Staff Involvement

Staff at the Prep and Senior Schools continue to contribute to Scottish education as follows:

• Dr Rebecca Sowden,  Head of Chemistry, serves on the Committees for Chemistry Education Division Scotland, the British Science Association West Scotland Branch, and is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Ambassador. In the summer of 2011 she gained funding from the Royal Society of Chemistry to run a 'Science4Survival' collapsed timetable day at Whitehill Secondary. Dr Sowden is also Teacher Co-ordinator for the Royal Academy of Engineering Connecting Teachers project. This involves running CPD events for teachers in the Network each term and supporting these schools in running events, in particular collapsed timetable days. She has also worked with the London Science Museum developing teaching resources based on Climate Change, and has a Global Partnership with the Sasol Science Education Center in Johannesburg. Her colleague, Mrs Christine Hunter is Vice Chairman of the Parent Council for Chapelhall Primary School and has been involved in the Head and Assistant Head interviews.
  
  
• Miss Rhona Simpson, Director of Sport, is one of two Scottish Athlete Mentors with the Youth Sport Trust, responsible for talking to and inspiring children in Scottish Schools. She is also a Board member of Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and Chair for the Athletes' Advisory Committee Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
  
  
• Mr Andy McKellar, Head of Classics, serves on the SQA Qualification Design Team for Classical Studies, the SQA Subject Working Group for Classical Studies and Latin, is an SQA Item Writer for Classical Studies, and is a committee member of the Classical Association of Scotland where he is Council Member / Rep for schools. He is also the Classical Studies QDT & SWG & Item Writer (National 5). He also attends SQA QDT meetings and has agreed to on-going commitment to this capacity in the development of Advanced Higher. Also Latin SWG, Access 2 English and Communication SWG. He is a Classical Association of Scotland (CAS) Council member/rep for Scottish Schools and also serves on the Gilbert Murray Essay Competition committee where he sets and marks a classical essay competition open to all schools in Scotland.
  
  
• Mrs Linda Moon, Head of Maths, serves as an Associate Assessor for Education Scotland, formerly Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIe). She is also the Principal Assessor for Higher Mathematics and an SQA Advanced Higher Examiner, Setter and Marker as well as being part of the SQA Qualifications Design Team for Maths and Numeracy at all levels and the SQA Subject Working Group for Maths and Numeracy at all levels. Mr Richmond is an SQA Advanced Higher Mechanics Setter and Marker and a Higher Marker and will be Principal Assessor for Higher Mathematics from 2016. Mrs Pam Ruddock is an SQA Intermediate Examiner, Setter and Marker. Mrs Moon is SCIS representative on Mathematics Advisory Group Scotland (MAGS), and is a member and Fellow of the Scottish Branch of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. Mrs Moon, Mr Pete Richmond and Mrs Ruddock also contribute and\or present at Scottish Maths Council and Mathematical Association Conferences. Mrs Moon, Mr Richmond and Dr A. Potter are Voluntary Markers for the Scottish Mathematical Challenge while Mrs Moon and Mr Richmond are Voluntary Markers for the UKMT Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad. The Maths department also takes in Maths Students each year as part of the University of Glasgow's Ambassadors Scheme.
  
  
• Mr Jim Shields, Head of Biology, serves as an SQA Biotechnology Joint Setter and Principal Assessor. 
  
  
• Mr Tom Menzies, serves as an SQA Biology Examiner.
                   
• Mr Simon Wood, Head of History and Modern Studies, serves as an SQA History Joint Setter and Principal Assessor of Higher History.  This means that he is in charge of generating the examination paper, quality assurance and standardisation of said paper, with relevant marking scheme, with a verification team, delivery of the examination, training of markers, quality assurance of marker performance, grade boundary and finalisation procedures as well as production of an annual report. As part of his duties as PA he develops the qualification in terms of alterations in light of experience. He also provides training/CPD for teachers as and when required by SQA. He is also involved in the development of national qualifications and has been seconded onto work groups for the development of the new National Qualifications, specifically National 5 and National 6, working closely with the Development Officers in this procedure. He also delivers CPD to teachers through a training programme developed by himself and  John Kerr, through Philip Allan Unwin. Mr Wood also writes textbooks for educational purposes: two individually [one is a national award winner for TESScotland/Scottish Saltire Society] and three co-authored.  Of his colleagues, Ms Fiona Calder is an SQA Advanced Higher Modern Studies Marker, and Ms Jan Fulton marks Advanced Higher History dissertations and scripts.
  
