Exams success for school in the face of tragedy
A West Lothian school which faced a torrent of online abuse after the tragic death of a pupil, and saw more than half of its buildings closed last year as a result of crumbling concrete, has still managed to outperform schools across Scotland.
St Kentigern’s Academy was engulfed in a media storm after the tragic death of 14-year old Hamdan Aslam in June last year. The tragic accidental death was whipped into a social media frenzy.
Over the last year pupils have also had to cope with the closure of much of the estate, after the potentially dangerous RAAC material was found to have been used in its construction.
In the same timeframe however its pupils also produced some of the best exam results in Scotland, Headteacher Andrew Sharkey told Whitburn and Blackburn Local Area Committee.
Mr Sharkey told the meeting: “It has been a very challenging 18 months, I think it would be fair to say.
“We had the tragic death of a student, Hamdan, last June where he died of an undiagnosed heart defect, but as you’ll be aware the media and social media ran with a different take on that.
Following a storm of rumours and allegations of bullying the school was besieged by phone calls, text and emails some from 300 miles away threatening staff.
Police had to be deployed at the school long after the cause of the boy’s death was revealed by the family’s lawyer.
The school was already facing a huge logistical challenge of where to teach pupils since RAAC roof panels were first discovered in 2022.
Mr Sharkey delivered the latest update: “Just to keep us on our toes we now have 62 per cent of the school estate closed and we have a number of cabins operating as classrooms.”
Mr Sharkey said: “In fourth year 68.4 per cent of students are getting five or more Level fives, some 20 per cent about the national comparator figures of pupils at similar schools across the country.
“The students do really well specifically in sixth year. A third of those in sixth year get one or more advanced Higher last year 80 per cent of students got an A in Advanced High History. That is the best in Scotland, It’s nationally significant.”
62 percent of the school estate is closed