School Info

Introduction to Macduff Primary School

Welcome to Macduff Primary School. The leadership team, teaching staff and support staff at Macduff Primary are deeply committed to our responsibility to make a difference to the life chances of every child attending our school. We aim to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which your child can grow, learn and develop. The resources, services and opportunities outlined in these pages are just some of the ways in which we will provide that environment. Our overarching aim is to ensure all children in our care are safe, happy and achieving their potential. We know how critical it is that, during their time with us, your children realise the highest possible levels of academic attainment and achievement. To ensure that we prepare our young people to take their places in society as hardworking and responsible citizens, we will also ensure that they have opportunities and experiences that will equip them with the life skills necessary to grow and develop in our increasingly complex society

Our improvement priorities will continue to centre on the implementation of a Curriculum for Excellence to ensure that all young people fulfil their potential. Curriculum for Excellence aims to achieve a transformation in education in Scotland by providing a coherent, more flexible and enriched curriculum from 3 to 18. Our developing curriculum aims to help every learner develop knowledge, skills and attributes for learning, life and work.

Macduff School :

Macduff School was built in 1964 as a Secondary School, to ease congestion at the former Shand Street site. Since then it has been a ‘transition’ school where all P7 pupils zoned for Banff Academy attended for one year. It became Macduff School in 1979 and Macduff Community School in 1990, providing additional facilities for two playgroups and a variety of community groups. In 1998 a Nursery Class was opened, catering for 40 children, daily, in two sessions morning and afternoon. In 2000 the Nursery provision was increased to 60, 2 classes of 30 children. The existing playgroups amalgamated under the new name of Hopscotch Playgroup with affiliated Mothers’ and Toddlers’ Group. In 2011 the Playgroup has come under the line management of the school. This has resulted in the nursery capacity rising to 120 over 4 classes. The school also has provision for 0 – 3 groups under the heading of Doodlebugs.  The Nursery area was refurbished in 2016.

Macduff School provides education for children aged 2 – 12 i.e. from eligible twos-ante-pre-school nursery – P7.

Macduff School serves the coastal community of Macduff, population around 4050, and the surrounding rural area. The school roll, at the moment, is 330 and nursery is 67. We have 11 classes in our school, our Nursery is now operating a trial 1140 system and is open to 2-5 year olds. We also host a partner playgroup ‘Doodlebugs’.

We have 4 school houses with children earning house points when they either put in lots of effort or are especially kind or helpful. They can also be for good work. These are counted up on a Thursday and announced in assembly on a Friday. The House Captains are in charge of this. Our house cup is awarded at the leavers assembly -in true Hogwarts fashion only the head teacher knows the winner up to this point. All families are kept in the same house to avoid arguments.

The school building houses 14 individual classrooms, a well-equipped Library, Art room,  General Purpose room, Staffroom, Head Teacher’s and Depute Head Teachers’ room and School Office. Unusually for a primary school there is a separate Gym hall, an Assembly Hall, and a Canteen. The pre-school wing consists of  nursery accommodation, gathering area and Doodlebugs room. Community links are a valued part of school life. The school is used for a range of community activities, including after school sports and activity clubs. The School has a very supportive Parent Council and Parents Support Group. These groups support school improvement activities and raise additional funds to provide many extras for the pupils in the school. Devolved budgets are managed in accordance with authority guidelines in order to support planned improvements in the school.

Education Scotland last inspected the school in 2010, with a follow up visit in 2010 with the report published in January 2011 The school is accredited at commended level as a Health Promoting School, has a silver Enterprise Award and six Green Flags through the Eco School Awards system. The school has also been recognised as a Bird Friendly School.

VISITS OF PROSPECTIVE PARENTS

Prospective parents can contact the School Office and request an appointment to come and visit the school/nursery and meet with the Head Teacher. During this visit you will get a tour of the school/nursery and have an opportunity to ask any questions and discuss any particular needs for your child(ren).