74% of our pupils achieved Grade A at National 5 level

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Kilgraston Headteacher discusses mobile phone restrictions in press

Kilgraston Headteacher, Mrs Davie, has been talking to local newspaper, The Courier, about our long-standing mobile phone policy and the benefits it has had on pupils.

In the article, Mrs Davie reflects: “With a no mobile phone policy in school-time, we are really seeing the benefits of good old-fashioned human interaction. We are a close-knit school, with a strong community spirit and we have found that, for both staff and pupils alike, people are calmer and more confident with this increased human interaction.

“In the absence of phones, we must talk to each other.”

Kilgraston introduced the mobile phone restrictions in 2018 amid concerns that concentration and social skills were being negatively affected and of the ban, Mrs Davie said: “I am proud of the fact that Kilgraston was a trailblazer and carved out a robust policy on mobile phones in schools.

“We are passionate about educating our pupils and ensuring they get the best possible start in life, and to do this, they need to be focused and engaged.

You can read the full article here on the Courier website.

Kilgraston School appoints new Head teacher

Kilgraston School’s Board of Trustees and Board of Governors are delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs Tanya Davie as the School’s new Head teacher. Mrs Davie will be taking over from Mrs Dorothy MacGinty, who will be retiring at Easter 2022 after seven years in the role.

Mrs Davie is currently the Academic Deputy Head at St Bede’s College in Manchester an independent co-educational day school for 750 pupils aged between 3 and 18.

David Beal, Chairman of the Board of Governors, said: “Mrs Davie will be joining Kilgraston School at an exciting time where we have continuing high intake from both day and boarding pupils and a significant number of enquires for both our co-educational junior school and our all-girls senior school.” Mr Beal continued: “Mrs Davie was the stand-out candidate from an extremely rigorous selection process. Kilgraston’s Senior Leadership Team, Board of Governors and Trustees are all absolutely thrilled about the appointment and very much looking forward to her stepping into the role and carrying forward Mrs MacGinty’s excellent legacy.”

As part of the Senior Leadership Team at St Bede’s, Mrs Davie works closely with the School’s Head teacher and wider staff body to safeguard high-quality teaching and learning throughout the School. Formerly Head of Mathematics and Physical Education at St Bede’s, Mrs Davie has also previously held posts at all-girls schools, including St. Margaret’s School, Edinburgh, and North Manchester High School for Girls. She is also a former Head of Department at The Royal High School, Edinburgh.

Commenting on her appointment, Mrs Davie said: “What I hope to bring to Kilgraston is an energy and enthusiasm to carry on and develop the spirit and success of this incredible school. I am very excited at the prospect of leading the School into its next phase.”

Originally from County Clare, Ireland, Mrs Davie has a close affinity with Scotland, having previously spent eight years teaching in Edinburgh. Commenting on her return north of the border, she said:” I am very much looking forward to moving back to Scotland: it feels like we are moving home.”

During her career, Mrs Davie has had extensive experience of teaching in both the independent and state sectors: “While at The Royal High School in Edinburgh, I was seconded by Strathclyde University to form a team, tasked with the development and implementation of the first PGCE Physical Education course in Scotland.” In addition to this sabbatical, Mrs Davie worked closely with Manchester City Football Academy, heading-up the club’s education provision for their elite performers in the 11 to 16 years age range.

Mrs Davie will be moving to Perthshire together with her husband, Deno. The couple has a daughter in her second year at university in Scotland and a son in his final year of secondary education.

Passionate about providing opportunities for young people to become the best version of themselves, Mrs Davie intends to develop a programme of competence in 21st century skills (collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving) within Kilgraston, “empowering the women of the future workplace to develop an appetite for becoming solution-based innovators, thereby making a positive contribution to society.”

Mrs Davie will begin her new appointment from April 2022.

Mrs Tanya Davie, Head teacher of Kilgraston School from April 2022

Mrs MacGinty discusses Kilgraston’s Scholarships in national magazine

Headmistress discusses Kilgraston’s scholarships and how we are continuing this process even in a pandemic in national magazine, Independent School Parent.

