- Grange Academy
Grange Academy is a secondary school in
Kilmarnock inAyrshire ,Scotland .2008 Grange Campus
In September 2008, the new Grange Campus was completed and incorporated Grange Academy,
Annanhill Primary , and Park School. The opening of the campus was delayed from August. The old Grange Academy and Annanhill Primary School buildings are due to be demolished and the land used for parking spaces and sporting activities.Barclays New Futures Appeal
Within the school there is a Visually Impaired Unit, and also a Hearing Impaired Unit. All of these children were often excluded from school activities and so the school's quest for inclusion for all began.
The Hearing Impaired unit took some pupils to London to bid for a £22,500 grant from Barclays New Futures Appeal. The original proposal was written by Christine McLean, Depute Head Teacher at the time. The presentation involved a spoken section, translated into sign language, and a signed section, translated into English. The panel expressed concern at having to rely on an interpreter, which highlighted the trials and tribulations faced by the deaf community through every day life. The group explained that they would use the cash to provide basic sign language for students so people will be more aware of the deaf community and will be more willing to help any deaf person they come across. This money has been used to run many Level 1 and Level 2 British Sign Language (BSL) classes. These classes were not only for the teachers and pupils of the school, but also for members of the wider community; police, fire-fighters, office workers and many more.
The project has been running since approx. 5 years now and the classes are going from strength to strength. Many of the signing students who sat the Level 1 exam have now gone on to sit the Level 2.
Notable alumni
*
Kirsty Wark , journalist and television presenterExternal links
* [http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/scottishschoolsonline/schools/grangeacademyeastayrshire.asp Grange Academy's page on Scottish Schools Online]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
