Stranraer Academy
Encyclopedia
Stranraer Academy is a secondary school in the town of Stranraer
in South West Scotland, it serves the area of Stranraer
, the Rhins, and parts of the Machars
.
The original Stranraer Academy was opened in 1845 on the site of the present Stranraer Campus of Dumfries & Galloway College. In 1965 a new Academy (B Block) was built alongside a new High School (A Block) and in 1970 the schools joined together.
. Nearly 100 full and part time teachers work at the Academy, and are aided by a team of support staff. The curriculum comprises subjects in the fields of Arts & Creativity, Healthy Living, Language & Literacy, Mathematics & Numeracy, the Sciences, Social Subjects and Technology.
The school was pioneering in the early 2000s with the introduction of IT across the whole school. The school boasts a network of 300 PCs, 2 Successmaker suites, dedicated to supporting literacy and numeracy and the use of electronic whiteboard technology, and has whiteboards in 72 classrooms. The school also has comprehensive PE facilities, which include a large games hall, 2 gymnasia, a swimming pool, a fitness room and a dance studio. In addition the Aird special unit (which provides education for children of secondary school age with disabilities and severe learning disabilities) has a hydrotherapy pool and multisensory room.
A large range of extracurricular activities are available, including Art & Design, Athletics, Badminton, Debating, Discos, Discussion Group, Film Show, Football, Hockey, Scripture Union, Step Aerobics, and Yearbook. The school has an active Student Council, with senior members attending meetings of the school's Senior Management Team on a regular basis.
report was released. It did not give Stranraer Academy a good report, and many sections were rated "poor".
In May 2006 the school's Rector announced his retirement from the school, and left the following August. Following the HMIe report of that year he increasingly saw his powers and roles of rector being devolved to the school's new Authority Manager. Following the retirement of the Rector , the new Authority Manager Joanna Pallet became Acting Head Teacher for a period, until a replacement (Mr Norman Dawson) could be found.
The school has recently (January 2008) received an impressive follow-up report from HMIe. The inspectorate stated that there have been "significant improvements", particularly in terms of the overall quality of learning and teaching and that there had also been some improvements in pupils’ attainment, relative to schools with similar characteristics. However, they also stated that more now remained to be done to rebuild the school’s reputation in the community, improve attainment levels, address staffing difficulties and deal with outstanding health and safety issues.
The new Academy strives to provide uniformly good quality opportunities for all. In addition to providing a modern environment for learning, all buildings have been modified through the provision of ramps and adaptation of toilets for catering to as wide a range of young people from the area as possible.
Delays in completion of Phase 2 of the Academy has led to a deterioration in the building quality of the 1997 New Building, and thus as part of the e4d&g project this building is to be fully refurbished.
The new school's accommodation is to be as follows:
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
in South West Scotland, it serves the area of Stranraer
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
, the Rhins, and parts of the Machars
Machars
The Machars is a peninsula in Galloway in the south-west of Scotland. The word is derived from the Gaelic word Machair meaning low lying or level land, known as "links" on the east coast of Scotland...
.
The original Stranraer Academy was opened in 1845 on the site of the present Stranraer Campus of Dumfries & Galloway College. In 1965 a new Academy (B Block) was built alongside a new High School (A Block) and in 1970 the schools joined together.
Recent History & Today
The Academy is a six-year comprehensive school, with a school roll is currently above the 1000 mark, and is the second-most attended secondary school in Dumfries and GallowayDumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
. Nearly 100 full and part time teachers work at the Academy, and are aided by a team of support staff. The curriculum comprises subjects in the fields of Arts & Creativity, Healthy Living, Language & Literacy, Mathematics & Numeracy, the Sciences, Social Subjects and Technology.
The school was pioneering in the early 2000s with the introduction of IT across the whole school. The school boasts a network of 300 PCs, 2 Successmaker suites, dedicated to supporting literacy and numeracy and the use of electronic whiteboard technology, and has whiteboards in 72 classrooms. The school also has comprehensive PE facilities, which include a large games hall, 2 gymnasia, a swimming pool, a fitness room and a dance studio. In addition the Aird special unit (which provides education for children of secondary school age with disabilities and severe learning disabilities) has a hydrotherapy pool and multisensory room.
A large range of extracurricular activities are available, including Art & Design, Athletics, Badminton, Debating, Discos, Discussion Group, Film Show, Football, Hockey, Scripture Union, Step Aerobics, and Yearbook. The school has an active Student Council, with senior members attending meetings of the school's Senior Management Team on a regular basis.
HMIe Inpection & Aftermath
In January 2006 the HMIeHer Majesty's Inspectorate of Education
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for the inspection of public and independent, primary and secondary schools, as well as further education colleges, community learning, Local Authority Education Departments and teacher...
report was released. It did not give Stranraer Academy a good report, and many sections were rated "poor".
In May 2006 the school's Rector announced his retirement from the school, and left the following August. Following the HMIe report of that year he increasingly saw his powers and roles of rector being devolved to the school's new Authority Manager. Following the retirement of the Rector , the new Authority Manager Joanna Pallet became Acting Head Teacher for a period, until a replacement (Mr Norman Dawson) could be found.
