Upper School

We rely on Parents to use their best endeavours to help their children to take a full part in the activities of the School, to attend School each day during term time, to be punctual, to work hard, to be well behaved and to comply with the School Rules and Code of Conduct.

1. Forms and Clans

Your principal point of contact for pastoral or academic concerns is your child’s Form Tutor. They will get to know your child and monitor their academic progress and personal welfare. 

All pupils are assigned to one of four Clans upon entry into the School. Members of the same family are usually in the same Clan. Each Clan has a staff Head of Clan to help, support and guide the Clan and who may be consulted where there are more serious pastoral issues to address.

Clan Colour Head of Clan Form Titles

Douglas Blue Mr Colin Currie S1D, S2D etc

Forbes Yellow Mrs Fiona Pratt S1F, S2F etc

Gordon Green Mr David MacDonald S1G, S2G etc

Stuart Red Mrs Helen Hague S1S, S2S etc

S6 study areas and common rooms (“The Den”) remain solely for the use of the S6. Dr Allan Girdwood overviews the academic attainment and progress of S5-6 pupils by checking reports, analysing exam performance and managing academic causes for concern.

2. Homework / Home Learning

Home Learning is an opportunity for pupils to learn new material, revise what they have already learnt, practise skills, problem solve, express their understanding and deepen their knowledge of what they are required to know. Pupils should look over work as soon as it is issued on Teams to allow the discussion of any problems with the staff concerned before it is due in. More information for S1-2 parents about Home Learning, including a schedule, can be read here.

3. HALT - Homework at lunchtime

If homework is not completed and/or handed in at the appointed time, pupils may be expected to attend HALT at 1.20pm the following lunchtime to complete the work. HALT takes precedence over all other lunchtime activities including choir, debating, Duke of Edinburgh etc.

4.  Lunches

With signed parent permission forms, S5-6 pupils may leave school grounds between 1-2pm only. All other pupils must remain at school over lunchtime, other than S4 who (with parental permission) can leave school grounds on Wednesdays between 1-2pm.

5. Co-Curricular Activities

There are many co-curricular activities available to pupils before morning registration, during lunchtime and after school. Parents are encouraged to check the Portal to keep up to date with schedules for events and activities including cancellations/time or location changes.

6. Sport & PE Lessons

Weekly Sport sessions are timetabled for all pupils in the Upper School and are an integral part of the School curriculum. The great majority will take place at an offsite venue. If a Sport session has to be cancelled due to inclement weather conditions, a notification will be sent out via email. Please remember if your child is unable to partake in their PE and Sport lesson, they must bring their PE kit to get changed into and attend the lesson. They will participate to the lesson in an appropriate and safe way. 

7. Picking Up from Co-Curricular Activities

For trips/activities finishing after 5pm you are welcome to use empty staff spaces (except for the minibus spaces at the top and side of the car park) in addition to the drop off zone. If the car park is full please do not block its entrance and Queen’s Road while waiting for a space; instead, please park in the surrounding streets. For instance, Forest Avenue, Forest Road and the west of Queen’s Road all have free on street parking from 5pm. 

Pupils involved with co-curricular sport need to be collected from the sporting venue where they are playing and not the school, with the following exceptions: 

• Pupils in S1-S6 will be allowed to make their own way home from a sporting venue providing that a note has been provided from parents giving them permission to do so.

• Pupils participating in golf will continue to be bussed back to school after their sports’ session.

The PE & Sport department reminds parents to please ensure that pupils are collected promptly from co-curricular activities. Late collection (more than 10 minutes after the activity has finished) will result in a letter informing parents that their child will not be able to participate in the activity the following week. If a pupil is not collected on time twice in a term, they will not be able to continue that co-curricular activity for the remainder of the term.

8. Pupils’ Attendance after School

For the safety and security of your children, pupils cannot remain in school after lessons finish unless they are taking part in a school organised co-curricular activity or have permission and are supervised by a teacher.  A homework club may run if there is sufficient interest.

9. Pupil Recognition and School Colours

Colours are to celebrate the achievements and contributions of all pupils in Albyn School, across a diverse range of activities.

Pupils will be able to gain awards from P3 to S6 with three age levels - Lower (P3-P5), Junior (P6-S2) and Senior (S3-S6).

At each age level, pupils gain recognition for participation, excellence and representation across five categories: Citizenship; Co-Curricular; Expressive Arts; Sport and Super-Curriculum.

Colours are awarded in four separate categories:

Headmasters Colours - decided by the Headmaster for exceptional achievement. Ribbon & certificate.

National Colours - for national representation. Badge and certificate.

Full Colours - for significant levels of achievement and commitment for in-school activities.

Lower - Coloured ribbon attached to badge

Junior and Senior - coloured bands (different widths for Junior/Senior) and certificate for each of the five categories.

Bands only awarded once within each category, pupils can attain multiple certificates within each year group.

Half Colours - for high levels of achievement and commitment for in-school activities.

