‘Seizing all opportunities’: What to expect from Senior School

Heading to secondary school can be a daunting experience for pupils, but it does not need to be when you pick the right school.

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Kilgraston Senior School is one of the leading Perth and Kinross schools. They understand just how to look after your child’s needs!

Could this be the best secondary school for your child? Kilgraston headteacher, Mrs Tanya Davie thinks so. The Courier sat down for a chat with her.

Why is Kilgraston one of the top Perth and Kinross schools for senior pupils?

Mrs Davie said: “Kilgraston offers pupils the chance to be themselves, to be in a safe and secure environment and to grow to become confident young people. We are a family, and this ethos is central to Kilgraston. People are not judged; studying and working hard is a positive thing. It is a caring environment which allows and supports our young people as they prepare themselves for the next stage of their lives, whatever this may be.

“During the school day, life is busy for our pupils, we want to stretch them and push them to seize all the opportunities Kilgraston has to offer. We have clubs and activities over lunchtime and after-school, allowing pupils to grow not only in the academic sense but to amass ‘soft skills’ and talents. Sport and fitness play an important part in our school day, and we offer specific Sports Academies over lunchtime.

“This sees our top athletes across sports, such as hockey and tennis, sharpen their skills with our Academy coaches which include David Stott, a former GB Hockey coach, and Billy McNeil, a former Scottish tennis champion. Alongside these opportunities, we offer academic support every day via subject surgeries after school. This encourages our pupils to strive to grow their understanding in subjects and aim for top results.”

A real focus on the extracurriculars

Mrs Davie added: “Kilgraston offers an outstanding academic programme in a family environment. We know each and every one of our families – here, you are not just a name. In our Senior School and into our Sixth Form, we will nurture your child’s strengths and encourage them to develop their skills and pursue their passions. Our pupils are engaged with their education, and they are supported not just by staff in a classroom environment but by activities, external competitions, and events.

“Because we know our pupils so well, parents and pupils are kept up-to-date and informed of how they performing in their studies. Our systems then allow us to flag to both pupils and their families of any changes, and should this be a drop, we have a supportive system in place to get any pupil back on track,”

A well-rounded experience

Kilgraston Senior School also places a lot of focus on not just the educational experience for pupils, but the extracurricular experiences too.

The school believes that these are incredibly important in shaping the pupil experience.

Mrs Davie said: “In our academic and extracurricular provisions, Kilgraston provides children and young people with a framework to excel in whatever speciality they are passionate about. For many of our pupils, this is often, multiple specialities with pupils taking part in sport, expressive arts and STEM activities.

“Horse-riding plays an important part of Kilgraston life, as we are the only school in Scotland to have an on-site equestrian centre. More broadly this is part of an active outdoors aspect to school life where mobile phones are not permitted during the school day and pupils are encouraged to be present and to take part. As our Senior School and Sixth Form are girls only, events such as sports day highlight this with pupils unbridled in their enthusiasm and passion to take part.”

Have a look at the Kilgraston Senior School and Sixth form website for further information on the school, their curriculum and their extracurriculars.