The school has recently (January 2008) received an impressive follow-up report from HMIe. The inspectorate stated that there have been "significant improvements", particularly in terms of the overall quality of learning and teaching and that there had also been some improvements in pupils’ attainment, relative to schools with similar characteristics. However, they also stated that more now remained to be done to rebuild the school’s reputation in the community, improve attainment levels, address staffing difficulties and deal with outstanding health and safety issues.
The new Academy strives to provide uniformly good quality opportunities for all. In addition to providing a modern environment for learning, all buildings have been modified through the provision of ramps and adaptation of toilets for catering to as wide a range of young people from the area as possible.
Buildings
Up to the mid-1990s the School consisted of three buildings built in the 1960s and 70s. Namely 'A', 'B', and 'C' Blocks. At this time Dumfries & Galloway Council drew up plans to rebuild the entire school by 2000. Phase 1 was opened in Autumn 1997, bringing a major advance in the quality of the school's built environment. The new PE facilities are the envy of many due to the provision made by Dumfries and Galloway Council. In February 2000 A Block was vacated and classes moved into newly refurbished areas in B and C Block, creating a more compact campus. Due to funding problems (particular with [PPP] projects) Phase 2 was continually delayed by the council, along with the demolition of 'A' Block, which lay empty and derelict for five years. After campaigning by the local newspaper, school, school board, and student council, demolition work on 'A' Block finally begun in Autumn 2005, being completed in January 2006.Stranraer Academy 2009
As Part of Dumfries & Galloway's £100 million Public Private Partnership (PPP) project to build nine new schools within Dumfries and Galloway (e4d&g), Stranraer Academy is currently being extended and refurbished. The construction of the new school was completed in early 2010, well over a decade after the whole school was originally supposed to have been rebuilt.Delays in completion of Phase 2 of the Academy has led to a deterioration in the building quality of the 1997 New Building, and thus as part of the e4d&g project this building is to be fully refurbished.
The new school's accommodation is to be as follows:
- 40 General classrooms
- 9 science labs
- 3 music rooms and 4 practice rooms
- Recording control room
- 5 ICT/business studies classrooms
- 5 technical rooms and a design area
- 2 food technology rooms
- GP/Fabric room
- 4 art rooms
- Kiln room
- 2 Design areas
- Assembly hall with stage
- 1 drama studio
- PE Department (as existing)
- 4 Pupil support rooms
- Medical Suite
- Library
- Conference suite
- Dining hall
- Administration offices
Notable former pupils
- Kevin KyleKevin KyleKevin Alistair Kyle is a Scottish footballer who plays as a centre forward for SPL club Hearts.- Early life :...
, Scottish Football International - Heart of Midlothian FC - Colin CalderwoodColin CalderwoodColin Calderwood is a Scottish football player and coach. In November 2011 he was appointed as Chris Hughton's assistant manager at Birmingham City....
, Scotland Football International - Craig HamiltonCraig HamiltonCraig Peter Hamilton is a Scottish internationalist rugby union player. His position is lock and currently he plays at club level for Edinburgh Rugby.-Career:...
, Scotland Rugby International - Edinburgh Rugby - Allan LittleAllan LittleAllan Little is a Special correspondent with the BBC.He graduated from Edinburgh University, where he read History and Politics. Little then joined BBC Scotland in 1983 as a news and current affairs researcher, following which he transferred to London in 1985 to train as a radio reporter...
, BBC Foreign Correspondent - Allan JenkinsAllan Jenkins (footballer)Allan Jenkins is a Scottish professional footballer, who is currently captaining IFA Premiership side Ballymena United....
, Footballer - Greenock Morton - Danny MitchellDanny MitchellDanny Mitchell , is the current goalkeeper for the Saint Lucia national football team and Mabouya Valley Rovers F.C.In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds, he appeared in three games. The first was a match against Turks and Caicos national football team, which ended 2-0 to St. Lucia, with...
, Footballer - Stranraer FC - Jamie AdamsJamie AdamsJamie Adams is a Scottish professional association football player who currently plays for St. Johnstone.-Kilmarnock:Adams was a product of Kilmarnock's youth system, signing for the club in the summer of 2004....
, Footballer - St. Johnstone FC - Rory LoyRory LoyRory James Loy is a Scottish professional association football player who is currently playing for the English League One club Carlisle United.-Early life:...
, Footballer - Glasgow Rangers FC
See also
- Education in ScotlandEducation in ScotlandScotland has a long history of universal provision of public education, and the Scottish education system is distinctly different from the other countries of the United Kingdom...
- Scottish Qualifications AuthorityScottish Qualifications AuthorityThe Scottish Qualifications Authority is a non-departmental public body responsible for accreditation and awarding. It is partly funded by the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate of the Scottish Government, employing 750 staff, based in Glasgow and Dalkeith...
- Public Private Partnership