Charleston Academy gets more ambitious

Highland Council today (23rd Feb) welcomed the Scottish Executive’s announcement to extend funding for the Schools of Ambition programme.

Charleston Academy in Inverness is one of twenty one schools throughout Scotland in the second tranche of the programme to benefit from this announcement.

Schools joining the programme - which aims to increase ambition and belief, extend opportunities and transform future lives - will benefit from at least an extra £100,000 annually for three years. Headteachers have complete control over how this money is spent to allow them to put their plans in action and achieve change.

Charleston Academy, Highland - will develop a 3-18 PE curriculum with more choice, supported by the Highland Football Academy and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, to improve participation and build excellence in sport.

Calum MacSween, Rector of Charleston Academy said: “We are absolutely delighted with this news.  We have a clear ambition to develop an integrated community learning facility with a particular emphasis on sports involvement and achievement. The support we received from a wide range of potential partners during the preparation of the bid was excellent. We now look forward to working with The Highland Council and the Scottish Executive to turn our ambition into a reality. It is an exciting prospect.”

Charleston Academy is the second school in Highland to benefit from the Executive’s Schools of Ambition programme. Inverness High School was the first school in Highland to join the programme in 2005. The 470 pupil school used funding to extend its growing links with the local community and improve provision of training in information technology and staff development at the school.