‘Good’ Edna M. Moyle Primary School: ‘We are a small but mighty team’

It was a proud moment for head girl Krystal Miller after her school, Edna M. Moyle Primary, received a ‘good’ rating following an inspection – the first government primary school to achieve that status.

“I feel very proud of my school, and very honoured about this,” Miller told the Compass during the unveiling of the ‘Good School’ banner on Wednesday, 4 Dec.

The North Side school – a small yet dynamic educational institution – were given 29 points by Office of Education Standards inspectors, findings which included math and English, teaching, social and emotional learning, health and safety, and curriculum quality, among many other categories.

Most recently, the students showcased their skills in the subject of English at the 25th annual RBC Royal Bank Primary National Spelling Bee competition where they were the highest placed government primary school and second overall to Cayman Prep.

The school also got an ‘excellent’ rating on leadership and links with parents and the community – which Miller said she appreciated.

“It makes me feel proud of my district and I think that my district should be very proud of us because we are the first-ever primary school, so we are making history and the parents helped us,” she said.

Research shows that parental involvement in schools reduce dropout rates, improve behaviour and attitude toward learning, and help significantly boost a child’s self-confidence.

North Side’s ‘good school’ has emphasised not only the importance of good parenting but also teaching Cayman culture and traditions, bringing many prominent Caymanians to their campus throughout the year.

‘Our leadership team has worked hard’

While the involvement of parents and community proved to be a crucial factor in the rating, the leadership team’s efforts were also deemed ‘excellent’ by the inspectors.

For principal Dairdie Tingle, her school’s good rating brings her a sense of pride, as she noted that it takes a village to raise a child, and the school’s success is a result of collective efforts.

“It’s a testament to every facet of our school. The vision is shared by all and if there is collective efficacy, then they will be a huge difference in terms of how we progress as a school,” Tingle told the Compass. “We could only get better,” she noted, adding that the school is now aiming for an ‘excellent’ rating.

Deputy principal Lauren Campbell echoed those sentiments, and highlighted that she was humbled to learn that the leadership team got an excellent rating.

“Over the past two years, our leadership team has worked hard to foster a culture of excellence amongst our staff and students, driving them towards our common vision,” Campbell told the Compass. “We are a small but mighty team who share a desire for continuous growth and improvement, and our OES rating solidifies this.”

Education Minister and Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly has already seen John Gray become the first government high school to get a good rating; that has now been followed by Edna Moyle’s success – the first government primary school to get a good rating since she took over the education portfolio in 2021.

But while proud of the progress being made, she said she hopes the community and parents will get behind the children of Cayman to get equally good or better results moving forward.

“This was an independent valuation and because this is the outcome we have to celebrate them so that the community can get involved and support,” O’Connor-Connolly said.

She said the teachers must also feel proud of themselves and the work they have put in, because their job is arguably the most difficult of them all.

“Everybody leaves their indelible mark,” she said. “Teachers have to love the children, you have to love teaching, you have to go the extra mile and, yes, you get off summers, Christmas, Easter, but real teachers use that time to prepare.

“I am grateful as well for the counsellors because children will have issues, families may be broken, maybe it’s the cost of living, you never know, but the counsellors are the ones that the kids have the confidence in, they are trusted mentors.”