Also in the article, Lower Fifth’s Charlotte discusses how an equestrian scholarship has benefited her riding skills.

You can read the article here.

Our Scholarship day is on 11 and 12 of February and you can find out more about how to apply here.

Mrs MacGinty in the Times discussing remote learning plans

With the ongoing COVID situation and remote learning by schools in place, Kilgraston’s Headmistress, Mrs Dorothy MacGinty, discusses the prospect of a phased return in The Times.

Speaking to The Times, Mrs MacGinty said: ” My biggest concern is the lack of guidance from the Scottish Qualifications Authority for schools as to the part of the syllabus that will be assessed. It is extremely unsettling for teenagers not to know on what they are being assessed. We would greatly welcome far swifter and greater clarification.”

It follows the news that schools in Scotland may offer a phased return and the Scottish government suggesting that schools should focus on re-opening mid-February. You can read more about this news on The Times website here.

Scottish exams 2021 update - Mrs MacGinty on BBC Radio 4

Kilgraston’s Headmistress Mrs MacGinty discusses the Scottish exams 2021 update on national radio station, BBC Radio 4.

 

Education Secretary John Swinney’s announcement about the cancellation of Scottish Highers in 2021 provoked strong reaction from stakeholders throughout the country.

Following the decision, Kilgraston’s Head Teacher, Dorothy MacGinty, spoke about the situation on the BBCs flagship political show, Radio 4’s Today.

You can listen to Mrs MacGinty at 08:36am here.

Being interviewed by host Justin Webb, Mrs MacGinty appeared with Professor Lindsay Paterson FBA, Professor of Education Policy at the University of Edinburgh.

“I feel this decision should have been made months ago,” commented Mrs MacGinty, “Teachers must now administer and evaluate exams and produce estimates.”

Prof. Patterson agreed with Mrs MacGinty, adding: “There is no coherent reason for this series of decisions,” he continued, “schools are struggling to understand how this could happen, their (pupils’) learning has been turned upside down.”

Local radio station, Tay FM, also carried an interview with Mrs MacGinty and you can listen to Mrs MacGinty’s section at 07:50am here.

Former pupil to train with senior Great Britain hockey squad

Former Kilgraston pupil Emily Dark is to train with the senior Great Britain hockey squad. Emily, who graduated from Kilgraston in 2018, said: “It has been an ambition of mine to play for GB for so many years, so to be offered this opportunity to train with them for the next three weeks is unbelievable.

“I am incredibly excited to get started, not only for high-quality hockey, but to meet everyone too. This is a big opportunity for me to show what I can bring to the game and I want to embrace it and have fun.”

Emily, who is now studying Physics at St Andrews University, was selected for the GB Elite Development Programme (EDP) in 2018, and the opportunity to train with the GB women’s team presents an excellent opportunity to develop, and impress, at the top level.

It has been an outstanding few years for Emily, with her representing Scotland at international level winning her 23 senior caps. Her international career has also seen her be part of the team which won gold at the EuroHockey Championship II in 2019 with Emily winning Young Player of the Tournament.

Speaking on the Scottish Hockey website, Emily said: “Winning gold with Scotland at the home Europeans last year has definitely been a highlight for me, and I loved working with the team before and during the tournament to make sure we were in the best position possible to perform at our best.”

Commenting on Emily’s achievements, Kilgraston’s Headmistress, Mrs Dorothy MacGinty said: “We have watched Emily’s progress through the ranks with great interest and enthusias, and watching her move on to this next, very demanding, level of the game is hugely exciting for all the staff and pupils here at Kilgraston. We wish her every success with the future and will be following her progress very closely!”

 

Image by Mark Pugh

Kilgraston’s commitment to the environment

Kilgraston’s Junior School has been busy charting the growth of a hedge planted in 2009, part of Kilgraston’s on-going commitment to the environment and educating our pupils on nature.

Speaking in the Catholic Universe, Ms Dana Cooper, Junior Years’ teacher and head of the school’s Eco Committee said, “We thought it would be demonstrated particularly well if we showed our eleven-year-olds what nature can do in the same period. Our pupils are particularly interested in natural habitats for indigenous wildlife, which we have an abundance of here at school, but they are also keen to create artificial habitats and, additionally, are currently building a ‘bug hotel’ out of palettes and recycled materials.”

