Category Archive: Latest News

International Women’s Day 2024

Kilgraston celebrates International Women’s Day 2024 with our community sharing their inspirational women.

Kilgraston Head of Sixth Form assembly

Kilgraston Head of Sixth Form, Mrs Kirk, shares her first Kilgraston assembly, based on the topic of ‘wisdom’:

When I was trying to think up a topic for assembly, I found it really difficult. So, I asked for help – because that’s always a good idea! Mr Allaker suggested I look at the Sacred Heart goals for inspiration, whilst Mr Campbell told me to talk about Harry Potter – because you don’t need to know me for long to know that I love Harry Potter and all things Hogwarts. So much so that every birthday I get lots of Harry Potter themed gifts, and my birthday last week was no exception. So, when I went to write my assembly, I grabbed my new Ravenclaw notebook and saw my inspiration- ‘wisdom’. That’s what I’ll talk to you about today. Because my favourite thing about Harry Potter is Hogwarts, and my favourite thing about Hogwarts is Ravenclaw – the house where ‘those of wit and learning will always find their kind’ – imagine that – a house dedicated to learning, reading, - hanging out in the library – it’s the stuff of dreams! Because I love learning – I have always loved learning and I teach because it means I still get to learn – from you, every day! But I’ll come back to that in a moment.
Now as I’m new, lots of you might not know what I teach – it is Philosophy. And some of you might not know yet what Philosophy is. Philosophy literally translates to ‘love of wisdom’, so you can see why it appeals to the Ravenclaw in me. It is the subject where you try to answer big questions – Who am I? Why are we here? How do I know the difference between right and wrong? Big questions – with no easy answers. Which is why when I was in school, I really …did not like Philosophy! I had a thirst for knowledge, I liked learning, and I thought that to learn I had to know – and in Philosophy you never stop asking why?! Socrates, a very famous Greek Philosopher, said ‘The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing’ – so how then could a love of wisdom equal knowing you know nothing?

There is a book I read in my Philosophy class called ‘Sophie’s World’ – a novel to help introduce very old and quite complicated Philosophies to teenagers, and there is a quote that I’d like to share with you. ‘To children, the world and everything in it is new, something that gives rise to astonishment. It is not like that for adults. Most adults accept the world as a matter of course. This is precisely where philosophers are a notable exception. A philosopher never gets quite used to the world. To him or her, the world continues to seem a bit unreasonable – bewildering, even enigmatic. Philosophers and small children have an important faculty in common. The only thing we require to be good philosophers is the faculty of wonder.’
And that is why I love teaching – viewing the world through children’s eyes reminds me to never stop asking why (because if you know any little children, you might know that they are really good at asking why!) – to understand, though, that it’s not about getting the right answer, but rather asking the right questions – the fun is in the learning, not the knowing. And I know this can seem a bit at odds in the middle of prelim exams for the seniors, but when you get to the end of the prelims, please don’t focus too harshly on what you didn’t know – instead get excited about the learning journey you can have between now and your final exams – and beyond! And whilst doing so, know that you are fulfilling the Sacred Heart goal to hold a deep respect for intellectual values.

But this year’s goal is Faith, and another Sophie’s world quote is ‘where both reason and experience fall short, there occurs a vacuum that can be filled by faith.’ You see Philosophers who believe we can know things, believe that this knowledge either comes from our reason and logic – inside our head - or comes from our experience, through our senses. But sometimes we can’t find the answers here and for many, when we can’t find certainty, or the path seems unknowable, then faith can be a powerful tool for navigating the unknown and helping to bring a sense of peace and calm during times of uncertainty.

I’d like to end with the message to enjoy the learning journey you are gifted at Kilgraston – it really is a magical school – and to never lose the child like sense of wonder or suppress the desire to keep asking ‘Why’ and seek answers.

