stands out as one of the best performances against a quality opposition that really tested us, despite the scoreline.

Next up, Loretto Sevens on Sunday and then Belhaven on Wednesday. On we go.

1stXV  39   Dollar Academy  19

Last week’s rather frenetic try fest with Fettes had been firmly put to bed during training this week, and I have been impressed with how well the whole senior squad has trained with various children slowly coming back from injury and competition for places really hotting up.  

Unfortunately, Max’s hand split open again, so we would be without our skipper and fly half for this game against Dollar Academy, which is always one of the toughest games of the season, and the first signpost for us as to how this season might pan out for this group of boys.  Dollar play with the ball in hands, they have lots of fast runners, and they are usually pretty physical and competitive at the breakdown.  Today would be no different, so I was delighted with the really impressive team performance that we put together and it was another outstanding game of rugby at this level, with both sides showing tremendous skill, commitment and a real ferocity at the breakdown.  No quarter given or asked, and some superb team tries were run in.

The first five minutes saw Dollar keeping possession of the ball albeit in their own half, and we just could not get our hands on it; they moved the point of attach impressively and tested our defence which was excellent today, right the way through the match.  We made our first time tackles – Edward leading from the front in this respect and others followed – and won the battle of the breakdown convincingly all game, as we flooded numbers in and rucked and counter rucked exceptionally well this afternoon.  Their coach commented on it and our superiority at the breakdown was the real difference between the two sides today as we starved Dollar of possession at the start of the 2^nd half and pulled away from them.

We opened the scoring with Edward finishing off after some excellent continuity, and after a Dollar try, it was Jack who broke through some tackles to touch down and then Quin to give us a 15-7 lead at half time.  Standing in for the injured Max as captain, he led the side really well today, encouraging all his players and putting in a barnstorming performance at inside centre, running some very direct lines but also using the men outside him when the gaps out wide started to appear later in the game.  

So at half time, the game was very much in the balance, with the breakdown fiercely contested and both sides looking powerful in attack and in defence.  However, we really hit our straps at the start of the second period, scoring four unanswered tries which put the game to bed and a shell shocked Dollar side were powerless to stop out relentless surge and precise attacking play.  Glen came on the wing at the interval and scored an excellent hatrick of tries, running powerfully but also staying wide, using the space out there and linking up really well with his centres.  An attacking blitz that blew Dollar away and showed just what we can do once we have done the hard work up front to win possession and wear defences down; it was a reward for the work of Alexander, Joshua, Ned, Hugo and Leo who carried so well all game and made excellent decisions as to when to off load or go to ground.  The forward pack were mightily good today and it was the backline who benefitted from this.

Conceding two late tries in the final few minutes was perhaps understandable considering the huge defensive effort the whole team put in today; it was a real step up from last week’s game against Fettes which although we won, we lacked that defensive organisation that is so important and only comes through playing together and talking to each other all the time.  It was a superb effort this afternoon with Rory stepping in at fly half and Ollie at scrum half, and both got the back line moving really well today; Rory in particular showed lots of vision and his tackling and jackling, as always, was quite outstanding.

This was a proper performance and I was delighted to see the hard work we have put in in training pay dividends today.  Dollar were a better side than Fettes last week, and we really had to dig in, defend and then take our chances when they appeared after going through phase after phase.  We are just two games in to what is a long season, and plenty of challenges lie ahead; however, we set the standard today, and I know the whole team will be keen to build on this over the coming weeks.

Very well played, every single one of you.  In 16 years running the rugby here, this is a game that stands out as one of the best performances against a quality opposition that really tested us, despite the scoreline.

Next up, Loretto Sevens on Sunday and then Belhaven on Wednesday. On we go.

It was a pleasure to welcome Sandy Duncan and Angus back to Cargilfield this week to do some filming for forthcoming Drumond Park Toys adverts. Connie, Angus and Rory are all former pupils of Cargilfield before going on to Oundle, and it was lovely to catch up with news of them all whilst some

Of our children had great fun performing in front of the camera!

