Community key to success at Graeme High School

Jamie Scott (16), proxime accessit; Lesley Carroll, head teacher and Heather Richards (16), Dux.

School head Lesley Carroll said working together they had delivered on their “vision of supporting our award winners to aspire, attain and achieve in a nurturing environment where we respect all”.

Ms Carroll said: “Our challenge going forward is to ensure that this vision is the experience for all pupils.

“No matter what challenges they face, we can help to remove barriers and develop the potential in every young person, offer them opportunities to what is out there for them and help them move to building their own positive future beyond school.  “We need everyone in our community, particularly the strong and successful here tonight, to help us achieve this vision for everyone.”

Going on to speak about the wide range of options being offered to students to achieve this, the head teacher highlighted the school having Scotland’s first ever graduates of the HNC Police Studies programme this year, with more new opportunities on the way.

The head added: “Next year we will offer a new development, the National Progression Award in Mental Health and Wellbeing.

“This demonstrates our commitment to look at the occupational landscape and offer courses to our pupils making them best placed to take advantage of career opportunities on the horizon.”

In the closing section of her speech, Ms Carroll thanked and wished a long and happy retirement to the staff retiring this summer; Frank Levey, PT of Health and Wellbeing, Christine Mitchell and Cathy Faill in Home Economics, Jim McCansh in Computing and Fiona McLeod of PT Learning Support.

The Dux medal was awarded to Heather Richards this year, who also celebrated winning the S5/6 Awards for Biology, Chemistry, Maths and English.

The 16-year-old of Falkirk was delighted with her accolade, having won the award for four out of the five highers she studied.

She said: “I am very happy with it, and it was a really good feeling to win the awards.

“My parents were also very proud when they found out about it.”

The fifth-year pupil studied all of the science subjects, with the aim to go into a veterinary course or another medicine or animal-based course at university.