Lomond School Prospectus

Prospectus

Welcome from the Principal

At Lomond School our number one priority is the happiness and fulfilment of our pupils; ensuring that they thrive more here than they would anywhere else. We achieve this by knowing our pupils as individuals, and supporting them side by side as they navigate their own unique journey: academically, emotionally and socially. We find that our pupils leave Lomond School having achieved more than they ever believed possible: ready to take on the world.

As an independent school we have the autonomy to make decisions about the curriculum and approaches to learning that are right for our pupils, and with exceptional resources, we deliver excellent academic results across all stages of the school. We have an exemplary track record of academic attainment, but that is only a part of what we offer.

I believe that the purpose of education should be to develop the whole child; and we do this by ensuring that learning extends beyond the classroom, through a variety of clubs, activities, experiences and trips. What makes me feel both proud and privileged to have the role I do, is when I see our young people learning new skills and growing in confidence, as they conquer new challenges and grow from small children into wonderful young adults, ready to embrace their lives beyond school.

As a school, we seamlessly blend the old with the new. Clarendon, our beautifully restored period mansion, combines modern technology and cutting edge teaching methodology, alongside a physical reminder of what makes Helensburgh a place of such cultural and historical significance. Indeed, modern facilities with a comfortable feel is

a common theme throughout the school, including a purpose built sports complex, well equipped classrooms and a welcoming and homely boarding house. Our prime location in the leafy town of Helensburgh, nestled between the banks of the River Clyde and majestic Loch Lomond, allows us to offer a huge range of outdoor extra-curricular activities and enables our pupils to enjoy a particular emphasis on outdoor education.

Johanna Urquhart Principal

Curiosity

We teach our pupils the importance of having an inquisitive and enquiring mind. They enjoy using critical and creative thinking when examining complex problems and can work both independently and within teams. As a result, our young people develop a love of learning which continues throughout their lives.

Integrity

Our pupils take responsibility for their own actions with respect to themselves, their interactions with the school and the wider community and the local and global environment. They are encouraged to take on areas of responsibility and leadership opportunities throughout their school career. Our young people act with integrity and understand the importance of making balanced, reasoned and ethical decisions throughout their lives.

Determination

Our pupils understand the correlation between hard work, determination, commitment and reward. They demonstrate these qualities in both their academic and personal lives and they continue to persevere in the face of challenge or adversity. In addition, our young people understand the importance of honouring the commitments they have made.

Ethos and Values

It is essential to ensure that our pupils are thriving, not only in their academic work but in their happiness and wellbeing. Through our values we aim to promote fulfilment by helping our pupils to build self-worth, and to nurture and develop qualities that will see them develop into well-rounded individuals with a positive outlook on life.

Our ethos and values are a reflection of the school that we aspire to be and are the foundation of every decision made within Lomond School.

Compassion

Our pupils understand the importance of empathy, compassion, tolerance and respect. They value the importance of understanding other people, other cultures and the natural environment. They are committed to making a positive difference in the lives of others and the world around them.

Courage

Our pupils are encouraged to challenge themselves to step beyond their comfort zone and be all that they can be. They understand that the greatest rewards do not come from taking the safe or easy route. With support they understand that challenge or failure is not something to be afraid of - it is an opportunity from which to learn and grow.

Self-Awareness

Our pupils reflect on their strengths and weaknesses in order to continue to grow and develop as individuals both academically and personally. They learn from their own experiences, actions and mistakes and from those of other people and society in general.

Our Values are underpinned by six Guiding Principles which are delivered throughout our curriculum and co-curriculum: – Service, Leadership, Adventure, Environmentalism, Lifelong Learning, and Internationalism.

Service

Our pupils discover how they can make a positive change to the world in which we live, both in the local community and further afield.

Leadership

We deliver many opportunities and experiences to develop strong leadership skills and help our pupils to realise that true leadership is about personal responsibility, compassion and integrity.

Adventure

We offer a rich programme of events and activities which fosters a spirit for adventure and provides opportunities for our pupils to discover that they are capable of achieving amazing things.

Environmentalism

We have a strong commitment to outdoor learning throughout the school and we teach our children to appreciate and respect their natural environment.