It was a pleasure to welcome Sandy Duncan and Angus back to Cargilfield this week to do some filming for forthcoming Drumond Park Toys adverts. Connie, Angus and Rory are all former pupils of Cargilfield before going on to Oundle, and it was lovely to catch up with news of them all whilst some

Of our children had great fun performing in front of the camera!

The girls played extremely well today against a strong St Mary’s side.  The opposition were much taller than us but this did not put us off our game.  We started strongly with Sophie scoring early on from a short corner strike.  Sophie quickly followed with another goal from outfield play but the opposition were keen to stick in an pushed up to win a short corner.  Izzy ran out strongly, and blocked their strike at goal and the play quickly turned in our favour again.  Clemmie, Rosanna and Emma worked well in defence and moved the ball well, finding our midfield easily.  Two goals from Saphira followed, one as a deflection from Sophie which ended up in the top of the net.  Izzy scored a well-deserved goal towards half time after a display of great individual skill.

Half time: Cargilfield 5 St Mary’s 0

The second half started off at a good pace and goals from Sophie and Izzy soon followed.  Flora was a strong member of our team today, and worked tirelessly in midfield, feeding strong balls through to our strikers.  Laura also found her confidence today, and it was great to see her play strongly and bravely in the circle.  She had a lovely shot at goal that was just wide but played with determination.  St Mary’s piled on the pressure towards the end of the match and slotted 2 past us however Caitlin worked to the death and made some super saves in the last few minutes.

Full time: Cargilfield 9  St Mary's  0

The girls played extremely well today against a strong St Mary’s side.  The opposition were much taller than us but this did not put us off our game.  We started strongly with Sophie scoring early on from a short corner strike.  Sophie quickly followed with another goal from outfield play but the opposition were keen to stick in an pushed up to win a short corner.  Izzy ran out strongly, and blocked their strike at goal and the play quickly turned in our favour again.  Clemmie, Rosanna and Emma worked well in defence and moved the ball well, finding our midfield easily.  Two goals from Saphira followed, one as a deflection from Sophie which ended up in the top of the net.  Izzy scored a well-deserved goal towards half time after a display of great individual skill.

Half time: Cargilfield 5 St Mary’s 0

The second half started off at a good pace and goals from Sophie and Izzy soon followed.  Flora was a strong member of our team today, and worked tirelessly in midfield, feeding strong balls through to our strikers.  Laura also found her confidence today, and it was great to see her play strongly and bravely in the circle.  She had a lovely shot at goal that was just wide but played with determination.  St Mary’s piled on the pressure towards the end of the match and slotted 2 past us however Caitlin worked to the death and made some super saves in the last few minutes.

Full time: Cargilfield 9  St Mary's  0

U9 As V St Mary’s

The A team played a reduced size team of six girls against St Mary’s. We lost the pass and St Mary’s took the centre pass. We had been working hard on maintaining our positions and the initial play was quite good with passes going nicely between the girls, and girls running ahead to be in good positions to receive the ball. Savannah, Bella and Isla were working well together. Unfortunately, we were out skilled by some of the St Mary’s girls who won the ball back quickly and then moved it down the pitch at speed.  Too often we were slow to tackle and watched passively. We need to keep up or efforts at all times especially if we think someone is better than us. Savannah and Bella did manage to score goals however but St Mary’s were strong, slotting in five good goals in the first half. 

I was pleased with our play in the second half; we put some better play together and the switching of Valentina to defender and Emilia to midfield worked well. When Savannah moved forward we scored again and the match suddenly got much closer. Unfortunately, our defenders had their backs to the ball at one point allowing an easy goal and despite our best efforts we were beaten 8:6. Our goals came from Savanah and Bella. Good effort girls, we need to keep working on our fitness and our positioning and remember to tackle.

Final score Cargilfield 6, St Mary’s 8

U9 B V St Mary’s

It was with a changed line up that the B team faced St Mary’s this afternoon.

