TWO former Inverclyde pupils are among 26 newly-qualified educators who are heading back to school as teachers.
Shannon Feeney and Luke Devenney are among the class of 2026 who are starting out on their education careers with Inverclyde Council following their graduation from university.
Of the 26, 15 will be working in secondary schools and 11 in primaries.
For newly-qualified teacher Shannon, it is a special moment to be reunited with her former depute head teacher at Ardgowan Primary, Emma Picken, who is now the council’s probationary teacher manager, training up the next generation of educators.
Shannon, who is 21 and from Greenock, will be embarking on her career at Aileymill Primary when the new term starts next week.
The Strathclyde University graduate said: “It feels special to be starting with Inverclyde Council and it’s a full circle moment to be back as a teacher working alongside people who have played a massive part in my own school experience.
“I never imagined years later I would be starting my own teaching career alongside Emma. It’s so nice to have someone who supported and inspired me when I was in school helping me take my first steps into teaching.
“It is also a reminder that, as a teacher, we have the opportunity to have that same positive impact on the children we will be teaching and be able to inspire them in the same way.”
Emma, who was latterly head teacher of Ardgowan Primary before moving into her current role, said: “Shannon was in P6 when I first went to Ardgowan as a depute head teacher. This is my first year officially as the probationary teacher manager and she is in my first cohort.
“It is lovely and a privilege to be leading and teaching her again as a newly-qualified teacher all these years later. I’m so proud of her.
“Her little sister is still in Ardgowan and was upset when I officially left my position as head teacher at the end of the year but she was so happy that I was ‘teaching’ her big sister to be a teacher.”
It is also a surreal moment for 21- year-old Luke who is returning to his former high school, Notre Dame, this time as a religious education (RE) teacher.
He graduated from the University of the Highlands and Islands and will also follow in the footsteps of his mum, Gillian, who teaches at All Saints Primary.
Luke said: “My mum is a primary school teacher so teaching runs in the family. She is buzzing.
“It will be nice to return to Notre Dame as a teacher to give back to the school that gave a lot to me and to see some familiar faces.
“I want to try to help build up knowledge and confidence of pupils and help them become confident young adults.”
Councillor Jim Clocherty, Inverclyde Council’s education convener, said: “You can feel the excitement from our newly-qualified teachers who have worked so hard during their own school days and at university to get to this stage and they are now eager to get started when the new term begins next week.
“It’s particularly special to see former pupils like Shannon and Luke, products of our very own education system, heading back to familiar surroundings as teachers themselves.”
