Knightswood Secondary School
Encyclopedia
Knightswood Secondary School or KSS is a secondary school
located in Knightswood
in the west-end of Glasgow
, Scotland
.
The school is one of the city's largest secondaries with a roll of approximately 1500 pupils. KSS is co-educational, non-selective and non-denominational, and provides education for pupils of varying backgrounds. KSS also contains the dance school of Scotland. The pupils of the dance school take part in academic classes with pupils of the secondary school itself, though usually are required to take a lighter academic workload due to dance training. The head-teacher is Kay Duffus.
Guidance (known as pastoral care) teachers are assigned by registration classes (see below). There are typically twelve guidance counselors in one school year.
Each department has a department head, who is responsible for organizing the teaching programmes and class allocations of the teacher in that department.
Most subjects have classes in the size of 20 to 30 pupils. For first to fourth years, classes will be named by year and a set letter (i.e. 1A, 3D, 2C) The order of classes does not bear any relation to the skill of the pupils in those groups. In fifth and six year, due to subject choices, classes change with every period, and naming them is not necessary.
. Designed in 1938, it was not built until the 1950s, being opened on 10 October 1958 by John Maclay, Secretary of State for Scotland. It is now protected as a category B listed building.
KSS contains four floors, as well as three annexes. Departments are contained as follows:
The crush hall is a social area containing students' lockers. It is given its name for the "crush" of students it is able to contain during rain or other conditions that would cause students to be unable to remain outside during breaks.
The drama studio, with separate performance and audience areas, extends to two floors.
The dance department provides dance instruction for mainstream students, and not students of the dance school of Scotland.
Due to lack of space certain English and home economics rooms also double as drama rooms, with classes rotating which room they are in.
Home economics covers the subjects of food and textile technology.
Modern studies is most closely compared to politics, or recent history.
in Melbourne, Australia.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in Knightswood
Knightswood
Knightswood is a suburban district in Glasgow, containing 4 areas: Knightswood North or High Knightswood, Knightswood South or Low Knightswood, Knightswood Park and Blairdardie. It has a golf course and park, and good transport links with the rest of the city. Garscadden and Scotstounhill railway...
in the west-end of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The school is one of the city's largest secondaries with a roll of approximately 1500 pupils. KSS is co-educational, non-selective and non-denominational, and provides education for pupils of varying backgrounds. KSS also contains the dance school of Scotland. The pupils of the dance school take part in academic classes with pupils of the secondary school itself, though usually are required to take a lighter academic workload due to dance training. The head-teacher is Kay Duffus.
Management
As well as a headteacher and deputy headteacher, each school year has an assistant head teacher, who is able to have a more personal contact with students. The offices of the headteacher, deputy head and assistant heads are all held in one corridor.Guidance (known as pastoral care) teachers are assigned by registration classes (see below). There are typically twelve guidance counselors in one school year.
Each department has a department head, who is responsible for organizing the teaching programmes and class allocations of the teacher in that department.
Classes and timings
Classes normally consist of seven periods on Monday and Tuesday lasting fifty minutes each and six periods lasting the same amount of time for the rest of the week. Between second and third period there is a 10-minute break, and between fourth and fifth is a 40-minute break for lunch. In addition, a 10-minute registration class allows attendance to be recorded, and any housekeeping tasks such as uniform checks or letters home to be attended to.Most subjects have classes in the size of 20 to 30 pupils. For first to fourth years, classes will be named by year and a set letter (i.e. 1A, 3D, 2C) The order of classes does not bear any relation to the skill of the pupils in those groups. In fifth and six year, due to subject choices, classes change with every period, and naming them is not necessary.
Layout and structure
KSS was the first school designed by the modernist architects Gillespie, Kidd & CoiaGillespie, Kidd & Coia
Gillespie, Kidd & Coia were a Scottish architectural firm famous for their application of modernism in churches and universities, as well as at St Peter's Seminary in Cardross. Though founded in 1927, it is for their work in the post-war period that they are best known...
. Designed in 1938, it was not built until the 1950s, being opened on 10 October 1958 by John Maclay, Secretary of State for Scotland. It is now protected as a category B listed building.
KSS contains four floors, as well as three annexes. Departments are contained as follows:
| Ground floor | First floor | Second floor | Third floor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facilities | Staff conference room Crush hall Dining hall Drama studio Guidance offices Offices Toilets |
Assembly hall Drama studio Staff rooms |
Computer suite Staff rooms |
None |
| Departments | Chemistry Design Drama English Technical Studies |
Biology Dance Drama English History Home economics Modern studies Music Physics |
Art Computing Mathematics |
French Geography Religious education |
The crush hall is a social area containing students' lockers. It is given its name for the "crush" of students it is able to contain during rain or other conditions that would cause students to be unable to remain outside during breaks.
The drama studio, with separate performance and audience areas, extends to two floors.
The dance department provides dance instruction for mainstream students, and not students of the dance school of Scotland.
Due to lack of space certain English and home economics rooms also double as drama rooms, with classes rotating which room they are in.
Home economics covers the subjects of food and textile technology.
Modern studies is most closely compared to politics, or recent history.
International exchange program
Knightswood has a student exchange program with dancers from the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary SchoolVictorian College of the Arts Secondary School
Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School , is a state government selective school in Victoria, Australia; a leading school and trainer of talented young dancers and musicians. Located in Southbank, within the Melbourne Arts Precinct, VCASS teaches students from Year 7 to 12...
in Melbourne, Australia.
Notable alumni
- William SweeneyWilliam Sweeney (composer)-Biography:Born in Glasgow, he attended Knightswood Secondary School. He studied the clarinet and composition at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama from 1967 to 1970, and at the Royal Academy of Music from 1970 to 1973, where his teachers included Alan Hacker and Harrison Birtwistle. He...
, composer. - Alan RoughAlan RoughAlan Roderick Rough is a former Scottish international goalkeeper, who won over 50 caps and played in two FIFA World Cups...
, football goalkeeper. - Jamie MurphyJamie Murphy (footballer born 1989)James "Jamie" Murphy is a Scottish association footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Motherwell.-Club career:Before joining Motherwell's U13's team, Jamie played for Westwood Rovers, Drumchapel Thistle, Clyde...
, football player. - John FleckJohn Fleck (footballer)John Alan Fleck is a Scottish association footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Scottish Premier League side Rangers.-Club career:Fleck began his career in the Rangers youth teams...
, football player.