Aboyne Academy

Aboyne Academy
The school logo
Address
Bridgeview Rd Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, AB34 5JN Scotland
Information
School type	Secondary
Opened	1974
Authority	Aberdeenshire Council
Headteacher	Lorraine Scott
Gender	Coeducational
Age range	11 - 18
Houses	Clachnaben, Lochnagar and Morven
Website

Aboyne Academy is a secondary school in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The school is located on the Western side of the village and serves many other villages in the surrounding area, including: Braemar, Ballater, Kincardine O'Neil and Tarland. The catchment primary schools for Aboyne Academy are Aboyne, Ballater, Braemar, Crathie, Finzean, Kincardine O’Neil, Logie Coldstone, Lumphanan, Tarland and Trophies. As of September 2015, the school has 665 pupils,^[1] making it one of the smallest secondary schools in Aberdeenshire. Aboyne Academy offer their students multiple extra curricular activities ranging widely from sports to music to other opportunities for them to develop their skills.^[2]

Senior leadership team

The school’s head teacher is Lorraine Scott who took over from the school’s former rector Raymond Jowett in October 2015.^[3] At this time, she also officially changed the post’s name from “rector” to “head teacher”. The school also has three deputy head teachers: Mrs Drummond head of years 1 & 2, Mr MacIntyre head of years 3 & 4 and Mr Foy head of year 5 & 6, who serve various management roles in the school, as well as CSN Support Services Co-ordinator Dr Jonathan Holden.^[4] The school is also split up into 3 houses; Clachnaben, Lochnagar and Morven who's teachers in charge are Mrs Gray, Mr Birse and Mr Cosgrove respectively. The principal guidance teachers for each house are Mr Rennie, Mrs Larkworthy and Mrs Law respectively.

The school building

The building is situated on a wooded site, next to the A93 on the Western side of Aboyne. Inside the building the school has its own library, swimming pool, a fully equipped theatre, a large games hall and an all weather pitch in addition to the classrooms.^[5]

The school has been set up to support learning for:

• Art, design and technology
• Business education
• English
• Physical education
• Geography
• History
• Modern Studies
• Religious education
• Mathematics
• Modern Languages
• Drama
• Music
• Biology
• Physics
• Chemistry

Academic performance

Aboyne Academy consistently performs well in national examinations, performing above their virtual comparator (a tool used by Education Scotland to rate schools’ performance) in all areas.^[6] A 2011 inspector’s report found the school to be “very good” or “good” in all areas and the school experiences truancy rates far below the national average.^[7] The school was inspected by the HM Inspectorate of Education in 2011. In the inspection they found that the school have confident and articulate pupils who value the school and the community they live in. However, they also found that the school needs to have a more organised learning support department that has a clear vision and structure.^[8]

Students courses

During first and second year at the school the pupils are given core subjects that do not require any options or decisions. Then in third year the students get the chance to choose certain aspects of their course. The students are still given some core subjects that they are required to take, however, there is also an opportunity to choose to take some subjects but also the chance to drop some subjects that used to be core in the previous years. From then the students then enter into the senior phase of high school where they are given more freedom again. The school give out a detailed booklet of how each subject will be run in order to inform the student of what subject would be best for them to pick. The school require that each student takes English, French and Maths. In addition, they require each student to take Religious and Moral Education and Physical Education. The school then allows each student to have other option subjects such as Art and Design, Drama, Music, Graphic Communication, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Business Management, Geography, history, Modern Studies, Administration and It, Design and Manufacturing, Engineering Science and Practical Woodwork. At Anyone Academy they now use the Curriculum for Excellence course and this has slightly different levels of courses than previously. When progressing through the school they like that each student passes their National 4 course before progressing to National 5, then Higher, then Advanced Higher. The school do this so that the student is progressing steadily through the school and is less likely to be struggling as there is no large jump in the level of work that the school will be requiring from the student. The student chooses their subjects each year after 3rd year. In 5th of 6th year the school support those students wishing to attend university. The school help the students apply to UCAS or to college or to any form of employment or further education.

Lost project

In 2011, the school began working with local and national archaeological groups in what is considered to be the largest school archaeology project in Scotland.^[9] The project involved a large number of first year pupils who performed a large archaeological survey at the site of former settlements in the Invercauld Estates called Auchtavan and Loin, which mostly abandoned during the 19th and early 20th century, though the last occupants left in the mid-1900s. From their work, the pupils created an exhibition at the nearby Breamar castle including a reconstruction of the inside of one of the houses.^[10] The pupils also created a short documentary which was shown at a local film festival.

Other community activity

Fundraising

In 2011, and English teacher retired who had coordinated some local fundraising activities at the school, raising almost £100,000 for Children in Need over a 23 years period.^[11] In 2013 many pupils took part in a sponsored walk from Burn o’ Vat to Aboyne as part of their yearly heath week. The pupils raised money for their schools reporter club. In addition, to this many other events took place in health week including sports competitions and eating challenges.^[12]

2015 floods

In 2015, following some flooding in Aberdeenshire, the school buildings were used for a rest centre.^[13]

Awards

In 2012 the school achieved the Eco-schools green flag. The award is given to a school that have improved the environment and raised environmental awareness in the local area.^[14]

Partnerships

Aboyne Academy's main business partnership is with Arcadian. Arcadian and Aboyne Academy have developed a two-way relationship since their partnership started in 2012. The school is also partnered with Aboyne Golf club, which is the local golf club to the school. The Rotary corporate membership scheme has strengthened the partnership between the school and them. Aboyne academy is also associated with the Co-operative Food Aboyne and Mackinnons Solicitors.

References

External links

• Official website
• Lost project website
• Aberdeenshire Council Page

Coordinates: 57°04′31″N 2°47′42″W / 57.0752°N 2.7951°W / 57.0752; -2.7951