Kelvinside Academy Private School

• Location: Glasgow, Scotland
• Age of students: from 3 to 18 years old,
• Type of study: blended,
• Language of instruction: English.

Kelvinside Academy is an independent day school in Glasgow, founded in 1878. It has more than 600 pupils and covers two years of kindergarten, six years of junior school (primary school), a transition year for senior preparatory classes and six years for senior years (secondary school) — a total of fifteen years of schooling. Kelvinside was founded as a private school and remained so until the late 1940s, when in 1985 the academy regained its status as a private institution. Previously, the school was for boys only, but in 1998 it became fully co-educational.

The school curriculum is in line with the Scottish Continuing Education Programme, including PSHE, French and Spanish. PSHE stands for personal, social, and health education. In addition to developing skills through cross-curricular social studies and science/STEM projects, the school develops age-appropriate innovative projects based on its pedagogy and NuVu facilities. The School of Innovation approach is available to everyone from J1 through S6. This part of the curriculum uses an architecture studio model, with real-world challenges and collaborative problem-solving in place of traditional exams. All students, from J1 onwards, have a dedicated iPad to facilitate learning. The school offers each student 5 to 10 different extracurricular academic activities or hobby groups.

Senior Prep students move into their own area of Senior School, with a class teacher and dedicated classrooms. That teacher teaches math, English, and social disciplines. Specialists teach:

• Science,
• Information technology,
• Innovation,
• Modern languages,
• Art,
• Music,
• Religious, moral and philosophical studies,
• Physical education.

The transition emphasizes independent studying and time management. Teachers work with the senior student support team, sharing information about academic progress and support needs.

In S6, students can take Advanced Higher courses conducted as workshops that introduce university-style education. Foundation Apprenticeship classes fit around the school timetable and take place two days a week. The Minerva Award for S6 requires a minimum academic commitment. Students earn points for academic and extracurricular activities throughout the year.

The weekly PSE & UCAS program for S6 supports applications through the UK university admissions system. A designated staff member prepares the student's reference. Sessions also provide information on vocational preparation, gap years, budgeting, study skills, entrepreneurship, and leadership. During after-school care, children can do their homework with help from a classroom assistant. Staff are trained in first aid, child protection, and behavior management.

Young Enterprise participants explore market research, finance, sales, production or service provision, customer service, and human resources with support from a volunteer business advisor.

Kelvinside Academy is divided into 4 divisions:

• Nursery: ages 3–5,
• Junior School: ages 5–11,
• Senior Prep: a transition year equivalent to Primary 7 that prepares students for Senior 1,
• Senior School: ages 11–18.

The academy is also affiliated with Green Forest Nursery, which accepts children ages 1–5.

The curriculum follows the Scottish qualifications system. Senior School students prepare for Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) exams. Senior Prep through S2 forms a three-year introduction to a broad range of disciplines. Those in S5 and S6 can choose one- or two-year Foundation Apprenticeship courses at college.

Young Enterprise participants can take an exam conducted in partnership with Strathclyde Business School.

Kelvinside Academy runs camps during the Easter, summer, and October breaks, open to children from any school:

• Sports Camps: ages 5–14,
• Expressive Art Camps: creative projects and sewing skills,
• Adventure Camps: outdoor activities exploring Scotland’s hills, coastlines, islands, and other natural areas,
• Sewing camps run by partner Stitch the Gap for children ages 5 and up, at any experience level,
• A rugby camp for beginners and experienced players.

• The school's 1st XI field hockey teams won the Senior Scottish Schools Challenge Cup in 2022 and retained the title in 2023,
• The S3 team won the Junior Scottish Schools Challenge Cup in 2023,
• The school's 2022/23 field hockey captain played for Scotland U18 and received a field hockey scholarship to the University of Richmond in the United States,
• The Junior School charities committee raised funds for Guide Dogs for the Blind, funding the training of two guide dog puppies,
• Kelvinside Academy presented the aims of its School of Innovation at the Disruptive Innovation Festival.

Alumni include Scotland rugby players Scott Cummings and Richie Gray. Duncan Munn, a Glasgow Warriors player, captained Scotland U20 in 2023.

Lorne Crerar left Kelvinside Academy in 1972 and graduated from Glasgow University in 1976 as the top law student in his year. He is a founding partner and chairman of Harper Macleod and chairman of the Scottish Rugby Union. He received a CBE in 2019 for economic and community development in Scotland and officiated at four World Cups and the Rio Olympics.

There is a well-established system of education that divides all students into four different faculties (Houses), each of which is represented by a color:

• Red - Stewart House,
• Yellow - Buchanan House,
• Green - MacGregor House,
• Blue - Colquhoun.

