Junior School Information Booklet
Set your child up for success through the joy of learning.
An Introduction from the Rector
An education at The High School of Glasgow lays down a firm foundation to excel. This is illustrated in many ways: in our consistently excellent academic results, in our young people representing Scotland and the UK in their chosen pursuits and in the career paths of our leavers.
Earliest memories are formed during formative Junior School years, while Senior School provides a time to find out who you are and where your strengths lie. Although we can’t predict the future, we can prepare your child for it, while simultaneously ensuring they are grounded in the present to gain the most out of their school experience.
Walk the corridors and glance into classrooms and you’ll detect a special feeling at the High School, it’s a feeling that anything is possible and this energy is infectious. Our curriculum is centred around discovering the joy of learning and we believe it is this approach to education that engages children and young people and inspires them to be curious learners with an appetite for discovery.
With a history stretching back to 1124, The High School of Glasgow has deep roots in our city and has stood the test of time. We pride ourselves on our strong sense of community and this doesn’t stop when pupils leave: we are regularly in touch with former pupils, welcoming many back to share wisdom with our current cohort.
Sursum Semper, our School motto, translates as Ever Upwards. This is a timeless message that underpins the ethos of the High School and the attitude we instil in children and young people for life.
John O’Neill Rector of The High School of Glasgow
Welcome
I would like to extend a warm welcome to the High School of Glasgow Junior School!
I’m glad you have decided to take a closer look at what we can offer you and your family. We believe that the people in our school community are the reason it is such a special place and we would love your family to be a part of that.
Relationships are key. From the first moment your child steps inside our school, we want them to feel part of our family. Our staff take time to get to know each and every child - they have our children at the heart of what they do. Our pastoral care involves all levels of our school community working together; from pupil buddies to our Senior Leadership Team engaging with pupil groups. Classroom Assistants work very closely with the children at their designated stage, helping to bridge the playground to classroom experiences. Class Teachers willingly spend time talking to pupils individually, in small groups or with their whole class to ensure they are doing all they can to help our children feel happy and secure in school.
We are ambitious; we want our children to grow in confidence and exceed their expectations in their chosen paths. Our specialist teachers help children to develop their own passions and the range of extra-curricular opportunities we can offer provides different and varied contexts in which they can thrive.
Our teaching staff are continually striving to use innovative and creative ways to ensure our children are stimulated, enjoy their learning and achieve their best.
I strongly believe that you need to visit us to experience the ethos we have created at the Junior School. The school community will be delighted to welcome you and give you a fuller flavour of life at the Junior School - come and see for yourself.
Heather Fuller Head Teacher
Curriculum
The core curriculum, beginning in Junior 1, covers the following subjects:
Health and Wellbeing
Literacy and English
Numeracy and Mathematics
Religious and Moral Education
Sciences
Social Studies
Technologies
Art and Design (Specialist Teacher)
Music (Specialist Teacher)
Drama (Specialist Teacher)
Physical Education (Specialist Teacher)
French (Specialist Teacher)
From Junior 3 there is the addition of Swimming (Specialist Teachers).
From Junior 5 there is the addition of Computing (Specialist Teacher) and Games at the Senior School (Specialist Teachers).
From Junior 6, in addition to Games at Senior School, pupils will also participate in Saturday morning rugby (Specialist Teachers).
Out of School Care
All children at the Junior School have access to our Out of School Care Service. Our Out of School care provision offers families flexible child care options throughout the school week during term time.
The club is held daily from 3.05pm until 5.55pm and operates a regular booking service, flexible booking service and last minute bookings for when families’ plans change at the last minute.
Our Out of School Care Club is a great way for pupils to meet and interact with others outside of their classroom setting. A structured programme of activities is organised by our passionate child care staff, alongside opportunities for free time, homework and relaxing. Pupils are given the chance to participate in both indoor and outdoor activities including games, playground sports, baking, craft work, puzzles and table tennis.
Our older pupils have the opportunity to become buddies to our younger pupils, offering help, encouragement and support when needed.
During school holidays, we have a link with ‘Summer in the City’ who run holiday camps at our Anniesland campus for children aged 4-13. Further information can be found at www.summer-in-the-city.co.uk.
Clubs and Activities
With more than 30 extra-curricular clubs running throughout the session at the Junior School, we are sure there will be an activity to suit every child, and ability level.
Our extra-curricular clubs can include:
Bagpipe Ensemble
Ballet
Basketball
Chess Club (Beginners / Advanced / Intermediate)
Dance
Drama Club
Football Club
Gardening Club
Harp Ensemble
Kindness Club
Martial Arts
Mindfulness
Netball Club
Percussion Ensemble
Running Club
Science Club
Spanish Club
String Orchestra
Typing
Whacky Rackets
Wind Band
Specialist Music Tuition
At the Junior School, lessons are available to pupils on all orchestral and band instruments as well as piano, clarsach, accordion, chanter/ bagpipes, pipe band drumming, percussion, drum kit and guitar.
