Teacher of Computing

About Dunoon Grammar School

Dunoon Grammar School is a six year non-denominational school serving the town of Dunoon and the area of Cowal. The current roll is 1010.

Dunoon Grammar School was founded in 1641, by Royal Charter, and celebrated its 350th anniversary in 1991. The school has been in a variety of buildings since then, and its current site, in Kirn was opened in 2007, as a ‘School for the 21st Century’, and is an excellent, up to the minute building, built for about 1000 pupils, with superb modern facilities. Built on the former sports fields, the previous building has been demolished and is now being developed with two full size, all weather, floodlit pitches. These should be ready by the summer of 2008.

The Senior Leadership Team consists of Head Teacher and 5 Depute Head Teachers. Fifteen Principal Teachers manage an equivalent number of departments and faculties. The Guidance Team of six Principal Teachers is led by a Depute Head. There is a Special Needs Unit within the school, led by a Principal Teacher. The total staff of the school consists of 72 teachers, librarian, clerical/auxiliary staff, technicians and janitorial staff.

The school enjoys close working relations with its eleven associated Primary schools – Kirn P.S., Dunoon P.S., St Mun’s P.S., Sandbank P.S., Strone P.S., Strachur P.S., Lochgoilhead P.S., Kilmodan P.S. Tighnabruaich P.S. Innellan P.S. and Toward P.S. Because of the very wide geographical area, pupils from Lochgoilhead and Tighnabruaich have the option of staying in the school hostel during the week.

Aims of the School

Staff are committed to the aims of the school which can be summarised as follows:-

“Within the resources of the school and of the community, the school attempts:

1. To provide an atmosphere where learning takes place, and staff and students work together harmoniously and productively.

2. To ensure that all pupils are educated according to their age, aptitude and ability. Work will be designed to provide opportunities for pupils to fulfil their potential and enjoy success. Targets which are set therefore are realistic and while they will never be easily reached, they will never be impossible.

3. To provide a school experience which will lead students to be good participative members of modern society, with a positive commitment to social and cultural equality.

4. To provide an education which will lead students to be useful well adjusted members of a rapidly changing economy.”

The staff

The most valuable resource within any school is the staff. Dunoon Grammar School has a highly professional staff, both teaching and non teaching, committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning. Any prospective teacher here can be expected to be warmly welcomed to the school, to join a vibrant community and to be well supported professionally.

Courses

In the first two years pupils follow a common course covering all the recommended modes . Subjects choices for years three and four are organised to ensure that all the required elements can be taken by each pupil. The curriculum followed by all pupils enables them to sit eight SQA Standard Grades or their equivalents at Intermediate 1 or 2, or Access. In Years 5 and 6 pupils reduce the number of subjects to a maximum of five. At all stages pupils have one period per week of Personal and Social Education. Religious Education and Physical Education is a core activity from first to fourth year. 

Supported Study

A supported study programme operates within the school, focused primarily on pupils in S3 and above, with the aim of increasing attainment levels. There are separate homework clubs for first and second year pupils 

Extra Curricular Activities

The school offers a wide range of extra curricular activities and societies, involving educational, cultural and sporting activities. There are also regular school dances and ceilidhs

The school has traditionally excelled in musical activities. The bands have been very successful over many years. The Wind Band and the junior Cowal Schools’ Wind Band have won their various competitions at the Mid Argyll Music Festival in recent years, and the Pipes and Drums at both Juvenile and Novice Juvenile levels have won innumerable awards at the Highland Games circuits over the years, including Scottish, British, European, World and Champion of Champion awards. Two concerts are held on an annual basis, and the bands, or members of the bands, take part in a whole host of community activities, from Remembrance Services to the official switching on of the town’s Christmas lights. Individuals are members of the Argyll and Bute Concert Band, the West of Scotland Concert Band, the National Childrens’ Orchestra, National Youth Jazz Band, and the National Youth Pipe Band. Various young people attend the RSAMD Saturday classes in both music and drama. In 2007, a pantomime was produced at Christmas, with ‘Grease’ being produced in the summer. For 2008 ‘Bugsy Malone’ is in production.

All pupils in S4 are offered the opportunity to take up a work experience placement, and further work experience, work shadowing and other enterprise activities are offered in S5 and S6.

During activities week, which takes place in the last few days of the summer term, a large range of activities take place. These include the annual exchanges of pupils in our twin school in Germany, as well as trips throughout the UK and Europe. Hillwalking, sport, cultural and creative activities are all offered throughout the week.

During the summer months, senior pupils take the opportunity to take part in advanced expeditions. The British Schools Exploration Society gives the opportunity to several seniors to take part in activities – this year in South America and the Arctic Circle. Dunoon Grammar School has involved more pupils than any other school in Scotland to the BSES, and comes second in the UK. Several pupils have taken part in the Tall Ships experience. Senior pupils are given the opportunity to take part in an annual environmental project in Costa Rica, and 12 will do so in the summer of 2008.

Senior pupils have a major part to play in the ethos of the school. A Head Girl and Boy are supported by their Deputes, and each of four houses have Captains and Vice Captains. They are responsible for house activities, which take place throughout the session. All S6 pupils are expected to support the ethos of the school by taking part in at least one activity in the school or community, which include mentoring younger pupils, helping within classrooms, supporting the SMILE group (the school’s anti bullying group), organising fund raising events, usually for Charities, which are organised through the Charities Committee,. There is also a Young Enterprise Group of S6 pupils, which has had a long tradition of success in the school. Sixth year pupils sit on the Parent Council, and represent the school in the town’s Fair Trade Committee.

The Parent Council and Parent Teacher Association are both active and very supportive of the school.

The town of Dunoon and its surrounding areas are within the highland area of Argyll, yet because of the excellent road and ferry connections, are only an hour from the centre of Glasgow. It is therefore perfectly feasible to travel to work in Dunoon. Currently about a quarter of the staff travel here from outwith Dunoon.

In Cowal, there is a wide range of housing available, both for purchase and rent. The town has a good shopping centre, including two supermarkets and a wide range of specialist shops. Throughout the year, a multitude of clubs and activities run throughout the area. There are swimming pools, a two screen cinema, multi-gym, tennis courts, bowling (indoor and outdoor) etc. Golf courses (18 hole and 9 hole), sailing facilities, forest and hill walks about – all set within the most beautiful countryside.

A wide variety of clubs and societies – social, cultural and sporting, - abound within the area. 

Links

http://www.dunoongrammar.argyll-bute.sch.uk/

http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/content/education/schoolprofiles/dunoongrammar?s=0&a=3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunoon_Grammar_School