• The Kelvinside Academical Club lottery raises money to support future students. The school receives 100% of the funds raised,
• A substantial part of the school archives, including whole-school photographs, has been digitized,
• Students who leave after S4, S5, or S6 automatically become members of the Kelvinside Academical Club,
• S6 graduates attend a ball in the summer term after Prize Giving, where they receive gifts from the alumni club,
• The alumni community holds regular gatherings, publishes newsletters, and maintains international connections. The Development Office helps organize class reunions,
• Speakers at community business breakfasts have included Laura Kuenssberg, Colin Neill, Gareth Gaston, John Boyle, Peter C Brown, and Lorraine Davidson,
• One annual alumni dinner brought together more than 230 former students from the classes of 1964–2024.

In September 2019, Kelvinside Academy opened Scotland’s School of Innovation, the first of its kind in the UK.

Kelvinside Academy provides full-time education only.

All J1-SP students are required to attend school lunch. Only SP students have access to the school snack bar during breaks and lunchtime. All students in grades S1-S6 can choose school lunches, and there is a school café (snack bar). Students in grades S5 and S6 are allowed to leave the school grounds at lunchtime.

Kelvinside Academy has a Breakfast Club and an After-School Club, which offer breakfast from 8:00 a.m. and after-school supervision until 6:00 p.m.

School life at the academy is full of adventures and unforgettable activities! At least one week a year, students leave their textbooks behind and go on a trip to the Highland Wilderness Campus, where they can go rock climbing, gorge walking, hiking, mountain biking and more.

Kelvinside Academy pupils have access to various clubs:

• Chess Club,
• Judo,
• Hockey,
• Soccer,
• Photo Club,
• Athletics,
• Handball,
• Rugby,
• Gardening Club,
• Lego Club,
• Art Club,
• Tennis,
• Ecoclub,
• Science Club,
• Chorus,
• Orchestra,
• Theater Club.

Senior School students can also take part in:

• Basketball,
• Debate,
• Electronics,
• Workshop activities,
• A folk ensemble,
• Sound production,
• Rhythm & Soul,
• Film,
• Charity fundraising.

Junior School activities include modern dance, debate, Minecraft, creative writing, cross-country running, Bikeability cycling training, and news filmmaking.

From Primary 2, children can sing in the choir or play in the guitar group or junior orchestra. Nearly all upper primary students represent the school in rugby, field hockey, or handball.

Through Young Enterprise, students set up and run their own company for an academic year. At the end, they liquidate the business and present a report and accounts to the YES Board. Teams pitch their projects in a Dragon’s Den format and compete for the title of Best Glasgow Company.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award has Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. Students usually start with Bronze in S3 and progress to Gold by S6. The expedition lasts two days at Bronze level and four at Gold. The other components are volunteering, skill development, and physical activity. Younger students can take part in Minerva Challenge, an age-appropriate award program supported by the school's patron, wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan.

The Combined Cadet Force has Royal Navy, Army, and RAF sections. Participation is compulsory in S3, and many students continue through S6. Activities include flying, sailing, camping, shooting, orienteering, and engineering challenges. In addition to weekly meetings, training camps and courses are available during school breaks and on weekends.

S6 students can join the captaincy team, become prefects or cadet leaders, help younger children, and take part in Volunteer Tutor Organisation and the fundraising committee. They can also join Mentors in Violence Prevention, a peer mentoring program focused on preventing violence and bullying. Students plan their own final-year expedition throughout the academic year.

Stitch the Gap camps offer weaving, knitting, and crocheting. Multisport sessions include soccer, netball, field hockey, capture the flag, and rounders, a bat-and-ball game. During after-school care, children take part in activities in the computer suites, multimedia room, playground, sports hall, or dining hall. Alumni and their families are invited to Balgray on Saturday mornings to watch school cricket, field hockey, and rugby matches.

• Small classes,
• Individualized education in Junior School, tailored to each child's needs, with an emphasis on critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving,
• The main nursery draws on Scandinavian models, with education through play and exploration,
• Preschoolers learn outdoors every day, even in the rain, and have weekly sessions in nearby woodland,
• At Green Forest Nursery, each child has a designated staff member who plans individual education through play. Outdoor activities run throughout the year,
• KA Camps programs are developed with input from the school's specialist teachers. Sessions are led by teaching staff and seasonal employees hired by the academy.

Kelvinside Academy is located in the Kelvinside area of north Glasgow, close to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens. James Sellars designed the main building, which has a Grecian facade with Thomsonesque details. The Modern Mall extension offers a spacious area that can be adapted for different uses. The school theater has 280 seats, a stage, and retractable seating. The sports hall accommodates 300 for a banquet or 450 in a theater layout with a stage.