Bonnie joined us at Centre with Millie and Emilia on the wings, Gabriel at midfield and Aglaya and Eliza at the back.  The backs had been working extremely hard on their defence with Mrs Mackerron in their training sessions. This was really obvious and their defending today was very good indeed. Eliza held her position well and avoided following the ball which left her well placed to deflect any balls coming form St Mary’s towards the goal. We still tend to cluster around the ball rather than look for space further up the pitch when we have possession. However, this was a convincing performance with goals from Bonnie, Emilia and Millie.

Final score Cargilfield 6, St Mary’s 1

U9 As V St Mary’s

The A team played a reduced size team of six girls against St Mary’s. We lost the pass and St Mary’s took the centre pass. We had been working hard on maintaining our positions and the initial play was quite good with passes going nicely between the girls, and girls running ahead to be in good positions to receive the ball. Savannah, Bella and Isla were working well together. Unfortunately, we were out skilled by some of the St Mary’s girls who won the ball back quickly and then moved it down the pitch at speed.  Too often we were slow to tackle and watched passively. We need to keep up or efforts at all times especially if we think someone is better than us. Savannah and Bella did manage to score goals however but St Mary’s were strong, slotting in five good goals in the first half. 

I was pleased with our play in the second half; we put some better play together and the switching of Valentina to defender and Emilia to midfield worked well. When Savannah moved forward we scored again and the match suddenly got much closer. Unfortunately, our defenders had their backs to the ball at one point allowing an easy goal and despite our best efforts we were beaten 8:6. Our goals came from Savanah and Bella. Good effort girls, we need to keep working on our fitness and our positioning and remember to tackle.

Final score Cargilfield 6, St Mary’s 8

U9 B V St Mary’s

It was with a changed line up that the B team faced St Mary’s this afternoon.

Bonnie joined us at Centre with Millie and Emilia on the wings, Gabriel at midfield and Aglaya and Eliza at the back.  The backs had been working extremely hard on their defence with Mrs Mackerron in their training sessions. This was really obvious and their defending today was very good indeed. Eliza held her position well and avoided following the ball which left her well placed to deflect any balls coming form St Mary’s towards the goal. We still tend to cluster around the ball rather than look for space further up the pitch when we have possession. However, this was a convincing performance with goals from Bonnie, Emilia and Millie.

Final score Cargilfield 6, St Mary’s 1

Our second fixture of the season was against our neighbours at Merchiston Castle, after some kilt related issues our boys warmed up with real accuracy and were split into two teams for two touch fixtures against Merchiston.

The first of our teams to play Merchiston started brightly with some fabulous continuity and handling on display creating an excellent early score. Thereafter, defence was on top and trench warfare ensued with little headway for the majority of the game, until Theo turned provider for Jonah to scurry through the opposition defence for the deciding try.

Our second team after pinpointing some things to work on from our first game came out the blocks fast with impressive handling, footwork and a better appreciation of space. This allowed for some free flowing rugby with Harry, Wilfred and Dexter all running some fabulous angles in attack. This resulted in four try victory, with Dexter impressing bagging a hattrick of tries. 

Most pleasing was the strength in depth of the squad, this was highlighted in the training match we played against each other at the end. The boys are continuing to develop and enjoy their rugby which is most pleasing to see!

Our second fixture of the season was against our neighbours at Merchiston Castle, after some kilt related issues our boys warmed up with real accuracy and were split into two teams for two touch fixtures against Merchiston.

The first of our teams to play Merchiston started brightly with some fabulous continuity and handling on display creating an excellent early score. Thereafter, defence was on top and trench warfare ensued with little headway for the majority of the game, until Theo turned provider for Jonah to scurry through the opposition defence for the deciding try.

Our second team after pinpointing some things to work on from our first game came out the blocks fast with impressive handling, footwork and a better appreciation of space. This allowed for some free flowing rugby with Harry, Wilfred and Dexter all running some fabulous angles in attack. This resulted in four try victory, with Dexter impressing bagging a hattrick of tries. 

Most pleasing was the strength in depth of the squad, this was highlighted in the training match we played against each other at the end. The boys are continuing to develop and enjoy their rugby which is most pleasing to see!