  
• Mrs Janet McDonald, Head of Computing, serves as an SQA Computing Marker, as does her colleague Mr Martin McGranaghan.
  
  
• Mrs Elaine Holland, Head of Modern Languages, marks Standard Grade Spanish Writing Folios and Standard Grade Spanish General and Credit Listening papers for SQA. Her colleague, Mrs Catherine McMahon serves as an SQA Setter, Marker and Visiting Examiner for Advanced Higher Spanish and is a Marker of the Spanish B Exam for the International Baccalaureate in Cardiff. Another colleague of Mrs Holland, Mrs Claire Blair, is a Standard Grade Marker of French Credit and General Listening and French Folio Writing, while Miss Jillian Cuthbert is an SQA Marker of Standard Grade Spanish Writing Folio and Standard Grade Spanish Credit General Listening.
  
  
• Mr Brendan Farrelly, Assistant Rector, is an SQA Senior Examiner for Higher and Intermediate 2 Economics, the Principal Assessor for National 5 Economics, a Joint Setter and Examiner for Standard Grade Economics, and a Marker for Higher Business Management. He also serves on the SQA Subject Working Group for Economics and the Curriculum Area Review group for Social Studies.
  
  
• Mr Bill Robertson, Head of Geography, serves as an SQA Geography Marker as does his colleague Mrs Elaine McCallum, who is also an Examiner and Vetter for Advanced Higher Geography. She also attends ISCO (Independent School Careers Organisation) meetings as The Academy's Careers Adviser. Mr Robertson serves on the Children's Panel.
  
  
• Mr Neil Millar, Head of Drama, is a Drama Setter for SQA, a Visiting Assessor for Advanced Higher Drama, and Examiner in Intermediate Drama. He is also on the SQA Subject Working Group for Drama and is responsible for writing the Drama Skills Assessment Packs for National 5 Drama. He also trains Postgraduate students at Jordanhill and at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and has frequently led in-service for SCIS Drama Teachers. He was also Drama Development Adviser to the BBC's Learning Team for the Waterloo Road series.
  
  
• Mrs Jeanann Thompson, Pre-school and After-school Care Manager is a member of Boclair Academy Parent Council Board and East Dunbartonshire Attendance Council. Along with her colleague Miss Julie Peteranna, Mrs Thompson hosts ASC local forums and organise training for these forums.
  
  
• Mr Sandy Mathewson is a member of the board who advise CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring at Durham University) on use and design of standardised assessments in primary schools. He is also Independent Curriculum ICT lead author, writing the ICT syllabus for Galore Parks Independent Curriculum, which offers teachers a programme of learning from Year 3 to Year 9.
  
  
• Mr Peter Brodie, Rector, is an HMC member, and Governor of another Scottish School.
  
  
• Mr Iain Somerside, Rowing Coach, also coaches Glasgow Schools' Rowing Club, St Mungo's Academy and works closely with various community groups for young people in the East End of Glasgow.
  
  
• The Outdoor Education Department lends OE equipment to other Scottish independent schools and, in the past, has lent to state schools who cannot fund their own equipment.
  
  
• Teacher training -    9 trainee teachers from the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde work towards their BEd or PGDE at The Academy each year.
  
  
• The Ambassador Scheme - Glasgow University places a final year student with the school every Thursday, morning and afternoon.
  
  
• Staff also contribute to the Curriculum for Excellence development nationally.
  
  
• If local state schools cannot support a senior pupil's curriculum choices, we help if we can. This has included pupils attending Advanced Higher Drama, Advanced Higher Accounting and Advanced Higher Statistics classes. These are pupils that would otherwise miss out on the opportunity to receive help and support in an AH subject.
  
  
• Dairsie P3 raised £1,940 for Children in Need on a sponsored jog in the park.