Kilgraston pupils celebrate Chinese New Year

One of the great privileges of having international students at Kilgraston is the opportunity to share traditions and culture from other countries. Just before half term, we were thrilled to celebrate the Lunar New Year across the Senior School as we transitioned from the Year of the Rabbit to the Year of the Dragon. Our Chinese students, Jenny, Ava, Candy, Sofia and Naomi led a fascinating assembly on the origins of some of the traditions of New Year. We also learned that this year was not only the Year of the Dragon, the most auspicious of all the Chinese zodiac animals, but more specifically the Year of the Wood Dragon, the most creative and visionary of the dragons.

People born under this sign are thought to be the most creative and visionary of the dragons; they are optimistic, ambitious and adventurous; they like to explore new ideas and challenge themselves and they are also generous, compassionate and loyal to their friends. They sound just like our wonderful Kilgraston students!

To celebrate, we decorated the school building with beautiful lanterns, the ESOL corridor is bedecked with red and gold banners and bunting and on the last day before half term, the Senior School worked in Form Groups and produced wonderful crafts hung in Glass Square. Lower Fourth and Upper Fourth produced beautiful red banners bearing traditional New Year greetings in Chinese using black and gold ink, led by Naomi, Naia and Reny. Lower Fifth and Upper Fifth created amazing traditional Chinese cut paper decorations made from red tissue paper, guided by Ava and Candy, and Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth produced a splendid dragon collage from a large sketch done by Eve and using a variety of materials such as tissue paper, beads, feathers, ribbon and a great deal of creativity and imagination.

We are already looking forward to next year’s celebration for January 29 2025 when we enter the Year of the Snake!

Celebrating the outstanding success of the Kilgraston Christmas Concert

The spirit of Christmas filled the air at Perth Concert Hall as the annual Kilgraston Christmas Concert came to life in a dazzling display of talent, joy, and festive cheer. The evening was a resounding success, showcasing the remarkable abilities and unyielding passion of our students.

The Kilgraston Christmas Concert has always been a highly anticipated event, but this year’s rendition exceeded all expectations. The concert featured a diverse array of performances, ranging from the brilliant ‘Whoops a-Daisy Angel’ by our Junior Years pupils to stunning duet by Upper Sixth pupils, Erin and Laura. Every element came together seamlessly to create an unforgettable experience for all in attendance.

The concert showcased the exceptional talents of our students, highlighting their dedication, commitment, and artistic flair. Weeks of preparation and practice culminated in a performance that left the audience enchanted and inspired. The level of professionalism and maturity displayed by our pupils was truly astounding, leaving no doubt that they have bright futures ahead in the world of performing arts.

There were so many highlights of the evening including the Kilgraston Drummers Fanfare with the eye-catching glowing drum sticks. The staff choir’s performance of ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ wowed the audience receiving cheers from the audience and pupils alike.

The Kilgraston Christmas Concert truly exemplified the power of the arts to bring people together and create a sense of community. Pupils, parents, staff, and members of the wider community gathered in the spirit of celebration and shared in the joyous atmosphere that permeated the venue. It was a testament to the collaborative effort of all involved, from the performers to the dedicated staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring the concert to life.

Beyond the exceptional performances, the success of the Kilgraston Christmas Concert showcased the values embedded in our school community. It demonstrated the importance of nurturing and encouraging young talent, fostering a love for the arts, and providing a platform for pupils to shine. The leadership and guidance of our dedicated teachers, who invest their time and expertise into cultivating the skills of our students, were evident throughout the concert.

As the festivities of the Christmas season now envelop us, the Kilgraston Christmas Concert stands as a testament to the talent, dedication, and spirit of our school. The success of the evening would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our parents, who have consistently championed the arts and encouraged their children to pursue their passions.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all those who attended and were part of this outstanding event. The Kilgraston Christmas Concert has once again reminded us of the transformative power of music and art and the importance of celebrating and nurturing the talent that fills our school community.

May the joy and inspiration ignited by the Christmas Concert continue to resonate within us all and guide our students towards a future filled with artistic pursuits and cultural appreciation.

Merry Christmas to everyone.