Our tuition is provided by experienced full-time and visiting music tutors. Most instruction is given during school hours on a rota system so that the same class is not missed every week. There are a limited number of school instruments available for hire to pupils wishing to start lessons.
As pupils progress with their instrument, they will have the opportunity to sit examinations through the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music or Trinity College London. Pupils will also be encouraged to participate in the relevant instrumental ensembles and choirs that exist within the school, giving them additional practice opportunities and the chance to take part in annual school concerts and events.
Individual Instrumental Tuition
We are able to offer individual instrumental tuition at the following recommended stages:
Junior 3
• Piano
• Strings - Violin, Viola, Cello, Harp, Guitar
• Woodwind - Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Saxophone, Bassoon, Chanter (Bagpipe)
• Brass -Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, Tenor Horn
• Percussion - Drum Kit, Xylophone, Glockenspiel (in any combination)
Junior 4 (in addition to the above)
• Strings - Double Bass
• Percussion - Pipe Band Drumming
Junior 5/6 (in addition to the above)
• Brass - Euphonium, Tuba
Requests from Junior 3-6 pupils outwith these recommended stages may be considered in exceptional cases according to appropriate musical or physical suitability.
We will try to allocate a place according to the first choice but some instruments may become fully subscribed. Pupils should be willing to take up their second choice if this becomes a necessary option. Our music teachers would be happy to advise on suitability of instruments and the prospects they may offer throughout the Junior School and also at the Senior School.
NB. Pupils learning piano must have access to an acoustic or digital piano (an electric keyboard is not an appropriate substitute).
Admissions Policy and Application Process
Step 1: Making an Application
Application Information
There are four principal stages for entry:
• Kindergarten - KG1 (from 3rd birthday); KG2 - (Pre-School Year) (please see our separate Kindergarten Admissions Policy)
• Junior 1 (aged 4 or 5 years)
• Transitus (equivalent to Primary 7) (aged 11 years)
• 1st Year (aged 12 years)
Space permitting, children can be admitted to any year group between Kindergarten and Senior 6.
Junior 1 to Senior 6
Applications made through the main admissions process for entry to Junior 1 through to Junior 6 (Junior School) and Transitus to Senior 6 (Senior School) may be submitted at any time up to mid-January, for the following August. Applications for immediate entry can be taken at any time and offers will be subject to availability.
Application Form and Registration Fee
If you would like to apply to the School, please visit our admissions portal via the School website, create a parent account and complete your child’s application form. There is a non-refundable registration fee of £30. This fee applies to Junior 1 to Senior 6 applicants and covers the cost of processing your application, including administering and marking the assessment.
Bursaries
The High School of Glasgow has a Bursary Fund to enable pupils to attend the School who would not otherwise be able to do so. Bursaries are, however, only available at the Senior School, which includes Transitus (Primary 7).
Parents wishing to apply for bursaries should complete the main Admissions Application Form, ticking the box indicating you wish to apply for a bursary. You will then be asked to complete a confidential declaration of financial circumstances. From this declaration, the Bursary Award Committee, who are independent of the Rector, will make their assessment of the appropriate level of bursary assistance. Bursary applicants are notified of the value of the bursary only when a formal offer of a place is made. The School respects the confidentiality of bursary families and no distinction will be made between the holders of bursary and full fee paying pupils.
A bursary will usually continue throughout a child’s time at the Senior School, but the continuation of the bursary is dependent on satisfactory standards of academic achievement and behaviour and continuing financial need.
Step 2: Visiting the School
Annual Open Events
At the Junior School an annual Open Day or Week usually takes place in October/ November, to provide prospective parents and pupils the opportunity to see around the Junior School and Kindergarten (if required). The Head Teacher of the Junior School provides an introduction and overview of the School. There is an opportunity to visit classrooms and other facilities, giving parents an insight into school life.
At the Senior School, the annual Open Evening normally takes place on the first Monday evening in November each year, giving prospective parents and pupils an opportunity to see around the Senior School. Third Year pupil guides escort visitors around classrooms and laboratories where displays and exhibits demonstrate what the School has to offer. The Rector and Head of Senior School provide a brief introduction to the School in the Assembly Hall and refreshments are available in the Refectory in the Jimmie Ireland Stand following the tour, with staff available to answer any questions you may have.
