Bertha Park High School

Bertha Park High School is a non-denominational state comprehensive secondary school in Perth, Scotland.

Bertha Park High School
Address
Adamson Avenue

Perth
,
Perth and Kinross
,
PH1 0AU

Scotland
Coordinates56°25′21″N 03°29′06″W
Information
School typeState school, High school
Founded2019
StatusCurrently Active
Local authorityPerth and Kinross Council
Head teacherStuart Clyde
Education systemSecondary education
LanguageEnglish
Hours in school day3 hours 45 minutes
Feeder schoolsAuchtergaven Primary, Dunbarney Primary, Forgandenny Primary, Logiealmond Primary, Methven Primary, Pitcairn Primary, Ruthvenfield Primary[1]
Websitewww.berthaparkhigh.org.uk

Planning for the school began in 2013 when Perth and Kinross Council voted to accept Scottish Government funding for a new school in Perth. The school opened in 2019, and was the first new high school in Scotland since 2002.

The school has a focus on digital learning and is the only school in the UK to be part of Microsoft's Flagship Schools program.

History

Planning for a new school in Perth began in 2013 when Perth and Kinross Council voted to accept funding from the Scottish Government's Schools for the Future Programme.[2] In total the project would cost £32.5 million, with the Scottish Government providing £19.6 million.[3][4]

Construction work on Bertha Park High School started in December 2017. When opened it would be the first new high school in Scotland since Meldrum Academy in Aberdeenshire opened in 2002, and the first in Perth and Kinross since 1972,[3][5] with other new school buildings having been replacements for pre-existing ones.[6]

The School opened for classes in August 2019,[7] and this was followed by an official opening on 16 January 2020 where Scottish Education Secretary and local MSP John Swinney unveiled an official plaque to commemorate the event.[8] Its first and current Headmaster is Mr Stuart Clyde.[1][7]

Grounds and facilities

Located on the northern outskirts of Perth the school building is arranged on a north–south axis, with the northern end of the building designed to put learning on show with a taller, highly glazed frontage. In contrast, the rear of the building is lower and backs on to a south-facing playground, in turn, linked to the neighbouring residential area.[6][9]

Upon opening the school facilities included a sports hall, multi-use games hall, gym, synthetic sports pitches, and an amphitheatre.[6][8]

Curriculum and teaching

As a state school in Scotland, Bertha Park teaches the Curriculum for Excellence, as set out by the Scottish Government.[10]

The school is unusual in the local area as only teaching four subjects a day, and has an emphasis on digital learning.[11] This was supported by the provision of iPads to all the students when the school opened, provided as part of a two-year research project by the University of the Highlands and Islands intended to study the effect of such devices being used within teaching and learning.[12] The local council intends to use the results of this study to examine the benefits of this approach into the future. At the same time, students are required to lock their own phones in lockers during school hours, which the school says will improve their learning, with the content available via the iPads being restricted by the council and teachers being able to control their use in class.[12]

Awards and recognition

In September 2018 it was announced that the school would be one of the first 17 Microsoft Flagship Schools, where it is hoped schools will be able to innovate new ways of using technology in teaching. Bertha Park was the only school in the UK to be selected.[13]

In 2019 the school won the Scottish Transforming Learning Award.[14]

Citations
  1. Perth & Kinross Council 2020.
  2. Perth & Kinross Council 2017.
  3. Maher 2018.
  4. Scottish Construction Now 2020.
  5. Seith 2019.
  6. Scottish Construction Now 2019.
  7. Clark 2019b.
  8. Anderson 2020.
  9. Urban Realm 2019.
  10. The Good Schools Guide 2018.
  11. Clark 2019a.
  12. O'Sullivan 2019.
  13. Salcito 2018.
  14. RIBA 2020.

General sources
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