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Aberdeen is renowned for its success in science and engineering, and the curriculum here reflects that. Not wanting to put all his eggs in the science and engineering basket, Mr Horsman also wants to give Dundee (a city where the creative industries flourish) a run for its money, by creating a niche in the creative arts. Incorporates the Total French School, with its own head. Not as sporty as its main local competitor but knocks it out of the park with its focus on...

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What the school says...

Albyn School is an independent day school for girls and boys aged 2-18 located in the heart of Aberdeen's West End with its playing fields at Milltimber. It comprises a nursery for children aged 2-5, a Lower (Junior) School for pupils aged 5-12 and an Upper (Senior) School for pupils aged 12-18.

It currently follows the Scottish system of education with Upper School pupils being entered for National 5 examinations (equivalent to GCSEs); Highers (equivalent to AS Levels) and Advanced Highers equivalent to A Levels. Nearly all pupils exit to universities - mostly in Scotland but also around the UK and abroad. While serving longstanding families within Aberdeen in recent decades the School has proved popular with parents who work in the oil and gas industries and the financial and engineering firms that support this sector.

Outside the classroom, the School offers a broad range of sporting and co-curricular activities. Major sports include athletics, football, hockey, netball, rowing and skiing. Large numbers are also involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and Music with the School having numerous choral and orchestral groups.

The School is fortunate to be situated in a city and region that offers a very high quality of life to families moving into the area. Aberdeen is Scotlands third largest city, dominated by energy related industries with two world renowned universities. It has a diverse musical and cultural heritage centred on its theatres, cinemas, art gallery and Music Hall. The city also has over 800 shops and restaurants, including all the most familiar high street names. To the west of Aberdeen, the Cairngorms National Park is an area of outstanding natural beauty that draws in walkers, climbers and skiers. Within a short distance of the city, there are empty beaches, picturesque fishing villages and dramatic cliff top scenery.
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Other features

All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.

Sports

Unusual sports

What The Good Schools Guide says

Headmaster

Since April 2021, Stefan Horsman, previously deputy head at Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen. Studied geography at Oxford, followed by a PGCE at Cambridge. Planned gap year teaching in Malawi was a formative experience. Previous teaching posts at Portsmouth Grammar School, Latymer Upper School and Cheadle Hulme School as head of geography.

At ease with our one-to-one, he told of his own educational journey at a state primary school and then Bolton School, where he received bursary support and is still an ambassador. With a strong social conscience, an area close to his heart is widening access to the school. Building on the school’s heritage as an all-girls’ school to promote the advancement of women in the 1900s, future plans include reaching out to disadvantaged groups in poorer parts of Aberdeen...

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Special Education Needs

09-09

Condition Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Aspergers Y
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders
CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia
Dyscalculia
Dysgraphia
Dyslexia
Dyspraxia
English as an additional language (EAL)
Genetic
Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory
Has SEN unit or class Y
HI - Hearing Impairment
Hospital School
Mental health
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Natspec Specialist Colleges
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Special facilities for Visually Impaired
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
VI - Visual Impairment

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