We played some really good rugby today, notable for better team work and positional play. We looked like a proper team at times today, keeping our shape and trusting our teammates to perform their tasks. We showed patience, aggression and good decision making. 

It was good to see supporting runners when a line break was made and there were some amazing off-loads. 

At 5-3 at half time, it shows how much we improved in the second half, really gelling as a team. Although this was a real team performance, there were some terrific individual displays, too. Alexander led with heart and grit, Cody won lots of ball and Tom made some darting runs and textbook tackles. All the boys tackled well today but man of the match goes to Thabo who stood out for some solid hits in the tackle area and some clever running angles.  Final score 17-4.

Still plenty to work on but a really impressive and encouraging game of rugby today. Well played, boys.

We played some really good rugby today, notable for better team work and positional play. We looked like a proper team at times today, keeping our shape and trusting our teammates to perform their tasks. We showed patience, aggression and good decision making. 

It was good to see supporting runners when a line break was made and there were some amazing off-loads. 

At 5-3 at half time, it shows how much we improved in the second half, really gelling as a team. Although this was a real team performance, there were some terrific individual displays, too. Alexander led with heart and grit, Cody won lots of ball and Tom made some darting runs and textbook tackles. All the boys tackled well today but man of the match goes to Thabo who stood out for some solid hits in the tackle area and some clever running angles.  Final score 17-4.

Still plenty to work on but a really impressive and encouraging game of rugby today. Well played, boys.

Stripes:

Won 12-6

I was very pleased with how the Stripes played today. From the off, they were straight out of the traps and onto the offensive. They worked well as a team, offloading the ball after each tackle and using the space well. Defensively, there was some superb tackles, which put a lot of pressure on the opposition and we used this to our advantage. We went in at half time 7-5. I was ecstatic about their second half performance, having taking my advice on at the interval, they took it to another level and completely dominated the match. 

Blues:

Drew 10-10

The Blues also attacked well individually in their match but took time to work as a team, support each other and use the space out wide. Charging up the middle is not always the answer. Defensively, we tackled well as individuals but again needed to work more as a tram to stop the opposition from easily running through the gaps. Having said that, it was a good game to watch and the boys can be pleased with their overall play.

Well done, boys!

Stripes:

Won 12-6

I was very pleased with how the Stripes played today. From the off, they were straight out of the traps and onto the offensive. They worked well as a team, offloading the ball after each tackle and using the space well. Defensively, there was some superb tackles, which put a lot of pressure on the opposition and we used this to our advantage. We went in at half time 7-5. I was ecstatic about their second half performance, having taking my advice on at the interval, they took it to another level and completely dominated the match. 

Blues:

Drew 10-10

The Blues also attacked well individually in their match but took time to work as a team, support each other and use the space out wide. Charging up the middle is not always the answer. Defensively, we tackled well as individuals but again needed to work more as a tram to stop the opposition from easily running through the gaps. Having said that, it was a good game to watch and the boys can be pleased with their overall play.

Well done, boys!

After weeks of fine weather every Wednesday, the Under 11s travelled up to Dollar to play rugby in quite contrasting conditions.  Steady rain fell for much of the match but the boys still managed to handle the ball reasonably well, giving one of their best attacking performances of the season.  Using the width of the field, they patiently worked their way up, passing the ball through the hands and either popping or setting the ruck after the tackle.  The boys maintained this high-quality play for much of the match with tries coming from all quarters. 

In defence, Thomas was a pillar of strength, making tackle after tackle for the duration of the match, thwarting many an attack with the pressure he created and he was certainly the man of the match.  Will and Harry were excellent in the ruck and won many a turnover for their team.

The Cargilfield boys eventually secured a win by 9 tries to 5.  An excellent performance by all of the boys.

After weeks of fine weather every Wednesday, the Under 11s travelled up to Dollar to play rugby in quite contrasting conditions.  Steady rain fell for much of the match but the boys still managed to handle the ball reasonably well, giving one of their best attacking performances of the season.  Using the width of the field, they patiently worked their way up, passing the ball through the hands and either popping or setting the ruck after the tackle.  The boys maintained this high-quality play for much of the match with tries coming from all quarters. 