Lower, Junior and Senior - coloured badge (different shape for Lower/Junior/Senior) and certificate for each of the five categories.

Badge only awarded once within each category, pupils can attain multiple certificates within each year group.

The process for applying for Colours is as follows:

• • Lower: pupils nominated for awards by Lower School staff.

  • Junior and Senior: pupils invited to apply for National/Full/Half Colours using a Google Form.

  • Staff able to nominate pupils for Junior and Senior Awards.

  • A Colours committee (Deputy Head Co-curricular/Senior Deputy Head/Head of Lower School/Head of Sport/Head of Music) will meet to consider applications three times per year (November/March/May) for presentation of awards at end of term assemblies.

  • The committee will pass on applications they deem exceptional to the Headmaster for consideration for Headmasters Colours.

There are five types of Colours that are given:

Citizenship - purple

Clubs & Societies - light blue

Expressive Arts - gold

Sport - white

Super Curriculum - orange

Every year at the Closing Ceremony, prizes are awarded for excellence in a range of academic and co-curricular areas. Each term, prizes and achievements are celebrated in a Mini-Prize Giving.

10. Mobile Phones

Children may have a mobile phone in school on the strict understanding that the mobile phone is switched off during the school day. We do this to promote pupil wellbeing. Mobile phones are banned altogether from school trips and excursions, unless an exception is given. Please also note the following points:

• • All emergency or urgent telephone calls to parents must be made only with permission from a member of staff.

  • Permission is given to S6 pupils only to use mobile phones during break and lunch times but only in designated areas.

  • Pupils are permitted to pay for school lunches and snacks using their phones.

11. Lates Procedure

In one term (or half a term, August to October, October to December):

• 5 lates = 5 lunchtime detentions and Yellow Card

• 4 more = after school Head of Clan detentions, Red Card and a meeting with parents

• 3 more = internal suspension and Purple Card

12. PC, Internet and Email Use

It is expected that all pupils will use the school computers and devices responsibly as per the School’s Acceptable Use Policy. Pupils can read this policy every time they log on to a computer screen and a paper copy can be obtained on request. Computer use will be monitored and anyone failing to obey the acceptable use policy will be disciplined and may have their access taken away. Pupils must take their own headphones or earphones to school each day.

13. Lost Property

Everything belonging to your child must be named. Pupils should not bring anything valuable to school and must certainly never leave anything important unattended in cloakrooms, classrooms or elsewhere. Pupils must endeavour to take care of their belongings, including PE kits, and take initiative to check lost property benches promptly after losing an item. Staff will make efforts to return all found named items to children/form teachers. Unnamed lost property is currently stored close to the Mackie Library.

14. Activities Week

All S1-S4 pupils currently participate in our week long summer term activities week programme after the SQA exams. The programme gives pupils a different educational experience to the classroom and allows all to learn new skills and build new and existing friendships.

S1 and S2 go away with their own cohort to a residential activity centre for the week.

S3-S4 have a choice of residential activities either in the UK or abroad, or for those who do not wish to join a residential activity there are a range of local based activities (active/creative/community based).

An Activities Week booklet will be available on the school portal shortly after the start of the new academic year with pupils and parents making their choices shortly after.

15. Behaviour

The behavioural expectations of pupils and adults connected to the school are clearly stated in the School Terms and Conditions.  It is a proven fact that children model their behaviour and attitudes on the significant adults in their lives. Parents, teachers and other adults within the school have an important role to play in shaping appropriate behaviour.  Parents are requested to support the school’s disciplinary approach in order that pupils learn that their actions have consequences. Sometimes pupils will be praised for good choices. At other times they will be disciplined for making wrong choices or displaying unacceptable behaviour. 

We encourage all our pupils to make good choices and teach them the importance of developing good values. Should a pupil choose to display unacceptable behaviour the following ‘steps’ will be taken; 

• A verbal warning will be given to your child to make them aware that the behaviour they are displaying is unacceptable. This allows them the chance to change their actions to improve their behaviour.

• A yellow card is issued for a repeat of unacceptable behaviour after a verbal warning has been given or for slightly more serious behaviour, below that of a Red Card (below). A punishment/sanction is issued and recorded. The issue is dealt with by the Class Teacher. We encourage children to speak to their parents about their actions when they go home. A yellow card notification will appear on the School Portal. 

• A red card will be given for more serious behaviour. A punishment/sanction is issued and recorded. The issue is dealt with by the Class Teacher. Parents are informed by email about the issue and the sanction.

• A purple card is issued for extreme behaviour. A punishment/sanction is issued and recorded. The issue is dealt with by the Head of Clan and/or Deputy Headteacher. Parents are informed about the issue and the sanction, and a meeting with parents takes place to discuss next steps.

• It is at the discretion of the teacher to skip ‘Steps’ where deemed appropriate, e.g. serious pupil misconduct, bullying (including online) etc.

All staff, parents and pupils are expected to be courteous and well-mannered at all times in order to promote the development of positive behaviour among the pupils.