Our Open Events are major events in the admissions calendar, providing parents and children an insight into life at our Kindergarten, Junior and Senior Schools. For this reason we also encourage those who have organised individual visits earlier in the year to attend.
Parents who have applied for places and those considering doing so are all welcome to attend our Open Events with their children.
Visiting the School Throughout the Year
Whilst we have our Open Events, we are also pleased to welcome visitors interested in the School at any point in the year. Please contact the Admissions Team to arrange a bespoke tour.
Step 3: Entrance Assessments, Including
Interviews
Timing
• Junior 1 applicants are invited to the Junior School for an observed session of play from December onwards.
• Junior 2 to Junior 6 Getting to Know You Days will take place during the third week in January, prior to an August date of entry. Getting to Know You Days are held at the Junior School.
• Transitus to Senior 4 Entrance Assessments will take place on the second or third Wednesday in January, prior to an August date of entry. Transitus to Senior 4 Entrance Assessments take place at the Senior School.
• Senior 5 and Senior 6 candidates attend the Senior School for an interview from December onwards.
If the timing of entry differs for your child’s application, we will write to you and give you a date and further details about the assessment.
For candidates applying from outwith Scotland who are unable to attend the Entrance Assessments at the School in January, arrangements can be made for an applicant to undertake our assessments and interviews remotely.
Candidates can take the Entrance Assessment at another time outwith the main admissions process, eg. where there are spaces in the desired year group or with a view to joining the waiting list for a particular year group. Families can confirm the current position regarding spaces in any year group at any time.
Following the completion of the January Entrance Assessment period, admissions can still be submitted. However, active consideration will be dependent upon vacancies and our admissions process.
Entrance Assessment Information
We are not able to offer copies of past assessment papers. We do, however, send an outline syllabus to all Senior School applicants with information about topics covered in the English and Maths papers to help your child prepare.
Support for Learning / Medical Requirements
The High School operates an Accessibility Policy and the organisation of Entrance Assessments may be adapted to ensure that pupils with a disability are not disadvantaged unfairly. For this purpose, the parents of all applicants will be asked to complete a Personal Information Form, indicating any requirements which the School should take into account prior to their assessment. For example, a child with an identified learning difficulty may receive a dispensation of extra time for each written paper, or a child with a physical difficulty may require special arrangements.
Guidelines for Entrance Assessments
For entry to Junior 1
Applicants will be invited to attend the Junior School for a play assessment of each child’s readiness to benefit from our educational setting. This is an observed session of play within our Kindergarten setting, lasting approximately 45 minutes. Entry to Junior 1 is dependent on the number of pupils moving from the previous session’s Kindergarten.
For entry to Junior 2 - Junior 6
Applicants will experience a day immersed within a class, where we can assess performance in literacy and numeracy. A report of academic progress, social skills and participation/aptitude in expressive arts and extra-curricular activities will be requested from each candidate’s current primary school.
For entry to Transitus and 1st Year
The assessment consists of papers in English and Maths and tests of potential in reasoning; in addition, a report on academic progress, social skills and participation/ aptitude in expressive arts and extra-curricular activities requested from each candidate’s current school is also taken into consideration. As the final stage of assessment, those pupils who perform well in these assessments (see Admissions Policy Criteria for Selection) are invited back the following week with their parent(s) for interview; each candidate has a 1:1 interview with a member of the Senior Leadership Team - including the Rector or Head of Senior School.
For entry to 2nd to 4th Year
The assessment consists of papers in English and Maths, and tests of verbal and nonverbal reasoning (for 2nd and 3rd Year applicants only). Occasionally and when required, applicants can also be asked to nominate two subjects they wish to study at National 5, which will involve an interview with the relevant Heads of Departments for each subject. There will be an interview with the Rector and/or another member of the Senior Leadership Team; in addition, a report on academic progress, social skills and participation/aptitude in expressive arts and extra-curricular activities requested from each candidate’s current school is also taken into consideration.
For entry to 5th and 6th Years
The assessment consists of interviews with the Rector and/or a member of the Senior Leadership Team, evidence of the candidate’s performance at their current school on the national qualifications courses being studied and, where it exists, information on attainment in SQA examinations. In addition, a report on academic progress, social skills and participation in expressive arts and extra-curricular activities requested from each candidate’s current school is also taken into consideration. For an overseas candidate where English is not their first language, it should be noted the assessment also includes an English paper. It is usually possible to admit extra pupils at these year groups.
Step 4: Offers of Places and Results
Criteria for Offers of Places
The High School offers places to pupils based upon the aptitudes and abilities displayed by the pupil across the assessment process. The assessment is based on performance from our observed play sessions, Getting to Know You Days (for Junior School) and in Entrance Assessments, interviews and information on academic progress, social skills and participation/aptitude in expressive arts and extra-curricular activities (for Senior School). A report is requested from each candidate’s current school.
