Whether taking part in a school camp, the Pentland Round, Outdoor Pursuits, or an extra-curricular club, all pupils at Cargilfield will have taken part in some form of outdoor adventure learning. Whilst the overriding purpose behind these activities is enjoyment, these activities form a vital part of a child’s overall education.

Self-reliance and teamwork – A huge part of being in the outdoors is being able to rely upon yourself and those that you are with. Knowing their own strengths and weaknesses, and those of others around them, will allow the children to bond with their peers in a way which is simply not possible in a secure-indoor environment.

Resilience – Whilst in the outdoors, things aren’t always easy or comfortable. Forcing yourself out of your comfort-zone and into a situation which challenges you is hard, but hugely beneficial. You might get cold, get lost, get tired, or get scared, but overcoming these challenges will allow the children come out of the experience stronger, and with skills that they can apply in other aspects of their lives.

Health – Outdoor activities are hugely beneficial, not only for our physical health, but also for our mental health. Being able to disconnect from phones, laptops and iPads for a weekend helps us to feel rejuvenated and helps us to keep moving in order to develop our cardiovascular fitness and get that much needed Vitamin D.

Skills for life – The skills learnt whilst taking part in outdoor activities are ones that will be used for life; whether it be learning to navigate, to belay someone up a climbing wall, to light a fire, or to put up a tent, these are skills which will be used for the rest of their lives.

Memories – The strongest memories are formed as a result of emotions which is why no one remembers their best day of TV, or the exam questions that they answered at school. The longest-lasting memories will be those of white-water rafting, summiting a mountain, jumping off a cliff, or camping with their friends.

At a time when we have been forced to spend so much time indoors, outdoor adventure is all the more important, so encourage your children to seize any opportunities for being outdoors, and enjoy the many benefits that they bring.

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    [0] => 2
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Whether taking part in a school camp, the Pentland Round, Outdoor Pursuits, or an extra-curricular club, all pupils at Cargilfield will have taken part in some form of outdoor adventure learning. Whilst the overriding purpose behind these activities is enjoyment, these activities form a vital part of a child’s overall education.

Self-reliance and teamwork – A huge part of being in the outdoors is being able to rely upon yourself and those that you are with. Knowing their own strengths and weaknesses, and those of others around them, will allow the children to bond with their peers in a way which is simply not possible in a secure-indoor environment.

Resilience – Whilst in the outdoors, things aren’t always easy or comfortable. Forcing yourself out of your comfort-zone and into a situation which challenges you is hard, but hugely beneficial. You might get cold, get lost, get tired, or get scared, but overcoming these challenges will allow the children come out of the experience stronger, and with skills that they can apply in other aspects of their lives.

Health – Outdoor activities are hugely beneficial, not only for our physical health, but also for our mental health. Being able to disconnect from phones, laptops and iPads for a weekend helps us to feel rejuvenated and helps us to keep moving in order to develop our cardiovascular fitness and get that much needed Vitamin D.

Skills for life – The skills learnt whilst taking part in outdoor activities are ones that will be used for life; whether it be learning to navigate, to belay someone up a climbing wall, to light a fire, or to put up a tent, these are skills which will be used for the rest of their lives.

Memories – The strongest memories are formed as a result of emotions which is why no one remembers their best day of TV, or the exam questions that they answered at school. The longest-lasting memories will be those of white-water rafting, summiting a mountain, jumping off a cliff, or camping with their friends.

At a time when we have been forced to spend so much time indoors, outdoor adventure is all the more important, so encourage your children to seize any opportunities for being outdoors, and enjoy the many benefits that they bring.

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    [0] => 2
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5 good reasons to learn French

1. A world language

More than 300 million people speak French on the five continents. The OIF, an international organisation of French-speaking countries, comprises 88 member States and governments. French is the second most widely learned foreign language after English, and the fifth most widely spoken language in the world.

French is also the only language, alongside English, that is taught in every country in the world. France operates the biggest international network of cultural institutes (see the French Institute in Scotland for instance).

2. A language for travel

France is the world’s top tourist destination and attracts more than 87 million visitors a year. The ability to speak even a little French makes it so much more enjoyable to visit Paris and all the regions of France, and offers insights into France’s culture and way of life. French also comes in handy when travelling to French-speaking parts of the world.

3. A language for learning other languages

French is a good base for learning other languages, especially Latin languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian) as well as English, since a significant percentage of English vocabulary is derived from French.

4. The language of love and reason

First and foremost, learning French is the pleasure of learning a beautiful, rich, melodious language that is often called the language of love. French is also an analytical language that structures thought and develops critical thinking, which is a valuable skill for discussions and negotiations.

5. The other language of international relations

French is both a working language and an official language of the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and international courts. French is the language of the three cities where the EU institutions are headquartered: Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg.

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    [0] => 2
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5 good reasons to learn French

1. A world language

More than 300 million people speak French on the five continents. The OIF, an international organisation of French-speaking countries, comprises 88 member States and governments. French is the second most widely learned foreign language after English, and the fifth most widely spoken language in the world.

French is also the only language, alongside English, that is taught in every country in the world. France operates the biggest international network of cultural institutes (see the French Institute in Scotland for instance).

2. A language for travel

France is the world’s top tourist destination and attracts more than 87 million visitors a year. The ability to speak even a little French makes it so much more enjoyable to visit Paris and all the regions of France, and offers insights into France’s culture and way of life. French also comes in handy when travelling to French-speaking parts of the world.

3. A language for learning other languages

French is a good base for learning other languages, especially Latin languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian) as well as English, since a significant percentage of English vocabulary is derived from French.

4. The language of love and reason

First and foremost, learning French is the pleasure of learning a beautiful, rich, melodious language that is often called the language of love. French is also an analytical language that structures thought and develops critical thinking, which is a valuable skill for discussions and negotiations.