Lifelong Learning

We encourage a love of learning and build the skills to help pupils realise the benefits of continued self improvement and development.

Internationalism

Our pupils learn to be global citizens and appreciate cultural diversity.

“Our trip to Slovenia was an amazing experience. We got to meet and work with local people and learn about the country and their culture, as well as helping towards the preservation of the vast forestry there. The work has given me a much better appreciation of the efforts needed to maintain these ecosystems and how important they are to the environment.”

Daniel L, Senior 6

Location and Facilities

Lomond School is a co-educational independent school for children aged 3 - 18 years situated in Helensburgh. Whether they have lived locally all their lives, or have joined us as international boarders, our young people know how lucky they are to live in a small, safe, coastal town, only ten minutes from Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Our location makes

us different and our young people thrive in this environment, which opens the door to new experiences, skills, and talents to be explored.

Pupils also benefit from great transport links; with only 30 minutes’ travel to Glasgow International Airport and direct trains from Helensburgh to Glasgow, Edinburgh, and the West Highlands.

Our infrastructure boasts a mix of modern, purpose-built structures and characterful listed buildings, which make for an inspirational setting for our young people. We continually invest in our facilities and take a cutting edge approach to every new project we initiate.

Lomond School is positioned in the elegant suburbs of Helensburgh. A superb quality of life can be enjoyed here in a beautiful and safe environment.

Academics

Throughout Nursery, Junior and Senior School, we are dedicated to delivering a wide and varied academic curriculum. We constantly review the subjects on offer and have introduced the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and IB Career-related Programme with an HNC in Business for pupils in Senior 5, in addition to the existing SQA courses.

Inquiry based learning is embedded in our curriculum for all pupils from Nursery to Senior 6. This approach to learning fosters curiosity and

encourages our young people to ask more questions and to think critically about what they know and how they know it. The personal nature of inquiry encourages learning beyond mere memorisation of facts in order to pass tests. Instead, our pupils make real world connections and explore topics more deeply - fostering curiosity and a love of learning that stays with them for life.

Our teachers are experts in their field and show an enthusiasm for their subject which goes beyond the classroom, ensuring that the

core curriculum is supplemented by exciting after-school projects, clubs and trips. As a non-selective school, our aim is to nurture high achievement by offering support , rigour and flexibility. Our academic results - which are consistently around three times higher than the national average - demonstrate our ability to help our young people achieve their very best.

Our aim is to ensure that our school leavers are good communicators with open, enquiring minds who possess strong transferable skills in leadership, teamwork and independent thinking.

The Arts

Our art and design, music and drama departments are vibrant and exciting spaces where all our pupils can freely develop creativity, confidence and self-expression.

Our pupils receive lessons in art, music and drama, from enthusiastic subject specialists. We encourage all pupils to engage in expressive learning opportunities at Lomond, whether that’s supporting them in lessons, or in extra-curricular clubs throughout the school. Collaboration across the Arts is frequent, and our pupils have many opportunities to work together as part of a team to showcase their talents and express their creativity and imagination.

At Lomond we believe that the opportunity to perform, whether it be individually or as part of a group, plays a key role in the development of our young people, building confidence and resilience beyond the classroom.

Sport

At Lomond School, sport delivers more than health and wellbeing alone. It teaches values and life lessons that our pupils will take with them through their school life and beyond. In addition, sports at Lomond School builds character traits such as determination, commitment and ambition that inevitably contribute to academic achievement. We believe that sport is for all and our stunning sports complex is equipped to host a wide range of activities. Whether pupils are learning something new, or are at the top of their game in their chosen sport, our facilities and energetic P.E. Department ensures they can enjoy and take full advantage of our fantastic facilities.

The building features a 884m2 multipurpose games hall, fitness suite, climbing wall, dance studio and excellent facilities to support the hosting of team games. The sports complex also includes a fully

floodlit astro-turf pitch and several rugby fields. Lessons in sport start from pre-school onwards and senior team sports are played every weekend against both state and independent schools. Our core team sports are rugby, hockey, netball and cricket but our pupils are actively involved in many other sports both competitively and for fun.

Lomond School’s P.E.

Department promotes participation in sport through team games, individual sports and outdoor education, with a sport for all policy.

