Meet our new Acting Head Teacher

John Blair has taken over the reins as Head Teacher at Wallace Hall for one year to cover the secondment of Barry Graham.

Mr Blair has been teaching for 16 years, firstly in Ayrshire fulfilling a number of roles as a Maths Teacher, Principal Teacher of Guidance and Principal Teacher of Mathematics and was appointed to the post of Deputy Head Teacher at Wallace Hall Academy in 2012.

When asked how he felt about his new role he said, “I am committed to ensuring that we provide a high quality education for all pupils, to parental involvement throughout the school and a commitment to ensuring that there is an effective pupil voice. I believe that I am a team player who values the important role that all staff within the school play. What I am looking forward to the most is working with the young people in the Early Learning Centre and in the Primary school and to ensuring that there are appropriate pathways for all pupils to follow in their journey through Wallace Hall School.”

He followed by expressing his opinion on the positive exam results received by Wallace Hall Academy students this summer “I am delighted with the continued excellent exam results this year. Pupils across S4, S5 and S6 achieved a wide variety of qualifications from National 3 to Advanced Higher Level. We continue to outperform both regional and national results at all levels and we are particularly proud of the number of vocational courses which pupils have successfully completed. As a result over 95% of the pupils who left Wallace Hall over the summer are heading towards a positive destination such as employment, college, an apprenticeship or university. I look forward to working with those pupils still with us and ensuring continued success in the exams they will sit in the next year.”

WHA% Regional average %

National 5’s 53 38

3 Highers 52 34

5 Highers 24 15

Advanced 1 27 17

Advanced 2 17 7

John hopes to build on the strong foundations which are already in place and continue to support and challenge all of the pupils to achieve their full potential. He believes that he has already built up strong relationships with pupils, parents and staff in Wallace Hall Academy and will strive to build similar relationships with pupils, parents and staff in our ELC and Primary school, as well as engaging with the wider community.