5. The other language of international relations

French is both a working language and an official language of the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and international courts. French is the language of the three cities where the EU institutions are headquartered: Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg.

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(
    [0] => 2
)

Of Prime Importance…

One of the concepts the children are introduced to in Form 5 or 6 is that of prime numbers.

(There is a glossary of terms at the bottom of this blog).

So, the first few prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7 and 11

At Cargilfield, children usually start to work with prime numbers in Form 5 or 6. Once they have been introduced to them, they will learn to express other numbers as a product of their prime factors, e.g. 100 = 2 × 2 × 5 × 5 or 2^² × 5^²

One method of doing this is to use the factor tree, sometimes called the ‘cherry tree’. A number is gradually broken up until the prime numbers at its root are found and circled.

For example, express 840 as a product of its prime factors:

840 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 5 × 7

840 = 2³ × 3 × 5 × 7

Another method is called the ‘ladder’. This method is useful for numbers that do not as easily lend themselves to being broken up using mental arithmetic.

The way this works is a number is divided by prime numbers only until a final quotient of 1 is reached.

For example, express 45375 as a product of its prime factors:

45375 = 3 × 5 × 5 × 5 × 11 × 11

45375 = 3 × 5³ × 11²

Knowing the product of prime factors of a number has a wide range of applications.

Here are some ways the children might use the product of prime factors:

Given that 784 = 2⁴ × 7² and 1638 = 2 × 3² × 7 × 13, answer the following questions.

• a) Is 1638 a multiple of 9? Yes, because 3×3 can be found in the product of prime factors of 1638
• b) What is the largest odd factor of 784? Multiply the odd prime factors only: 7 × 7 = 49
• c) What is the highest common factor of 784 and 1638? 2 × 7 is common to both numbers, therefore 14 is the highest common factor.
• d) Which of 784 and 1638 is a perfect square? 784, because it has an even number of each of its primes.
• e) Work out the square root of 784. Separate the product of prime factors into two equal groups and multiply out one of the groups: 2 × 2 × 7 = 28
• f) What is the lowest common multiple of 784 and 1638? Multiply out the higher quantity of each prime: 2⁴ × 3² × 7² × 13 = 91 728

Whatever the level of application of product of prime factors, one essential ingredient to developing the children’s confidence is a fluent knowledge of times tables, not just the multiplication (7 × 9 = 63) but also the division too (63 ÷ 9 = 7).

Glossary of Terms

factor - A number that divides another number exactly. E.g. 6 is a factor of 18

multiple - A number which is part of another number's times table. E.g. 42 is a multiple of 7

prime number - A number which has exactly two factors. The number one and itself.

highest common factor - It is the largest factor common to a set of numbers. E.g. The HCF of 12 and 18 is 6

lowest common multiple - It is the smallest multiple common to a set of numbers. E.g. The LCM of 4 and 6 is 12

quotient - a result obtained by dividing one quantity by another.

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(
    [0] => 2
)

Of Prime Importance…

One of the concepts the children are introduced to in Form 5 or 6 is that of prime numbers.

(There is a glossary of terms at the bottom of this blog).

So, the first few prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7 and 11

At Cargilfield, children usually start to work with prime numbers in Form 5 or 6. Once they have been introduced to them, they will learn to express other numbers as a product of their prime factors, e.g. 100 = 2 × 2 × 5 × 5 or 2^² × 5^²

One method of doing this is to use the factor tree, sometimes called the ‘cherry tree’. A number is gradually broken up until the prime numbers at its root are found and circled.

For example, express 840 as a product of its prime factors:

840 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 5 × 7

840 = 2³ × 3 × 5 × 7

Another method is called the ‘ladder’. This method is useful for numbers that do not as easily lend themselves to being broken up using mental arithmetic.

The way this works is a number is divided by prime numbers only until a final quotient of 1 is reached.

For example, express 45375 as a product of its prime factors:

45375 = 3 × 5 × 5 × 5 × 11 × 11

45375 = 3 × 5³ × 11²

Knowing the product of prime factors of a number has a wide range of applications.

Here are some ways the children might use the product of prime factors:

Given that 784 = 2⁴ × 7² and 1638 = 2 × 3² × 7 × 13, answer the following questions.

• a) Is 1638 a multiple of 9? Yes, because 3×3 can be found in the product of prime factors of 1638
• b) What is the largest odd factor of 784? Multiply the odd prime factors only: 7 × 7 = 49
• c) What is the highest common factor of 784 and 1638? 2 × 7 is common to both numbers, therefore 14 is the highest common factor.
• d) Which of 784 and 1638 is a perfect square? 784, because it has an even number of each of its primes.
• e) Work out the square root of 784. Separate the product of prime factors into two equal groups and multiply out one of the groups: 2 × 2 × 7 = 28
• f) What is the lowest common multiple of 784 and 1638? Multiply out the higher quantity of each prime: 2⁴ × 3² × 7² × 13 = 91 728

Whatever the level of application of product of prime factors, one essential ingredient to developing the children’s confidence is a fluent knowledge of times tables, not just the multiplication (7 × 9 = 63) but also the division too (63 ÷ 9 = 7).

Glossary of Terms

factor - A number that divides another number exactly. E.g. 6 is a factor of 18

multiple - A number which is part of another number's times table. E.g. 42 is a multiple of 7

prime number - A number which has exactly two factors. The number one and itself.

highest common factor - It is the largest factor common to a set of numbers. E.g. The HCF of 12 and 18 is 6

lowest common multiple - It is the smallest multiple common to a set of numbers. E.g. The LCM of 4 and 6 is 12

quotient - a result obtained by dividing one quantity by another.

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(
    [0] => 2
)