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Hard work is paying off for improving high school


By Caroline McMorran

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Golspie High School is showing some “green shoots” in its drive to improve its academic attainment levels, according to its head teacher.

Mark Evans said at the 243-pupil had been working hard to up its game following disappointing exam results in 2016-17 and indifferent reports from Education Scotland inspectors.

The school was rated 263rd out of 364 schools in Scotland in May last year, based on the number of pupils awarded five or more Highers in 2016/17.

But has now risen up the ranks and stands at 207th in the league table, produced by a national newspaper and based on data released by Education Scotland.

Mr Evans was addressing Sutherland County Committee at its meeting in Drummuie last Wednesday.

He said: “Over the past year we did anything and everything that was within the realms of possibility and with what we had, to try and raise the levels of attainment.

“We still have a lot of work to do on our attainment, but if you look at some key overall figures, some green shoots are there.

“We are doing absolutely everything we possibly can within our situation to make a difference but there are challenges.”

The head teacher said staffing continued to be a major issue with the school lacking a physics teacher in the current academic year and also operating without a full complement of maths and English teachers

He said he had been forced to resort to using a costly on-line, distance learning service.

“It was not what pupils and parents particularly wanted but either we have a specialist teacher or we do not,” he told councillors.

“That (reduced staffing) has a big impact on how the results could go, however, I am truly hopeful the maths results will be better t – they were not good last year.”

Mr Evans reported that he was pleased the school’s Education Scotland rating in Ensuring Well-Being, Equality and Inclusion had improved.

“We have gone from weak to good, almost very good, so that is really encouraging. There has been a lot of hard work from a lot of individuals in that area,” he said.

East Sutherland and Edderton councillor Richard Gale said he had been concerned to hear that the school’s depute head Wim Chalmet was leaving to take up a headship.

“You are losing a senior member of management and that leaves you with a big gap,” he said.

But Cllr Gale said he was delighted to hear that almost 100 per cent of Golspie school leavers went on to “positive destinations”.

Fellow ward councillor Deirdre Mackay said: “It is good to see progress being made in the face of what are great challenges so well done everybody and it is also good to see the school being supported by Dr James Vance in his role as education director, given his prior knowledge of the school (as a former head teacher there)..

Education Scotland inspectors lasted visited Golspie High School in December and are due to make a follow-up visit in March 2020.


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