In defence, Thomas was a pillar of strength, making tackle after tackle for the duration of the match, thwarting many an attack with the pressure he created and he was certainly the man of the match.  Will and Harry were excellent in the ruck and won many a turnover for their team.

The Cargilfield boys eventually secured a win by 9 tries to 5.  An excellent performance by all of the boys.

The U11 girls were excited to play against St Mary’s today and travelled down to Tweedbank for their match. It was our first game playing short corners and sadly we could not capitalise on them. This is definitely something we need to work on before the IAPS next week. The girls weren’t quite on the ball and a bit lethargic in the first quarter, but after a stern word at the interval the girls really came alive with some fantastic team play. There was some excellent positional play by Lucy S who linked up very well with Venitia H for a couple of the goals. We have really gained confidence this term and I hope we continue this throughout the term.

Well done on another good win 7-2

The U11 girls were excited to play against St Mary’s today and travelled down to Tweedbank for their match. It was our first game playing short corners and sadly we could not capitalise on them. This is definitely something we need to work on before the IAPS next week. The girls weren’t quite on the ball and a bit lethargic in the first quarter, but after a stern word at the interval the girls really came alive with some fantastic team play. There was some excellent positional play by Lucy S who linked up very well with Venitia H for a couple of the goals. We have really gained confidence this term and I hope we continue this throughout the term.

Well done on another good win 7-2

2nd team:
Throughout the term so far, the use of space on the pitch has been a key point in training. Today the team utilised their space brilliantly, with excellent decision making on when to pass or dribble. It was a great team performance but a particular stand out was Alannah in defence, who put some superb balls forwards. Captain of the day, Katinka, was brilliant in midfield and Josephine and Poppy got some great shots away up front. Although Cargilfield were fairly dominant, St Mary’s had their own attacking opportunities, one of which was successful. Valentina made some fantastic saves, particularly in a 1v1 situation. A great performance against a strong team. Final score- 6-1. 

3rd team:
Cargilfield won this match 8-0, despite some good attacking efforts from St Mary’s. Georgia was a strong defensive player, however also grabbed herself 2 goals and was a key part in 2 others. We kept the pressure on well, particularly at hit-outs, with Bethany picking it up well in mid-field. The highlight goal was scored by Charlotte after a fantastic ball in from Cara. Charlotte stepped up brilliantly as captain; leading from the front but it was another real team effort that earned the girls the win. 

2nd team:
Throughout the term so far, the use of space on the pitch has been a key point in training. Today the team utilised their space brilliantly, with excellent decision making on when to pass or dribble. It was a great team performance but a particular stand out was Alannah in defence, who put some superb balls forwards. Captain of the day, Katinka, was brilliant in midfield and Josephine and Poppy got some great shots away up front. Although Cargilfield were fairly dominant, St Mary’s had their own attacking opportunities, one of which was successful. Valentina made some fantastic saves, particularly in a 1v1 situation. A great performance against a strong team. Final score- 6-1. 

3rd team:
Cargilfield won this match 8-0, despite some good attacking efforts from St Mary’s. Georgia was a strong defensive player, however also grabbed herself 2 goals and was a key part in 2 others. We kept the pressure on well, particularly at hit-outs, with Bethany picking it up well in mid-field. The highlight goal was scored by Charlotte after a fantastic ball in from Cara. Charlotte stepped up brilliantly as captain; leading from the front but it was another real team effort that earned the girls the win. 

A Hurdle that can be Jumped!

Question: What do all of these Form 6 maths problems have in common?

• Work out three quarters of 48
• Express 105 as a product of its prime factors.
• Multiply 479 by 34
• Find the area of a triangle with base 8 metres and height 9 metres.
• Add 3/8 and 7/12
• Solve 7x + 2 = 37

Answer:  At the most basic, they all require the use of times tables in one form or another.

(See the websites: mymaths and ttrockstars)

The phrase ‘times tables’ elicits a wide range of responses amongst children: from the animated, hand-waving readiness.… to the slow slump in the chair – a perceptible embodiment of the dread that they feel within. 

