A SCOTTISH school has won the World’s Best School award for Community Collaboration.
Dunoon Grammar School in Argyll and Bute was the only UK school to be nominated for the prize and beat out participants from Brazil and India in the final three to win.
The school was recognised for its work on a number of local projects as well as on a national and international level, with pupils travelling as far as Malawi, Costa Rica and Ghana to help build schools and hospitals.
Upon winning the prize, the school tweeted: “We have done it! We have won the World's @BestSchoolPrize for #communitycollaboration. We are still in shock but absolutely delighted with this! THANK YOU @T4EduC.”
We have done it! We have won the World's @BestSchoolPrize for #communitycollaboration Relive the announcement via the link below:https://t.co/k75AnOHE7z (From 47.27) We are still in shock but absolutely delighted with this! THANK YOU @T4EduC
— dunoongs (@dunoongs) October 19, 2022
Nicola Sturgeon said: "Congratulations to everyone at Dunoon Grammar School.
"This is a fantastic achievement and well-deserved recognition for all the hard work and effort you have put in to support your local community."
Following the announcement, staff and pupils burst into a chorus of “championees” and clapped along together chanting “Dunoon”.
Jenni Minto, SNP MSP for Argyll and Bute, was at the school to join pupils in the celebrations.
She tweeted: “What a moment and what an achievement! I was delighted to be @dunoongs today to hear the news live. The World’s Best School for Community Collaboration - what a proud moment for everyone. It is so richly deserved. #StrongSchools”
What a moment and what an achievement! I was delighted to be @dunoongs today to hear the news live. The World’s Best School for Community Collaboration - what a proud moment for everyone. It is so richly deserved. #StrongSchools pic.twitter.com/OvN7oCYyR8
— Jenni Minto MSP (@jenni_minto) October 19, 2022
And Oscar winner Emma Thompson - who has links to the town – said she cried when she heard the news.
“You’ve put Dunoon Grammar School into a kind of global recognition moment,” Thompson told pupils.
“The spotlight’s on you (this), small as we know, rural community in Scotland. It’s the most extraordinary achievement.
“It actually made me cry when I heard about it. We’re so thrilled for you, and so proud of you, and I hope you all just feel, well, on top of the world because, at this moment in time, that’s where you are.”
Thompson’s husband, Greg Wise, has visited the school on several occasions and had spoken at leavers’ events, said head teacher David Mitchell.
The award filled him with “so much pride” he said. He and his children attended the school.
“There is just something special about Dunoon Grammar School,” he said.
“All I want for every single child that comes into this building, as they leave here having achieved their potential and having had a good time. That’s all I want.
“If every child leaves here with a positive memory, I’ve done my job.”
Much of the work in achieving the award was spearheaded by Paul Gallanagh, principal teacher of computing and IT, whom Mitchell said “deserves a lot of thanks”.
He added: “He has driven a huge amount of this and I would like to thank him for all of his hard work.”
The school was also recognised for its work in combating the problem of “brain drain” in its community.
“Dunoon Grammar has suffered from the brain drain, where the young people have had no real option but to pack up and leave the town,” said Gallanagh.
“As a school we very much wanted to address that.”
Working with partners, the school’s curriculum was adapted to provide 50 courses which reflect key sectors of the local economy such as tourism and maritime studies.
The community of Dunoon, Mitchell says, will be just as delighted with the award as those associated with the school.
“Our vision statement has been about being at the heart of the community, striving together to achieve excellence,” he said.
“We’ll never rest on our laurels, never. We always want to improve the community. It just plays such an important role and I’m delighted that the community partners will be given that recognition.”
Plans have already been made for the prize money of 50,000 US dollars (£44,000) with the school looking to purchase a mini-bus which would enable them to do more community outreach work.
Mitchell also has a dream, where a community room is established in the school with intergenerational peer-led workshops on topics such as languages and even wiring a plug.
“A lot of schools in Scotland are doing amazing things with their curriculum,” Mitchell said.
“But to be recognised for the work we’re doing: it’s just amazing.
“Young people, particularly just now, are given negative press.
“I think this just shows that, not just in Dunoon Grammar School, but across the country, there are young people who want to make a difference.
“This recognition is going to give them such a huge boost.”
