NORTH QUEENSFERRY PRIMARY SCHOOL in Fife, Inverkeithing

Education Centre Information: North Queensferry Primary School:

Funding Type: State funded
Total Pupils: 133
Age Range: 5-12
Gender: Mixed
School roll: 102
Teacher numbers FTE: 11.5

School Type:

Primary

Additional Services:

Pre-school/Nursery facility

Background:

Pitmedden school is located in the Formartine Ward of Aberdeenshire and serves the local village and surrounding rural district. The earliest part of the school, dating from 1874, is Victorian and over the years the building has gradually been enlarged. Until 1973, it served as a secondary school and in war time was a hospital. The number of pupils is expected to rise in 2000-2001 and further extensions are planned. The school has a nursery and six primary classes. It aims to educate local children in an 'environment in which each pupil is encouraged to achieve his or her full potential'. The curriculum is based on the national guidelines and teachers plan activities which will give pupils a 'good grounding in basic skills' in all of the five main areas, along with giving them the opportunity to 'apply their skills in a variety of situations'. The school offers a 'wide' range of extra-curricular activities, including recorders, netball, basketball, football, cross country running, Scottish country dancing and chess. Cycling proficiency training is offered bi-annually to P5 to P7. Parental support is 'encouraged' and many, along with the staff, help run the extra-curricular activities. The school is proud of the 'high standards' achieved in music, especially in recorder and violin playing. Pupils who entered the Aberdeen and North East Music Festival last year gained 'very good' certificates. The school has a 'strong tradition' of encouraging pride in the language and culture of the North East. Last year's play for the Doric Festival was written by a member of staff and performed by pupils. Pupils have also been involved in an exchange of art work about the local area with a school in rural Hungary and mounted a display in the public library in the nearby town of Ellon. The school encourages 'close links' with the local community and has an 'active' School Board and Parent Teacher Association (PTA).