Most students’ feelings lie between these extremes and are dependent on which times table is in question or how recently they gave them any thought.  

Whatever a student’s feelings about them, times tables are still fundamental to learning maths.

Confidence in the subject relies heavily on a robust knowledge of tables since they impact on or support most maths topics that are learned in school.  Their use goes well beyond the fairly unsubtle 7 × 8 = 56 as used in basic operations, including area, volume and ratios… to their use in simple applications such as division: 56 ÷ 8 = 7, fractions: ¼ of 24 = 6 and then onto identifying factors and multiples, identifying and utilising prime numbers, selecting lowest common denominators, simplifying fractions and solving equations.

Knowing the times tables, almost on reflex, frees up processing power for tackling the prescribed problems rather than taking the focus off the job at hand to deal with finding the answer to 7 × 8, for example.

By the time children reach Form 6 we like them to be comfortable and quick with the whole range of times tables and be able to identify the multiples of each times table too. 

Here are some learning targets:

1) Quick recall of the 2-12 times tables as they are usually written: 1 × 2 = 2, 2 × 2 = 4, etc.

2)    Know in which times tables multiples can be found (finding factors): 24 is in 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12 times tables but 11 is only a multiple in the 1 and 11 tables.

3)    Know them ‘backwards’ (division): 72 ÷ 6 = 7,   66 ÷ 6 = 11, etc.

4)    Recognising multiples of a number. e.g.  Which of these numbers are multiples of 4?  10, 16, 28, 30

5)   Divisibility tests for 2 to 9 times tables.

By and large, times tables will need to be learned by practice and more practice, whether on paper, spoken out loud, playing games or on the wide range of apps available. 

Learning times tables can be hard work but it doesn’t have to be boring and here are a couple of links to websites that Cargilfield subscribes to which can make learning them less arduous and, dare I say, fun!

•        mymaths
•        ttrockstars

Mathematics presents a world of interesting puzzles and problems but sometimes it’s just the simple things that hold us back from enjoying these fully.

A Hurdle that can be Jumped!

Question: What do all of these Form 6 maths problems have in common?

• Work out three quarters of 48
• Express 105 as a product of its prime factors.
• Multiply 479 by 34
• Find the area of a triangle with base 8 metres and height 9 metres.
• Add 3/8 and 7/12
• Solve 7x + 2 = 37

Answer:  At the most basic, they all require the use of times tables in one form or another.

(See the websites: mymaths and ttrockstars)

The phrase ‘times tables’ elicits a wide range of responses amongst children: from the animated, hand-waving readiness.… to the slow slump in the chair – a perceptible embodiment of the dread that they feel within. 

Most students’ feelings lie between these extremes and are dependent on which times table is in question or how recently they gave them any thought.  

Whatever a student’s feelings about them, times tables are still fundamental to learning maths.

Confidence in the subject relies heavily on a robust knowledge of tables since they impact on or support most maths topics that are learned in school.  Their use goes well beyond the fairly unsubtle 7 × 8 = 56 as used in basic operations, including area, volume and ratios… to their use in simple applications such as division: 56 ÷ 8 = 7, fractions: ¼ of 24 = 6 and then onto identifying factors and multiples, identifying and utilising prime numbers, selecting lowest common denominators, simplifying fractions and solving equations.

Knowing the times tables, almost on reflex, frees up processing power for tackling the prescribed problems rather than taking the focus off the job at hand to deal with finding the answer to 7 × 8, for example.

By the time children reach Form 6 we like them to be comfortable and quick with the whole range of times tables and be able to identify the multiples of each times table too. 

Here are some learning targets:

1) Quick recall of the 2-12 times tables as they are usually written: 1 × 2 = 2, 2 × 2 = 4, etc.

2)    Know in which times tables multiples can be found (finding factors): 24 is in 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12 times tables but 11 is only a multiple in the 1 and 11 tables.

3)    Know them ‘backwards’ (division): 72 ÷ 6 = 7,   66 ÷ 6 = 11, etc.

