Our Secondary Departments’ delivers education to S1-S4 pupils. Our catchment area is the island of Yell. The geographical spread of our pupils is wide and the isles has a Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 2020 1st Decile, this makes the social aspects of our school a key role for pupil, staff and community and presents challenges to attendance at after school events. Where possible we like to support out learners through the use of our local environment and appropriate technology.
We work hard (along with partners eg SDS) to ensure all our pupils leave Mid Yell Junior High School with a positive destination. On completion of S4 our pupils continue their S5/6 learning pathway by transferring to Anderson High School, Lerwick or Brae High School or Shetland College or take up an apprenticeship.
At the heart of our curriculum rationale is delivering Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes along with developing our learners four capacities of successful learners, responsible citizens, confident individuals and effective contributors.
We have developed and will deliver our curriculum through the ethos and life of the school using the following are curricular guidelines:
- a broad general education (BGE) from S1-S3 with personalisation and choice
- a senior phase (S4) leads students to achieve success in portfolio of National qualifications
- maximise the range and progression of opportunities offered in the curriculum, given the constraints staffing and resources for a school of this size.
What make us unique?
- We provide each of our secondary pupils with an iPad for their learning
- Every term Parent Information Sheets are shared to support Parent Engagement
- Our secondary department is mostly single teacher departments
- Secondary 1 & 2 classes combine for Wider Achievement activities (mix of compulsory and choice activities).
- We offer the Saltire Award (Volunteering) scheme support for pupils 12+ years
- We offer the Duke of Edinburgh Award to interested 14+ years
- We offer Seasons for Growth – change and loss programme to all S1 pupils
- We have strong links with the French school “College Le Dimitile”, Reunion Island
- We have a Confucius Classroom delivering our L3 (Manadrin Chinese) to S1/2 classes
- We have a school librarian who supports our literacy
- We offer lunchtime and after school activities to our pupils during the year
- We value outdoor learning – John Muir Awards
- We are lucky with our local environment and our a biodiverse school grounds including small forest type ecosystem, cycle paths, school garden, 2 polycrubs
- We encourage all pupils to participate in Fit15 each day
- We have a well planned transition programme supporting P7/S1 transitions
- S1-3 complete termly pupil profiles reflecting on and celebrating their learning successes
- We encourage S4 pupils to be responsible for engaging with their National qualifications learning journey through My Ambitions/My Progress monitoring sheets
- We promote a Growth Mindset with a monthly focus
- We embed a Nurturing ethos – understanding that all behaviour is communication
- We have a House system allocating points for merits, competitions, Fit-15 laps
- We have a part-time Youth Development Officer that works within our school
- We have strong community links – leisure centre, Halls, Old Haa, knitters, Cooke Aquaculture
