Innovation carries risk and fear of failure. Gillian Penny talks to Douglas Blane
At one point in our conversation Gillian Penny mentions the support she gets from her education authority despite her maverick style. It seems an unlikely word for the creative head of Gavinburn Primary, West Dunbartonshire, a school where new technology is firmly harnessed to pupil learning.
“I think some people see me that way,” she explains. “You have to bend rules sometimes. If you do things exactly the same as everybody else you're not going to innovate, are you?” Taking risks is essential, but they have to be calculated and well controlled, she says.
With many schools anxious about blogging, David Mitchell is a beacon for trust and creativity, writes Tony Parkin