As part of a commitment to transform the curriculum, Kelvinside Academy opened its Highland Wilderness Campus in May 2018. Located in the heart of Cairngorms, just two miles from the Lecht Ski Centre, the campus provides year-round access to mountains, forests and valleys. The building has been renovated to accommodate a large number of living spaces, cafes, restaurants and spacious public areas. The wildlife campus also boasts fishing equipment on a 3-mile stretch of the river. The school’s John Duff Lodge is in Strathdon in the Cairngorms.

In the summer of 2017, Kelvinside Academy acquired ownership of the 32-foot sailing yacht Level Best. Pupils can embark on learning sailing from the school's pier at James Watt Dock Marina in Greenock: a unique opportunity for every child to have a unique and memorable experience of cruising the waters of the River Clyde to the West Coast of Scotland.

The S6 center occupies a separate school building, Mackenzie House. It has areas for individual studying, meetings, small-group education, and relaxation, as well as a kitchen. Preschoolers at the main site have access to a large outdoor play area, all-weather sports pitches, playing fields, and wild gardens.

Green Forest Nursery occupies converted farm buildings in 10 acres of private woodland. Its enclosed garden has a pirate play ship, a sandbox, and a hobbit-house tunnel. The School of Innovation is the country's first sustainable building designed and built using circular resource use and eco-design principles. Balfour Beatty collaborated with Kelvinside Academy on the design of the School of Innovation.

The school’s Glasgow facilities and Highland Wilderness Campus are available for private, corporate, and community events. The sports pavilion and pitches at Balgray are available for hire Monday through Friday.

The academic year at Kelvinside Academy runs from September to June. The year is divided into 3 trimesters, between which vacations are organized:

• Autumn trimester (September – December),
• Christmas Vacation (2 weeks),
• Spring trimester (January – March),
• Easter holidays (2 weeks),
• Summer term (April – June),
• Summer holidays (2 months, July and August).

Additional costs:

• Textbooks for all subjects,
• Consumables for art and information technology,
• Entry fees and subscriptions,
• Accident and travel insurance,
• Excursions according to the school curriculum,
• Exams
• Uniforms and sports uniforms,
• Transport
• Extracurricular activities,
• Puff.

Kelvinside Academy is licensed to sponsor student visas (formerly known as the Tier 4 visa), giving international students the opportunity to join the school community from all over the world.

The admission process to Kelvinside Academy is quite simple and consists of several stages:

• Visit School. Kelvinside Academy recommends that candidates and their parents visit the school to get acquainted with it: this is an opportunity to inspect the territory and classrooms, get acquainted with the teachers and ask all the questions of interest,
• Sign up. Fill out the registration form and pay the non-refundable registration fee. The documents requested by the school must be attached to the application form,
• Attestation and trial day. These days, the child can take part in the educational process, get acquainted with the children and communicate with the teachers. Candidates for admission to high school are tested and participate in classes where their level of knowledge and socialization is assessed,
• Interview. Future high school students must be interviewed by the rector of Kelvinside Academy: this will be a short informal interview, during which the child will be asked to tell about himself, his achievements and personal qualities. This part of the process tends to appeal to students the most, as it gives them complete freedom to use their imagination and just be themselves,
• Confirmation of enrollment. Children are assessed on the basis of their performance on the day of assessment (or trial day) and during an interview with the rector, upon receipt of a satisfactory report from their current school. Upon successful completion of all procedures, the Admissions Committee will contact the candidate to officially offer them a place. The place is confirmed upon receipt of a completed Enrollment Agreement from the parents.

The Rector or Head of Junior School leads a personal tour, introducing the family to students and staff.

Today, more than 600 people study at Kelvinside Academy.

In 2020, Kelvinside Academy students' results in National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher significantly exceeded national averages across all three qualifications.

Certification is a mandatory requirement when applying to Kelvinside Academy. Each age group has its own entrance exams:

• Kindergarten. With the help of play activities, the child's interaction with peers and adults is assessed. Children can start on their third birthday,
• Junior School. Certification is organized in small groups, where teachers observe the child through a game form and interactive tasks. Communication with peers, language development, listening skills and concentration are evaluated,
• High School. The child will be invited to the Assessment Day: during the day, the child will be tested and take part in scientific experiments, sports and group activities. After that, an interview with the Rector of the Academy will be organized,
• KA Camps: participants must be ages 5–16, depending on the program. A completed form with medical information and permissions is required.

Kelvinside Academy strongly believes that a talented child should have the opportunity to pursue higher education and all the benefits and opportunities it provides.

Candidates for admission to Kelvinside Academy High School can apply for a scholarship with a family financial check. Payouts will be determined based on the results that the candidate shows throughout the admissions process. Scholarships are awarded on an annual basis to prospective students and newcomers who cannot afford full tuition fees. Such students will go through the normal enrollment process, in addition, parents/guardians will be required to complete a scholarship application form with details of their financial situation.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision