Moffat Academy Secondary News 2024/25 Term 3
Lots on in Secondary this term! Everything from Mandarin Calligraphy (pictured with Luke) to First Aid Training for our Seniors and not to mention one or two prelims!
Remember to check our Whole School News section too for more from last term!
YPI final!
On Wednesday 26th March, our S1 cohort proudly hosted a tremendous Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) final at Moffat Academy. YPI is a pioneering, active citizenship programme delivered in schools across the UK, empowering young people to make a difference in their communities. The initiative encourages students to advocate for local charities supporting individuals facing hardship or difficult circumstances, while developing their understanding of social issues both locally and globally.
Throughout the year, each group represented a local charity, conducting in-depth research and preparing presentations to raise awareness and bid for a £3,000 grant to support their chosen cause. This programme is generously funded by The Holywood Trust and supported by The Wood Foundation.
Five outstanding groups were selected to present at the final showcase, held in front of a judging panel and an audience of peers and staff. The event itself was entirely student-led and included a successful bake sale, kindly supported by our wonderful parents and caregivers.
We are incredibly proud of all students involved – not only for the work they’ve done in support of these amazing local organisations, but for the maturity, teamwork, and empathy they have shown throughout the project.
Library Award Achievers
Congratulations to three more reading award achievers! Joni Pattison, Michael Walton and Oscar Barron. Well done to all!
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Article 29 (goals of education)
Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.
Ellisland
S1s visited Ellisland Farm on Tuesday 25th February - a trip scheduled to take place on Burns Day and rescheduled due to the storm!
They travelled around the different sites in Ellisland, learning about Burns’ farming life and time as an exciseman. They then had a Burns supper, followed by some poetry recitals from 3 brave volunteers: Kit Llewellyn, Lyubomir Slavov and Mason Crooke. Afterwards, they took a walk along the riverside and learned about Burns’ production of Tam O’Shanter. Finally, they rounded the day off with some butter making to celebrate Jean Armour’s birthday!
An eventful and enjoyable day learning all about Scotland’s national poet.’
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Article 28
Every child has the right to an education.
First Aid Course
A group of our S6 pupils recently took part in Ready for Life training—a two-day course designed to equip young people aged 16+ with valuable, real-world skills. As part of the programme, they achieved two nationally recognised qualifications: Emergency First Aid at Work (SCQF Level 6) and First Aid for Mental Health Awareness (SCQF Level 4), both valid for three years. These certifications not only enhance personal confidence and resilience but also provide a strong addition to applications for employment, apprenticeships or further study. Well done to all involved!
Joni Logo
Following a region wide call for entries, S1 and S2 Art & Design students from Moffat Academy participated in a logo design competition for South of Scotland Enterprise's International Women's Day Celebration being held in Gretna on the 6th March. Following a tough judging process, S1 pupil Joni Pattison was selected as the overall winner, winning a £50 gift voucher for a local shop of her choice and a bag with her design printed upon it. Not only that, with over 150 people attending the Celebration in Gretna and receiving attendee packs with Joni's design upon them, her logo will travel far and wide! Well done Joni!
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Article 29 (goals of education) Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.
Open University 'Open Learn' courses
In S5 PSE classes, our young people have been participating in free Open University 'Open Learn' courses. Well done to Logan who has completed the course 'Aberdulais Falls: a case study in Welsh heritage. These courses are an excellent addition to our student's learning.
OpenLearn is a free learning platform, delivered by The Open University as part of its Royal Charter commitment to support the wellbeing of the community.
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Article 28 (right to education) Every child has the right to an education. Primary education must be free and different forms of secondary education must be available to every child.
S1 Cells
S1 have been getting creative making models and posters to show the structure of animal and plant cells. Have a look at some of their fab creations! Well done all
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Article 29 (goals of education) Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full.
s2 Mandarin Calligraphy
2Q were learning Mandarin calligraphy last term with Miss Niu in the run up to Chinese New Year.
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Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.
Daniel Mellin
As part of his Sports Studies module for his Asdan course, Daniel Mellin in S1 has made a fantastic sports-themed Boardgame. Along with Miss Morrison, he came up with a variety of questions and activities which players must successfully answer and complete in order to make their way round the board. It was so good that the PE department has had a dozen of them copied, printed and laminated and they intend on using them with classes in the future. Well done Daniel!
Summer School Success
Isla Weatherstone, Erin Shannon, David Lockhart and Liesl Cable have been successful in their application forms for the Science Summer school programme with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the RZSS Highland Wildlife Park. The work experience will focus on practical activities including enclosure design, animal behaviour observations, collection planning and zoo veterinary practices.
Congratulations and good luck to all! Photo to follow!
Mobile Phone Experiment
S4 pupils at Moffat Academy took part in an optional phone trial aimed at encouraging focus and reducing distractions during the school day. For two weeks, participating pupils handed in their phones at the start of each day and retrieved them once school was over.
The trial was designed to explore the impact of limited phone use on learning, social interaction, and overall well-being. Feedback from both pupils and staff suggests that the initiative could pave the way for future discussions about phone use in schools.
This approach reflects the school’s commitment to fostering a supportive and focused learning environment.
Young Carers action day
The 12th of March was Young Carers Action Day. To raise awareness, Emily Davies and Jordan Chisholm, support workers from the Young Carers service delivered the whole school assembly today. Emily and Jordan highlighted the roles and responsibilities many young carers have and the support available for them.
The theme for Young Carers Action Day 2025 was "Give Me A Break", focusing on the importance of rest and respite for young carers. Please find more information about young carers at https://www.dgalcarers.co.uk/
Moffat Academy were very pleased to be awarded with the Young Carer Aware award in 2023 and we are currently working towards the Young Carers in school challenge.
