New Ullapool High School head teacher aims to lead 'improvement journey' at Wester Ross secondary and insists: 'Everybody is more capable than they think'
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THE new head teacher at a Wester Ross secondary has spoken of her ambition for pupils and a determination “to get the best out of every young person who walks through these doors”.
Caroline Boyd takes over as head teacher at Ullapool High School (UHS) following the retirement of Robbie McFedries after eight years.
Ms Boyd said the school, which caters for around 200 pupils from across the rural west coast, including Scoraig, Lochinver, Achiltibuie, Badcaul and Dundonnell, and its community will focus on its vision.
“I’m not the type to lower standards. Everybody is more capable than they think, sometimes there’s a barrier like confidence, additional support needs or financial barriers. We need to be reducing those barriers, to give everyone an opportunity.”
She said: “My values are ambition, nurture and inclusion. I’m very ambitious for other people. I want to make sure we get the best out of every young person who walks through these doors, by giving the strategies, support and advice they need. And every member of staff too, they contribute a lot.
“In terms of nurture, I’m a people person, I like to work with people and get the best out of them. I want to make sure that people know they’re valued and we care about them.
“Definitely in terms of social justice and inclusion, making sure everyone feels that they’ve got something to offer to the school as well as something to get out of the school. UHS is a very diverse catchment area. I’m still getting a handle of all the different communities we have here.
“It’s really important to make sure every community has a voice. It has to be an agreed and shared vision of what we want UHS to be.”
A business education teacher with a passion for accounting, she has taught and been a principal teacher at a number of schools in Aberdeen and Moray.
She said: "I’m adamant that we need to have the same high expectations for every young person regardless of academic ability or financial barriers. It’s up to us as teaching staff and parents to work together to try and support them to be able to reach those high standards.
“I’m not the type to lower standards. Everybody is more capable than they think, sometimes there’s a barrier like confidence, additional support needs or financial barriers. We need to be reducing those barriers, to give everyone an opportunity.”
"There's lots of good things happening in the school, but there's also lots of things we can do better. I'd like to feel that the whole school community feels valued and appreciated. My leadership is going be as collaborative as possible."
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She said she wants students to have a privilege of choice about their futures, to go to university, do an apprenticeship, or join a local business: “Anything they want to do is absolutely fine, as long as they’re happy and they’ve achieved all they can. Also making sure our young people are happy and healthy alongside all of that, then I think were setting them on a good path for whatever future they decide to have."
She said the school values were last updated in 2017 "so we’re going to do a consultation with pupils, parents and staff. Currently we have our 'We Reach' motto. People may feel that's representative of the school, or people might feel that they want a change. Its up to the community to decide what that vision for the school’s going to be." The words come from the initial letters of the values Equality, Respect, Well-being, Ambition, High Quality Learning and Teaching, Community and Environment.
Creating an ethos of inclusion is important to her. She said: "On the wall of my office I’ve got a few posters,‘You have to be unique and different to shine in your own way’ it's great to be different! We celebrate all of that – LGBT, disabilities, sign language, even the likes of Gaelic – Gaelic isn't part of my background, but I think its an important part of the school, it's what makes it special and unique.
"Helping to build an ethos of diversity and acceptance, understanding other people, their culture, and their way of life. There isn't one thing you would do to create that, its about drip feeding, having assemblies in regards to black history month or whatever it happens to be.
"It's also about getting young people involved, setting up groups within the school. We're hoping to create pupil ambassadors in the school. It's about getting young people physically involved in that.
"There's lots of good things happening in the school, but there's also lots of things we can do better. I'd like to feel that the whole school community feels valued and appreciated. My leadership is going be as collaborative as possible.
"I hope that parents will get to see by my actions, not just my words, that I am about taking on board what people say, and looking to work with them. There's always rooms for improvement. We're on an improvement journey, and that will take time. "
"I’ve never worked in the Highlands before, its a small school, but that's a really positive thing for me – you get to know families, staff students really quickly. There's a nice community feel about Ullapool and UHS."
Also leaving UHS at the end of the last academic year was Ann Falconer, PSE teacher and members of the guidance staff. Dr David Miller has moved on to Culloden Academy after seven years at UHS. The change–around of staff sees the introduction of new principal maths teacher, Noelle Pierce.
