Perth Academy in the spotlight
Perth Academy has a long tradition of school sport and was awarded the sportscotland School Sport‘Gold’Award in 2015.
It was the first year the awards were launched nationally, and the school successfully revalidated their gold status in 2017.
To gain gold status the school had to evidence high standards across nine areas covering curriculum delivery and extra-curricular school sport opportunities.
How a school acknowledges and celebrates sporting achievement and voluntary input at all levels is examined as are the pathways a school develops to create wider opportunities for pupils.
The school has an excellent record over many years of a high percentage of pupils participating in extracurricular school sport.
The school’s sporting achievements are acknowledged and celebrated.
The Perth Academy PE Twitter account was set up to increase awareness of extra curricular clubs and give regular updates on their progress.
But also to celebrate the achievements of pupils, both current and past, promote opportunities in coaching/officiating and promote sporting opportunities in the wider community.
The account was launched in October 2014 and after one week had 93 followers. Four years later, they have almost 1000.
Sporting achievements are part of the school’s annual prizegiving but in addition to this an annual ‘Celebrate School Sport Ceremony’takes place.
This is to acknowledge the input of volunteers and the effort, commitment and improvement of individuals.
Ex-pupils who have excelled at their sport have returned as guest speakers. Olympic swimmers Stephen Milne and Camilla Hattersley made an appearance as did Team GB curlers, Cammy and Kyle Smith.
Perth Academy are proud of their pupils who volunteer to support extra-curricular provision and the school sport competition programme in many ways.
Many pupils work with the Live Active Leisure Active Schools Coordinator Alys Hughes to provide coaching sessions in the cluster primaries and run events which support pupils as they move from P7 to S1.
Pupils also regularly support activities for the pupils of Fairview School. More than 60 pupils take on these roles over the school year.
The PE department offer many skills for work awards as part of the curriculum and Active Schools offer regular opportunities for pupils.
Each member of the PE department provides extra-curricular sports sessions and wider opportunities for pupils in terms of tours, training camps and visits to international matches and games.
Last school year, there was a senior hockey tour to Holland, an S1/2 hockey and rugby tour to Peebles, a ski trip to Sugarloaf, trips to Murrayfield to see Scotland play France and Australia and a football camp in Valencia.
Other school staff also support provision and Anne Gibson has been the driving force behind the school’s netball successes.
This year, Craig Mueller-Ahsmann, who has for more than15 years provided and developed rugby opportunities for pupils at Perth Academy, is leaving to move to Australia.
Rugby will continue to feature strongly in the school’s life but he will be missed by staff and pupils, past and present, for the energy, drive and commitment he has shown year on year and the broad range of opportunities he has created for pupils.