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Article 27 (adequate standard of living) Every child has the right to a standard of living that is good enough to meet their physical and social needs and support their development.
Sign Language Week
To help raise awareness of this important language, all PSE classes had the opportunity to engage with a pre-recorded lesson produced by the British Deaf Association.
These lessons have been designed to introduce students to key BSL signs in a fun and engaging way, helping to promote inclusivity and understanding of BSL in schools.
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Article 27 (adequate standard of living) Every child has the right to a standard of living that is good enough to meet their physical and social needs and support their development.
Childcare Class - Mrs Metcalf and Lucas Visit
Childcare had a special visitor yesterday! Baby Lucas and Mrs Metcalf answered lots of questions for us and helped kick of our final unit on ‘care and feeding’.
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Article 29 (goals of education) Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full.
Glasgow Science Centre
On Friday 17th February, Moffat Academy welcomed the Glasgow Science Centre for an exciting day of STEM exploration! S1 students took part in two interactive workshops, engaging in hands-on activities and games focused on "Powering the Future." The sessions sparked curiosity and critical thinking about energy, sustainability, and innovation. The day concluded with a dynamic final showcase, where Ross and Emma from the Glasgow Science Centre competed some experiments. A fantastic opportunity for our young scientists to explore real-world challenges in a fun and engaging way!
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Article 28 (right to education)
Every child has the right to an education. Primary education must be free and different forms of secondary education must be available to every child.
Regional Cross Country Championships.
On Tuesday 18th of February, Moffat Academy pupils from S1 all the way through to S5 competed at the Regional Cross Country Championships. They travelled to Dalbeattie High School, where they raced against pupils from all over the region in distances covering up to 4 miles. They were met with almost perfect running conditions, with the usual mud underfoot not enough to put them off. Each of our athletes were a total credit to Moffat Academy and the wider community. They competed and behaved immaculately on the day and they should be extremely proud of themselves.
A most special mention must also go to our Senior Boys team, who were tasked with running the longest race on the day at 4 miles and came away with First Place in the team event. A superb accolade, which has not been achieved by any Senior Team at Moffat Academy for many years. The team was Nicholas Quigley, Finlay McNay, Finlay Walton and Harry Graham. All at the School extend our congratulations to them and a huge well done.
The full list of competitors from the day is below:
Joni Patterson (s1)
Aubrey Wardhaugh (s1)
Reggie Smith (s1)
Grayson Ladd-Smith (s1)
Julia Palmer (s2)
Amelie Tijou (s2)
George Bevins (s2)
Rory Alston (s3)
Alfie Thomson (s4)
Archie Dowson (s4)
Nicholas Quigley (s5)
Finlay Walton (s5)
Finlay McNay (s5)
Harry Graham (s5)
Edinburgh Zoo Biology Trip
On Monday 24th of March all Higher and Advanced Higher Biology students had the opportunity to attend an outdoor educational experience at Edinburgh zoo.
The pupils took part in an animal behaviour workshop delivered by RZSS and were praised by the zoo keepers for their manners and enthusiasm, well done Moffat!
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Article 28 (right to education) Every child has the right to an education.
Corehead
On Tuesday 25th March, National 5 Biologists visited Corehead Farm alongside the Borders Forest Trust to learn about some of the rewilding projects currently taking place in the area. The pupils also got the chance to get their feet wet, carrying out some sampling of the small invertebrates in the burns.
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Article 28 (right to education) Every child has the right to an education.
ANNANDALE AND ESKDALE Active Schools Volunteers
'Volunteers play one of the most important roles in local sport. They do many hours of unrecognised work behind the scenes that is necessary to keep our local clubs functioning and offering opportunities for everyone to take part.
Volunteers help make sport happen and assist in shaping the next generation of sporting stars and we are very grateful to all the volunteers who help us do what we do.' Calum Graham.
Kathryn and Ryan Wilson
A huge congratulations to Kathryn and Ryan Wilson who have done exceptionally well in the Schools National Burns Finals. Kathryn took first place with her recitation S3/4 Lament of Mary Queen of Scots, On the Approach of Spring and Ryan took second place bagpiping S5/6. Well done to both, a fantastic result!
Senior Barcelona Trip
Day 1: Our senior students touched down in Barcelona and after plenty of travelling, managed to get out and stretch their legs by taking a scenic walk around the city centre. They also enjoyed a meal together before some games and pool at their accommodation before bed.
Day 2: Another busy day in Barcelona. Today the group visited - and were awed by - the grandeur and beauty of Sagrada Familia. They had some free time for lunch, before collectively walking to Parc Guell for further immersion in Gaudi’s architecture. They rounded off the evening with a meal at the Hard Rock Cafe, and a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter ending at the Arc de Triomf. The group have been tremendous throughout, and have pushed through the sore feet!
Day 3: Today the students toured the Gothic Quarter. Led by Miss McNaughton, the group visited: Sepulchral Romana, ‘The World Comes to Life with Each Kiss’ Mural, Barcelona Cathedral and D’August Temple. They then headed to La Boqueria market and were given some free time around the Gothic Quarter. They rounded off their day with a boat trip along the coast of Barcelona, and a tapas meal.
Day 4: The final day in Barcelona saw the students travelling down to the Montjuic area. They visited the Museum of National Art followed and the Olympic stadium. Students were given free time before heading back up to our accommodation.
Despite flight delays, all students were an absolute credit to the school.
A big thank you to Miss McNaughton, Mrs Johnstone, Mrs Smith and Mr Yuill for supporting our young people, and a thank you to the young people themselves!
