PUPILS - Stronsay Junior High School, Orkney Islands

STRONSAY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Pupils at Stronsay Junior High School enjoy a very varied and stimulating curriculum. They are taught by a mixture of dedicated resident staff, and visiting specialist teachers who fly to the school on specific days. There is close contact with other schools in Orkney, and Orkney College, and a spirit of collaborative working ensures that best use is made of the many resources available.

Field trips and expeditions are an important part of school life and the range of cultural activities is wide and varied too.

All pupils in P7 and S2 are offered an outdoor education experience and all year groups regularly attend events on the Orkney mainland.

Currently there are 7 pupils in preschool nursery who are taught by an early year's worker. There are 5 sessions each week: two morning sessions and 3 afternoon sessions during which active learning is encouraged.

In the Lower Primary class there are 12 pupils from P1 - P4. They are taught by Elsie Dennison who has taught in the lower primary department at Stronsay Junior High School for 26 years. She is responsible for planning, teaching and assessing all areas of the curriculum for children from primary one to primary four. As a Principal Teacher she also has extra duties outside the classroom which include working in partnership with colleagues and parents.

The Upper Primary class currently has 18 pupils from Primary 5 to Primary 7. They are taught by Wendy Groat and John Dearness. As a former pupil of the school Wendy is delighted to be starting her career this year at Stronsay Junior High.

Pupils follow the Oxford Reading Tree and Heinemann mathematics. The pupil's curriculum is enriched by visiting specialist teachers in Art, Music and Physical Education.

The Primary department is fully integrated with the Secondary department and shares a building, library, computing, PE and lunch facilities.

There are 28 pupils in the secondary section of Stronsay Junior High School. All pupils follow a core curriculum in S1/2 of English, Mathematics, Science, Craft, Home Economics, Physical Education, Art, Music, Geography, History, French, Personal and Social Education and Religious, Moral and Philosophical Education. In S3/4 pupils choose to study eight subjects to Standard Grade.

At the end of S4 most pupils transfer to either Kirkwall Grammar School or Orkney College to continue their education.

The S1/S2 Mathematics course is centred round the 5-14 Guidelines. It will be modified in the future to conform with A Curriculum for Excellence. As well as reinforcing numeracy skills learned in primary, pupils are introduced new mathematical tools required for Standard Grade; such as algebra. Pupils are taught the importance of working step by step and setting out their working. Each week one lesson is dedicated to Problem Solving and one to Mathematical Investigations.

Mathematics and Science are taught by the same teacher, who is resident on the island. This has several advantages such as ensuring consistency of methods and providing experimental contexts for maths practice.

S1/S2 Science is an important bridge between Primary Science and Standard Grade. The course tries to balance three separate elements: to give information about relevant issues such as care of the environment; to teach basic scientific concepts; and to train pupils in scientific techniques. The course will be modified in line with A Curriculum for Excellence.

Chemistry is a core subject and is studied by all S3/S4 pupils at Standard Grade. The course tries to balance theoretical work such as the structure of atoms with industrial and commercial applications such as Fertilisers or Plastics. Practical work is an important part of the course and the lab is sufficiently well equipped to allow all pupils to undertake practical work.

Standard Grade Physics is an optional subject for S3/4 pupils. There is an important mathematical component of Physics which tries to explain and predict the natural world numerically. Pupils are taught a systematic method of using formulae and showing their working. The course also deals with everyday applications of Physics such as Medical X-Rays and simple electronic circuits. A computer simulation is used to allow pupils to experiment with electronics.