Extra-Curricular and Outdoor Education

The opportunities for extra-curricular activities are endless and our young people can be regularly found sailing, climbing, canoeing, skiing, trampolining, debating, baking, launching rockets, camping, performing, competing and quite simply, having a great deal of fun!

We offer a rich programme of activities, including clubs, societies, trips and expeditions. All of these are key to the personal development of our young people and engender self-confidence, great teamwork, leadership skills and a sense of responsibility. Moreover, they offer an

opportunity for fun, adventure and exploration of new skills and talents.

Our location means that there is a particular emphasis on outdoor pursuits and learning. Outdoor education is part of the curriculum for pupils from Nursery with our Forest Kindergarten. As pupils progress through the School, they receive curricular lessons in bushcraft, canoeing, climbing, skiing and sailing. In the Senior School, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is, without doubt, a significant feature, and we have enjoyed great success carrying out expeditions both

locally and abroad. Many of our trips and excursions revolve around our passion for the outdoors and have included trekking in Morocco, canoeing in Norway and skiing in Austria. We also build many cultural and educational trips into the school year, with visits to Paris, Sicily, Belgium, Croatia and our bi-annual expeditions to destinations such as Cambodia and Tanzania. We support and encourage our pupils to make the most of the opportunities available, recognising both the immediate and long-term benefits of the personal development these experiences and activities can offer.

A wide range of trips and expeditions are offered each year. These range from both local to international trips and cater for a variety of ages and interests.

Community and Environment

Our community is friendly and diverse and our new pupils settle into Lomond School life well, quickly feeling at home. Our older pupils take their responsibility as role models seriously and volunteer at clubs and in the classroom, getting to know our younger pupils, and being there to look out for them as they move up through the school.

Our highly qualified and experienced pastoral team are responsible for creating a nurturing and supportive environment for every pupil. The health and wellbeing of our young people is their top priority and, as a small school, our teachers and staff know pupils well and quickly identify and deal with problems if they arise.

We value the importance of communication and ensure that these lines are open to pupils, parents, teachers and staff. On visiting, we are certain that you will experience the warm nature of our community and be assured by the high level of care and supervision achieved at Lomond School.

Our experienced pastoral care team ensure the welfare and onward progression of all our pupils.

Boarding

Our boarding provision adds a distinctive dimension to the school; the mix of cultures and backgrounds enriches our curriculum and cocurriculum, supporting all of our pupils to develop their global awareness and understanding.

Lomond School features modern co-educational boarding for around 60 young people from age 9 upwards. Purpose-built in 2003, Burnbrae offers modern living accommodation with several twin or single rooms and ensuite bathrooms, as well as bright social areas, a gymnasium, and well-kept gardens with access to an astro-turf area.

There is a distinctive feel of happiness and vibrancy when you visit Burnbrae. Each young person receives excellent pastoral care

with a high adult to pupil ratio. Our teaching staff provide academic support for pupils throughout the week supporting them in their daily prep sessions. The Lomond School ethos supports a healthy and active lifestyle and boarders are never stuck for things to do. At weekends, many will join in team sports or extra-curricular clubs and also take the opportunity to participate in organised activities, which range from cinema trips to theatre outings, outdoor education and residential experiences.

While the majority of our boarders live in the house full-time, we also have a small contingent of weekly boarders from the wider Glasgow area and West Highlands and Islands who live in the house during the week and return home at the

weekend with transport to and from school to Oban and points en-route available.

Boarding life is busy and rewarding. Boarders play a full part in the life of the school and are involved in curricular and extra-curricular activities such as sport, music, drama and expeditions.

Admissions

One of the best ways to get a feel for Lomond School is to visit us. We welcome families to tour the school and meet with key staff, teachers and pupils throughout the year. Prospective pupils can also benefit from experiencing Lomond School life by spending a day in classes or a night in the boarding house.

We are a non-selective school; tests are carried out to assess a pupil’s ability to access the curriculum and determine class sets.

Our Admissions team are on hand to help guide you from your initial enquiry to submitting your application and arriving at Lomond School.

Enquiries should be directed to the Registrar at: admissions@lomondschool.com or by telephone on 01436 672476.