4)    Recognising multiples of a number. e.g.  Which of these numbers are multiples of 4?  10, 16, 28, 30

5)   Divisibility tests for 2 to 9 times tables.

By and large, times tables will need to be learned by practice and more practice, whether on paper, spoken out loud, playing games or on the wide range of apps available. 

Learning times tables can be hard work but it doesn’t have to be boring and here are a couple of links to websites that Cargilfield subscribes to which can make learning them less arduous and, dare I say, fun!

•        mymaths
•        ttrockstars

Mathematics presents a world of interesting puzzles and problems but sometimes it’s just the simple things that hold us back from enjoying these fully.

It was wonderful to get the whole school crammed in to Chapel along with lots of parents and staff for this year's Harvest Festival service.  We welcomed Dr Barr, our school Chaplain and Minister at Cramond Kirk, who conducted the service, and the large amount of produce will be sent to Fresh Start which is a local Edinburgh charity which Dr Barr helped to set up 20 years ago.  It provides help and support for homeless people in Edinburgh, allowing them to try and make a 'fresh start'.

It was wonderful to get the whole school crammed in to Chapel along with lots of parents and staff for this year's Harvest Festival service.  We welcomed Dr Barr, our school Chaplain and Minister at Cramond Kirk, who conducted the service, and the large amount of produce will be sent to Fresh Start which is a local Edinburgh charity which Dr Barr helped to set up 20 years ago.  It provides help and support for homeless people in Edinburgh, allowing them to try and make a 'fresh start'.

On a glorious day up on Ferry Road our U10's played against a formidable Stewart Melville team and having to adapt to the age grade law variations.

Despite this they made a fantastic start with some superb interplay from Charles and Tom utilsing the speed and strength of Thabo and Xander. As the half went on Cargilfield continued to improve with some fabulous tackling from Conrad and scrambling defence from the group as a whole.

This total commitment was embodied by Euan who was a late addition to the squad and rightly picked up player of the match with a brilliant all round display. Cargilfield played some fabulous rugby running out 14-10 winners, a very promising start to the season built on solid defence and a real attacking flair!

On a glorious day up on Ferry Road our U10's played against a formidable Stewart Melville team and having to adapt to the age grade law variations.

Despite this they made a fantastic start with some superb interplay from Charles and Tom utilsing the speed and strength of Thabo and Xander. As the half went on Cargilfield continued to improve with some fabulous tackling from Conrad and scrambling defence from the group as a whole.

This total commitment was embodied by Euan who was a late addition to the squad and rightly picked up player of the match with a brilliant all round display. Cargilfield played some fabulous rugby running out 14-10 winners, a very promising start to the season built on solid defence and a real attacking flair!

Primary 3 have been using all sorts of practical learning strategies this term whilst learning how to build numbers to 1000 and adding/subtracting to 100 in maths.  We have been using all sorts of tools to support our learning including; numicon, loop cards, dienes, thousand and hundred squares aswell as number lines!   Well done Primary 3 a great start to this term.

Primary 3 have been using all sorts of practical learning strategies this term whilst learning how to build numbers to 1000 and adding/subtracting to 100 in maths.  We have been using all sorts of tools to support our learning including; numicon, loop cards, dienes, thousand and hundred squares aswell as number lines!   Well done Primary 3 a great start to this term.

What a glorious afternoon for the Pipe Band to perform at the Boardwalk Beach Club down on the sea front at Cramond on Friday afternoon. A fantastic first performance of the year and thank you to Eddie for hosting us!

We were delighted to raise money for Fresh Start, a charity close to the heart of Dr Barr, our Chaplain and Minister at Cramond Kirk.

Read more here.

What a glorious afternoon for the Pipe Band to perform at the Boardwalk Beach Club down on the sea front at Cramond on Friday afternoon. A fantastic first performance of the year and thank you to Eddie for hosting us!

We were delighted to raise money for Fresh Start, a charity close to the heart of Dr Barr, our Chaplain and Minister at Cramond Kirk.

Read more here.