Type Public high school School district The Highland Council Enrollment 838 Phone +44 1955 603333 Number of students 660 | Established 1910 Rector Dr Grant Color(s) Black, gold, and blue Mascot Raven Founded 1910 | |
Address W Banks Ave, Wick KW1 5LU, UK Profiles | ||
Wick High School is a secondary school in Wick, Scotland, under the control of The Highland Council. In September 2008 it had an enrolment of 838. Being one of only two secondary schools in Caithness, it takes in pupils from a large number of primary schools.
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History
Wick High School was built in 1910. It was originally only one building looking out onto West Banks Avenue. This building is still in use today, and four extensions were added during the 1960s to cope with the increase in enrolment.
Intake
Wick High School takes in pupils from eleven primary schools: Dunbeath, Lybster, Thrumster, Noss (Wick), South (Wick), Pultneytown (Wick), Watten, Keiss, Bower, and Canisbay.
HMIoE Report
In September 2008, Wick High School underwent an inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education. The subsequent report mentioned as particular strengths "Polite, well-behaved and considerate young people and the commitment by staff and the community to develop a wider range of activities for young people". Other aspects noted were "More young people now take part in activities related to sports and the arts. Many are committed to improving the quality of the environment and a group recently participated in a debate on the environment at the Scottish Parliament", and "The majority of tasks set by teachers meet young people’s learning needs. Those with additional and complex needs are well supported in their learning".
The way pupils view the school was stated as "Pupils now have a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school through the introduction of uniform and positive approaches to encouraging good behaviour. Staff and young people have been very successful at improving the overall atmosphere in the school."
The school's expectations of pupils was described thus - "The school has high expectations of young people’s behaviour. Staff are applying the behaviour policy well in class and around the school. Staff with pastoral responsibilities give strong support. The climate for learning within the school has notably improved in recent years. Most young people enjoy being at school, feel safe and know those they can speak to if they are upset about something. The school celebrates success through the use of awards at assemblies, display boards in the corridors and articles in the local press. The school has recently made use of outside speakers to help raise attainment and young people’s expectations overall." This was published in a report given to all members of staff and all pupils. It was also made available online. At the time of the report, there was an enrolment of 838, and the rector was Alistair Traill.
An HMI team returned to the school at the end of August 2009. This follow-through report noted that "In S1/S2, attainment has improved. At S4 to S6, almost all measures of attainment show improvement. On some measures, attainment is now more in line with that of schools which serve young people with similar needs and backgrounds."
HMIE (2009) also noted that "In S1/S2, the school now builds more effectively on what young people have learned in primary school. Teachers in the mathematics and English departments are now working more closely with teachers in associated primary schools to ensure better transitions. At S3, young people opting for skills for work courses no longer have their other options limited. Working with the education authority, senior managers and staff at Wick High School have made some helpful improvements to young people’s attainment and learning experiences. The school now needs to ensure that these improvements are consolidated and extended further, particularly for the most vulnerable young people."
In May 2012 the Herald conducted a survey of all of Scotland's secondary schools. The survey gave a percentage of how many senior pupils had achieved five Highers or more in their tenure at the school, and a percentage of how many pupils received free school meals. In a list of Highland Schools, Wick came 21st out of 30 with 5% of senior pupils having achieved five Highers or more. This is 5% behind both the Highland average and the Scottish average of 10%. Wick came 3rd out of 30 when it came to free school meals, scoring 15.6%, both ahead of the Highland average of 9.6%, and the Scottish average of 12.7%.
New school
A new school is currently being built as the school is not suitable for the 21st century. It is due to be ready for use by the end of 2016.