The hedge, which is made up of hawthorn, common lime, hazel and the guelder rose, stretches along the Kilgraston beautiful countryside campus next to the school’s swimming pool. Now, eleven years since it was planted, the hedge reaches four and a half metres high in places and is almost 80 metres long.

Upper Third’s Edith, who is Head of the Junior Years Eco Committee, said: “We have been learning how the hedge provides wildlife with a natural larder.
“Birds such as thrushes, blackbirds and fieldfares love the rose hips, while bees enjoy nectar from the hawthorn and robins, red squirrels and rabbits enjoy the berries.”

This story also featured in the November issue of magazine, Scottish Field.

global poetry competition - winner

Kilgraston pupil Anna has won a top prize in a global poetry competition. Upper Sixth’s Anna was the only Scottish winner in this year’s Foyle Young Poets of the Year award and was one of only fifteen winning young poets from over 6,000 people who entered.

Anna’s poem, Total, was about exam stress, reflecting the experience as a balance sheet.

Speaking in an article on STV, Anna said: “The poem was written the week before results day, it’s a poem about exam anxiety. Every line was given a monetary value to equate to the emotional strain I was experiencing.

“However, you can’t put a price-tag on personality; I am so much more than just results. The final line – ‘trying to add up the breeze’ – represents the impossible, like catching smoke, it’s a poetically expressed concept of being unquantifiable.

“I think the judges all had their own results day memory so this struck a chord.”

The global poetry competition news featured in a number of press outlets including the BBC’s Newsround where Kilgraston’s Headmistress, Mrs Dorothy MacGinty, said: “Anna has been an inspirational pupil to teach throughout her seven years with us. We have witnessed her talent and enthusiasm for the subject of English rapidly develop and could not be more thrilled for her.”

The competition’s virtual award ceremony takes place Thursday 22nd October, where Anna will read her poem to the other 14 winners, guests and judges.

In an article in The Herald, Anna said: “It will still be a very moving experience. Such a shame not to actually be with the other winners and to meet the judges face-to-face but it will be a momentous opportunity nonetheless.”

Anna wins a place at a writing residential course at the Arvon Centre, The Hurst set to take place in early 2021 and you can read Anna’s winning poem below:

⁎///TOTAL///⁎

All slow summer long £9.99

I have been living £6.90

in a glass jar of anxiety £16.60

and dreading £7.68

a day in August £6.57

when a devious envelope £12.90

with a barbed paper tongue £3.76

will slither through the door £2.46

to determine my fate £6.83

with only a few £5.80

letters: grades that might £5.45

be as sharp as blades £9.90

or as soft as rising dough. £5.67

At the end of the day, is this £3.54

all that I amount to? £12.80

Five letters on a flimsy £6.53

ghost of paper? £6.45

The narrowest indication £3.87

of my past £7.90

and my future. £14.90

God, these £1.65

endless days of waiting £8.76

and balancing on these tenterhook £17.76

cobweb tightropes just won’t do, £4.50

they just won’t do. £14.90

⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎⁎

I don’t want to be calculated £8.76

counted, £6.84

or summed up £7.36

in cold numbers and letters £3.56

that are typed by robotic fingers £4.90

that have no grace nor growth, £23.90

because I am breathtakingly £16.00

three dimensional, and £5.35

to total me £2.95

would be like £0.90

trying to add up the breeze. £??.??????

⁎//Please retain receipt for your records//⁎

You can read further press articles on this news in The Scotsman, the Evening Express, The Courier and the Independent School’s Council website.

Kilgraston’s Headmistress discusses 2021 exams on Radio Tay

Kilgraston’s Headmistress, Mrs Dorothy MacGinty, featured on local radio station, Radio Tay, discussing the recent 2021 examination announcement.

You can listen to what Mrs MacGinty said via the link below, at around the one hour mark.

 

 

 

 

You can also subscribe or register to the Catholic Universe and read more about Mrs MacGinty’s response to the exam announcement and you can read some of our other press articles here.