Where the School is over-subscribed at any age group, performance in all aspects of the assessment process is taken into account. At Transitus and 1st Year entry, only those who perform well in the written Entrance Assessment are invited for subsequent interview. When we assess academic performance potential, we do so primarily by referring to the scores of the peer group being assessed and to the number of places available, and we also have regard to benchmark scoring for previous assessment exercises.
As a family school, particular consideration will be given to siblings of brothers and sisters currently attending the School, if the aptitudes and abilities displayed in the Entrance Assessment demonstrate that the pupil would benefit from the School’s educational provision. Likewise, consideration will be given to the children of families who have existing or previous connections with the School.
The School can offer reasonable assistance to pupils who have additional support needs and there are highly experienced Support for Learning Teachers at the Junior School and Senior School. However, pupils need to display the ability and aptitude for a mainstream school.
Notification of Results/Confirmation of Entry
For Junior 1, applicants will be informed of results as soon as is reasonably possible after they have undertaken their observed play session. Acceptance of places can be confirmed at any stage. However, families are not obliged to confirm their decision until the agreed deadline during the middle of February set by the Glasgow Independent Schools.
For applicants at Junior 2 to Senior 4, offers are sent by mail within the first two weeks in February according to the agreement between the Glasgow Independent Schools. Those who have performed well but have not been successful in securing places may be offered a waiting list place. Acceptance of places and waiting list places is required by the Thursday fourteen days later. The Head Teacher (Junior School) or Senior Leadership (Senior School) can be consulted if further explanation of the School’s decision is desired.
For 5th and 6th Year, applicants will be informed of outcomes as soon as is reasonably possible once all known candidates have been interviewed. Where possible we would aim to inform candidates of offers before the end of the Spring Term.
Please note, where your child is coming through the application process outwith the main admissions period, the School will endeavour to come back to you with its decision as soon as possible.
Fees and Bursaries
Fees
The fee scales for our Junior and Senior School are decided annually by our Board of Governors.
Our Kindergarten works in partnership with East Dunbartonshire Council. As funded partners we deliver 1140 funded hours during our core hours of 8:45am-3:10pm. Outwith funded hours, we offer additional paid-for childcare, including our Wraparound Care service.
These fees include tuition, text books, essential extras such as stationery and art materials, charges for swimming, transport for games and some extra-curricular activities, and personal accident insurance for each pupil. School uniform is not included in the fees.
Please visit our website for information on fees for the current school session.
Payment
The method of fee settlement will be by Direct Debit Mandate only, available from the Finance Department, with payments being made on the first day of the Autumn Term, 1st December and 1st April. The mandate will either settle payment in full each term or, alternatively, settle payment in ten equal monthly instalments based on the annual estimated fee bill commencing on the first day of the Autumn Term. Parents have the option of paying a full year’s fees on the first day of the Autumn Term. More than a single year’s fees can also be paid in advance, if a parent chooses to do so.
A full term’s notice is required in writing to the Rector or the Head Teacher of the Junior School, prior to the removal of a pupil; otherwise the following term’s fee will be due in lieu of notice. When fees are paid late interest will be charged at a rate of 4% over the Clydesdale Bank base rate from the date the fee is due. Requests to pay late in special circumstances are, however, treated sympathetically.
Parents who have more than two children attending school at the same time will receive a fee reduction of 25% for the third child and a 50% reduction for any subsequent children. Parents who have more than two children at the School but feel that they do not require fee reductions are invited to pay full fees and donate the reduction to the School’s Bursary Fund which provides assistance to school families in times of need and enables children from less advantaged families to attend the School. Parents who wish to waive fee reductions in favour of the Bursary Fund are asked to contact the Rector or the Chief Operating Officer and their generosity will be greatly appreciated.
Bursaries
The School operates a Bursary Fund from Transitus (P7) year onwards, administered by The High School of Glasgow Educational Trust, to give assistance with fees in cases of need. Pupils take the Entrance Tests in the normal way and parents are required to provide, in confidence, full details of their financial circumstances. Further information about Bursaries, which are only offered in the Senior School, is available from the Admissions Team.
Senior Leadership Team
Rector
Mr John O’Neill
Junior School
Head Teacher
Miss Heather Fuller
Deputy Head Teacher
Mrs Gail Morrans
Mrs Maggie Pollock
Senior School
Head of Senior School
Mr Kenneth Robertson
Deputy Head Teachers
Mrs Sharon Sangster (Academic)
Mr Philip Graham (Pastoral)
Mr Iain Leighton (Teaching and Learning)