Kilgraston Half Term Newsletter - October 2023

We are delighted to share with you the Kilgraston Half Term Newsletter. New for October 2023, this edition gives a round-up of what has been happening at Kilgraston in the past six weeks and a warm welcome to new member of our community, families and staff alike. Click on the image below to open up the digital version of this.

Look out for the next edition of this in December and if you have anything you would like to be considered to include, please email [email protected].

Kilgraston Art Showcase 2023 - enter now

Love - what is it and how would you draw it?

Enter Kilgraston Art Showcase and the chance to win £200 donation for your nursery.

Entries will be shown in our Grand Exhibition on 4th November at 10am in Kilgraston Junior Years. The competition is open to three to five year olds. Please email and A4 drawing what you love to [email protected] with your name and age. Entries open to three to five year olds in 25 mile radius of Kilgraston School. Deadline for entries is 28th October 2023.

* Terms and conditions
1. How to Enter:
- Entries must be submitted to [email protected] by 3pm on 28th October 2023.
- The winner will be selected by the judging panel.
2. When to enter
- Entries can be submitted any time until closing date.
3. Who can enter
- The competition is open to all children aged three, four or five years old within 25 miles of Kilgraston School.
- Submissions will be displayed at the Kilgraston Art Showcase on 4th November.
4. Prizes
- The winner will be announced on 4th November at Kilgraston Art Showcase.
- The winner will receive £200 donation towards their nursery.
- If the winner does not attend a nursery, the winner must select a recipient nursery to receive the prize.

Kilgraston BFG scheme 2023

Did you know that Kilgraston is full of BFGs?

Each year, Kilgraston’s Head Girl Team leads on the school’s Big Friendly Girl (BFG) scheme and this year’s is now well underway. Here, this year’s Head Girl Laura introduces and explains our unique program.

The Kilgraston BFG system involves the whole school with pupils from Reception to Lower Sixth paired with and looked after by a member of Upper Sixth. A BFG is there to offer advice, to chat to or simply to be a friendly face in the corridors. The BFG program strengthens the connections between year groups and gives younger pupils the chance to make friends with their role models. This year, we are introducing a new feature to the BFG system. We know that as you start to move up the school, academic pressure increases too. As well as being paired with a BFG you share interests with, your BFG can be an academic mentor. This means that your BFG can offer you help and support with the subject you struggle with most.

Ask your Year Head or Head of School how you can sign up.

Laura, Kilgraston Head Girl, 2023 - 2024

Kilgraston Cross Country 2023

The Kilgraston Cross Country 2023 took place with the school’s stunning countryside campus drenched in late summer sunshine and a cloudless sky.

This annual event sees all pupils take part with runners from our youngest class, Reception, lining up alongside the oldest Upper Sixth pupils. Following an energetic warm-up with PE’s Mrs Fraser, pupils lined up with the start line a sea of House colours. Vibrant yellows, roaring reds, proud purples and glorious greens took their positions and on Mrs Davie’s signal, they were off.

The event takes place around Kilgraston’s beautiful countryside campus with staff manning key markers on the route and parents, grandparents, guardians and family members cheering on the runners. It all about having fun, an intrinsic part of the Kilgraston ethos, and winning valuable house points, if you can. It is a sentiment which is well-embraced by Kilgraston Sixth Form who, each year, dress up in costumes to run.

It was a glorious day and a wonderful first whole school event for this academic year, 2023 - 2024. Well done to everyone who took part and thank you to those who helped and who attended, cheering on the runners.

CROSS COUNTRY 2023-24

OVERALL WINNERS

Exam success 2023 for Kilgraston pupils

Kilgraston pupils are celebrating the continuation of the school’s strong academic achievements with the release of the 2023 Scottish Exam results. These see Kilgraston’s results once again well above national averages.

