Parent Newsletter
HMI Follow-through Report
Every parent or carer should have received a copy of our recent HMI follow-through report. If you did not, or have lost your copy, it can be accessed on the HMI website for school reports viz. www.hmie.gov.uk It was very pleasing to read of the many strong initiatives which have been happening in the school over the past few years, which are highly regarded by school inspectors. On this theme, our recent S1 design day in June, organised and operated by the Art Design Technology department featured in the Times Educational Supplement (full page) of 29th August, and will soon appear as an example of good practice on a major HMIe website called “The Journey to Excellence”. This is a website dedicated to a major initiative in Scottish Education, called “A curriculum for Excellence”.
S1 Pupils participating in Design Day
Staffing Update
New staff who started after the summer are: Ms H Brown (Art Department), Mr Oetegenn (Technical Department), Ms Y Andrews (English Department), Mr C Barron (English Department), Mr M Reid (English Department), Mr C Hodgart (Mathematics Department), Mrs F Cunningham (Mathematics Department), Mr C Thomas (Mathematics Department), Mr R Nimmo (PE Department), Mr J Burns (Chemistry / Science Department), Ms L Ingram (Chemistry / Science Department), Ms L McGraw (RE / Social Subjects Department) and Ms C Thomson (PT Guidance).
We welcome them to the school and hope that they will enjoy their time here.
S6 Graduation - June 2008
Pupils Going Into Town
North Ayrshire Council has a policy on pupils leaving school grounds at intervals and lunchtimes. This policy states that pupils who are younger than the school leaving age should not leave school grounds at intervals or lunchtime. This is primarily to ensure pupil safety.
In Garnock Academy we have pupil rules which state that only pupils in S5 or S6 have permission to go into the town at morning interval. Pupils in S1 to S4 should therefore remain in school during morning intervals. At lunchtime, only pupils in S4, S5 and S6 are allowed into the town. Pupils in S1 to S3 should remain in school during lunchtimes.
Please discuss this with your son or daughter to ensure that they are aware of the above restrictions to “going down the town.”SQA Results
One of the main action points in our 2006 Inspection was to improve attainment in S5/6. I am happy to say that the school’s Higher results were particularly good this year, with the percentage of S5 pupils who gained three or more Highers, and five or more Highers, at the highest level the school has achieved.Advanced Higher results were also good – the best being in Biology which presented five Advanced Higher candidates, all of whom gained an “A” pass. These results are a credit to the pupils who sat the exams, and parents who supported them and the staff who taught the courses.
Reasons for Exclusion
This has been printed in previous years, but I feel it is useful to remind pupils and parents that certain types of anti-social or disruptive behaviour will lead to temporary exclusion from school. The type of pupil behaviour which is likely to result in temporary exclusion from Garnock Academy is the same as in past years. The criteria are aimed at improving safety and maximising effective teaching, without disruption. The criteria are:(i) Threatening behaviour or violence towards a member of staff. (Verbal or
non-verbal)
(ii) Obscenity directed at a member of staff. (Verbal or non-verbal)
(iii) Unprovoked assault on another pupil or pupils.
(iv) Persistent, deliberate, disruptive behaviour.
(v) Criminal actions. (Drug taking or selling, theft, arson, carrying weapons, etc.)
(vi) Persistent intimidation of another pupil, or pupils.
There may be other exceptional cases depending upon individual circumstances.
In case (v) the Police will be involved and possibly other agencies.In the other cases, particularly (iii), the Police or other agencies may be involved.
Parents have always supported the consequences of accepting these criteria, in the best welfare interests of all pupils and staff in Garnock Academy.Hopefully the numbers of pupils being excluded from school this session will be minimal.
School Plan
The items on our school plan for next session will be:Continuing to improve attainment in S5/6.
Continuing to improve teaching and learning across the school
Becoming familiar with the new proposed curricular framework and assessment arrangements coming into effect in 2012.
Ben Jacobson receives his prize (ipod), from the Rector, won in a YoungScot competition
Brian McNaught Rector June 2008
Garnock Academy
School Road
Kilbirnie
KA25 7AX5
Telephone:01505 682685
Email: contactus@garnock.n-ayrshire.sch.uk
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