The Aims of the School:
- To provide a place of education within which each pupil will participate in a wide range of learning opportunities designed to develop the basic skills, knowledge and understanding required by modern society.
- To ensure that each pupil has an awareness of the possibilities available to him/her within society and the responsibilities required by society.
- To develop an atmosphere in which will flourish self-discipline, responsibility to, and awareness of, the needs of others in the school, community and society in general.
- To maintain an ethos and offer a structure of courses and activities that will ensure that the achievement of every pupil is raised to a maximum; at the same time allowing for their different needs, abilities and skills to be developed to their fullest extent.
- To show appropriate and proper concern for the demands and expectations of pupils, parents and of society in general, and to implement the best contemporary educational practice in partnership with the Local Authority.
- To maintain effective communication with parents concerning the progress of individual pupils and school life in general.
- To provide a secure and happy environment within which staff and pupils can work together to achieve their aims.
We believe that all members of a school community should be equally valued and, by example, teach that they should value each other equally. However all learners are not the same as each other. Individuals differ in a host of ways: in attitudes; in personality; in range and mastery of skills of various kinds; in conceptual development both in range and depth; and in social experience. We favour ‘mixed ability’ groups, with sensitive ‘setting’ where deemed appropriate.
Further up the school, we are aware of the importance of qualifications, school references and reports which can affect the destiny of every pupil who leaves us, whether to enter employment or further education. We see it as a duty on our part to continually strive to raise achievement in its broadest sense and to give each pupil every opportunity to realise their full potential and prepare them for the world that they will enter after leaving school. This is without discrimination; a school reference or Record of Achievement is as important to one pupil as is a collection of Highers at Band A to another.
The size of the school, the environment both natural and created, the support of the community and the dedication of the staff has enabled the school to develop and operate a truly comprehensive system of education.
A combination of mixed ability classes, a pupil centred approach with much direct teaching, careful setting of groups as appropriate and efficient use of resources ensure a learning environment where a wide range of ability levels can be catered for.
