Garnock Academy
Parent Bulletin
No78
(September 2009)
Start of Term
Pupils returned to school on Monday 17th August, immaculately turned out in appropriate school wear. Parents and Carers are to be congratulated in the way in which they provide appropriate wear, which is now universal throughout the school. As can be seen from the Prefect photograph below, pupils appear smart and ready for serious work.
The start of term, although very hectic, has had relatively few operational problems. Our new pupils have learned how to navigate through and around the buildings, the dining area and how to find the correct bus home. There have been very few transport problems this session so far.
The school roll has been higher than expected due to greater number of S5/6 pupils returning to school than expected. This is good, but it does mean that some of our S5/6 classes are quite full.
Work done over the Summer
Work on our three new lifts was almost competed over the summer. Two lifts are entirely complete and operational whilst the third (in A block) will be completed in a week or so. This enables the school to offer education and employment to disabled pupils and staff.
The bottom corridor of A-block was totally redecorated, and the mathematics corridor floor surface was renewed. Various other areas received minor decoration.
Garnock Academy Prefects 2009
New School Building?
You may have read in the press some speculation about a new school building for Garnock Academy. This stemmed from the Scottish Government’s announcement in June that £1.25 billion was to be allocated to renew school buildings throughout Scotland. We hope that we might be chosen for this re-build, but we will have to wait until decisions are made in late September or October to find out. We all have our fingers crossed.New Staff
A considerable number of staff left at the summer due to retirement, probationer period ending or promotion. Consequently we have a high number of new staff who started in August. There are:
Mr FCattell (Art), Ms R Houston (Art), Ms K Jardine (Technical), Mrs E Corrigan (English), Ms L Marshall (English), Mr G Morris (English), Mr K Blair (Mathematics), Ms J Goldie (Mathematics), Mr A Wilson (Mathematics), Mrs A Jackson (Modern Languages), Ms C McIvor (Modern Languages), Ms T Gordon (Music), Ms C Jones (PE), Mr A Milton (PE), Mrs A Fairfull (Pupil Support), Mr J Mousley (Pupil Support), Mr E McFadzean (Physics), Ms A Morgan (Chemistry), Ms M Olde-Olthof (Biology), Mr P Sharp (RE) and Ms M Humphrey (Classroom Assistant).
I am sure you will wish them every success in their new posts.
Criteria 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. It is the school aim to have no pupil excluded since all pupils should conduct themselves in a civil manner.Pupils going down the 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.”School Plan
There are four main themes in our school plan for 2009/2010. These are:
Continuing to improve attainment in S4 to S6,
Continuing to Improve Teaching and Learning (via the Critical Skills Initiative),
Prepare for National Developments in Curriculum and Assessment. (ie the Curriculum for Excellence Initiative),
Continuing to improve learning and teaching by use of ICT (ie the national GLOW initiative).Parent Council AGM
This session’s first meeting of the Parent Council took place in the school library on Thursday 3rd September. The Parent Council propose to hold their AGM on Thursday 29th October in the school library, which all parents are welcome to attend.
Garnock Academy circa 2001
Brian McNaught Rector September 2009
Garnock Academy
School Road
Kilbirnie
KA25 7AX5
Telephone:01505 682685
Email: contactus@garnock.n-ayrshire.sch.uk
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