Belmont Academy: 3 December 2008

Dec 5 2008

LAST week saw nine members of the HMIe inspection team in the academy looking closely at the work of the school. As well as English and mathematics, the other areas of focus were geography and religious and moral education.

While the HMIe visited all of these departments, they also saw young people at work in other areas of the school, while all of the inspection team had a special focus on health promotion and well-being. As well as talking with staff, pupils, and people who make a contribution to the experience of the young people from outside the school, the HMIe also met a group of parents including Susan Mills, chair of the Parent Council.

ORGANISED by campus police officer PC Claire Jack and members of her Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Group, a make-up evening was held in the school, raising an amazing £800 which will now be forwarded to support research work into meningitis.

HANGING in the entrance atrium to the school is a wall hanging which has printed on it the ingredients which constitute a recipe for a good school, composed by a group of first year pupils who have been working with Elaine Canavan of the English department.

SECOND year pupils had the tremendous experience of working with Tom Wheeler, a professional story-teller, who was in the school for two days last week engaging with all second year classes.

TWENTY-SIX Belmont Academy senior business education pupils attended the recent Business Challenge Event held at NATs Prestwick. In addition to inspiring talks from local entrepreneurs, schools participated in a Dragon’s Den team competition. Belmont Team 3, Megan Burgoyne, Nicola Cavens, Hannah Garrett, Tiffany Murdoch, Emily Sheward and Emma Wilson, with their product Cubpix – a cubed photo frame – reached the final stages of the competition and were commended for their presentation skills.

NINE schools from across the West of Scotland took part in the Marr College Invitation Volleyball Tournament last week. Belmont Academy entered nine teams, and the second year girls’ team achieved the best result coming runners up in the their event.

The team members – Emily Irvine, Jemma McSheffrey, Jodie Barb, Kayleigh Murdoch and Alix Morrison – are delighted at their success and so are the team trainers.

S1 rugby team had its first outing last week at a tournament organised by local development officer Damien Kelly. They played three games, winning against Carrick and Kyle and losing to a very strong Marr team.

The rugby team members are: R Mackie, R Hill, B Taysum, G Adams, J Mowbray, L Wilkinson, F Hollins, A Jackson, R McKissock, B McKay, J Fitzimmons, S Hogg, S Aitken, E Ferguson, J McGilvray, L Shanks, A Kerr, O Collinson, S Kennedy and A Callan.