At Higher level, 51% of Kilgraston pupils achieved a Grade A, against a national average of 32.8% at the same level. Even more impressive is the high numbers of Kilgraston pupils who obtained five or more straight As in their Highers with almost a fifth achieving this. This success is mirrored at National 5 level with 66% of Kilgraston pupils achieving Grade As against a national average of 38.6% at the same level. Furthermore, almost a quarter of pupils sitting National 5s obtained 8 or more straight As and over half achieved at least five As at National 5 level.

Kilgraston’s Headteacher, Mrs Tanya Davie, said: “I am incredibly proud of these results. Kilgraston has a long history of strong results, and this year our pupils continue this tradition in a number of robust ways. Indeed, this year, more of our pupils sitting Highers achieved A Grades than in 2022. Across the board, I know the hard work which has gone into these results so I would like to extend my congratulations to every one of our pupils and to the Kilgraston staff who support them.”

Kilgraston pupils showed their strengths across a wide variety of subjects. In the core subject of English, Kilgraston pupils achieved incredible results with 100% achieving a Grade A/B at National 5 level. As a girls-only school, Kilgraston pupils continue to smash gender stereotypes with 100% achieving a Grade A in Advanced Higher Physics. In addition, 100% of pupils achieved a Grade A in Computing at National 5 level and Advanced Higher level.

In languages too, 100% of pupils obtained an A grade in Latin at both Higher and National 5 levels. In Higher German, 100% achieved a Grade A and in Higher Spanish 100% achieved Grade A/B.

Music is a cornerstone of life at Kilgraston, and these latest results show just how important this subject is with an impressive 100% getting a A Grade at National 5 level and 100% achieving Grade A/B at Higher level. Kilgraston’s sporting prowess is well known, and this continues in Advanced Higher PE with 100% achieving Grade A.

Mrs Davie concludes: “Our pupils perform well across many subjects and in particular in those subjects where boys traditionally excel, for example, such as physics. However, the richness and diversity of our results proves the benefits of a girls only education. It gives our pupils an opportunity to focus without distractions and without fear of conforming and they do this in abundance.

“We encourage our pupils to seize every opportunity here, to work hard and to reap the rewards of a Kilgraston education. As a school, my team and I are focused on offering the best education now and in the future and to raise the next generation of strong, fearless young people and these results are proof of this and collectively, it gives me so much joy and happiness to see this progress.”

Kilgraston Class of 2023 has much to celebrate with every Upper Sixth pupil achieving the results required to get their firm or insurance University offer. This means almost four fifths of pupils will now go to their first choice of university. This year’s cohort are predominantly moving on to courses in Humanities and the Arts and courses include Liberal Arts, Social Anthropology, Rural Land Management, Event Management, and English.

However, as always, Kilgraston represents strongly in the STEM subjects with pupils seeking courses in Chemistry and Physics as well as Sport and Exercise Science. Over a third of Upper Sixth pupils will progress to prestigious Russel Group Universities and there was 100% success rate for girls wishing to study at St Andrew’s with all being made unconditional offers.

Find out more about our academic success.

Kilgraston Equestrian Team latest achievements

What a fabulous six months we have had horsing around at Kilgraston Equestrian.

Starting off with our Inter-House Showjumping competition in March, which offered a fantastic launch-pad for our runners and riders going into the Kilgraston Scottish School Equestrian Championships. This year’s event saw over 200 entries from schools the length and breadth of Scotland, our biggest ever and saw some fantastic results.

It was a great start to the equestrian season for Kilgraston Equestrian team with pupils Charlotte, Phoebe, Kiki and Daisy all competing with success in British Eventing. We have had many other senior pupils competing successfully as well as into our Juniors.

Huge congratulations to Lower Third’s Naomi and her pony Annandale Maria who have qualified for both the Royal International Horse Show and the London International Horse show in the Nursery Stakes WHP.

For us here at Kilgraston it is not just about the competition it is also the horsemanship. We have had three pupils who have all sat their British Horse Society Stage 1 exam. This is an Industry recognised foundation of Knowledge in riding, care and stable management. This was all done alongside our Equestrian staff who are all British Horse Society Qualified.