• To provide all learners with a motivating and challenging curriculum which, ensures learners gain the necessary skills, qualifications, aptitudes and confidence for living in the 21^st century.
• To actively involve out learners in their own learning and to ensure they are motivated and eager participants in their learning.
• To ensure staff are meaningfully involved in improving the quality of education for learners.
• To work collaboratively with Community organisations and partner agencies to support learners and families.
• To provide a curriculum which, promotes challenge, enjoyment, breadth and depth, progression, relevance, coherence, personalisation and choice in learning for all the pupils.
• To write clearly stated guidelines which, reflect local and national priorities and are regularly updated to ensure they are directed towards putting our pupils at the centre.
• To ensure all staff are sufficiently skilled and qualified in providing an appropriate curriculum and learning experience for all learners.
• To have effective partnership working to sufficient resources in order to improve the quality of provision for our learners.
• To work with learners, staff, parents and other partners to create shared vision, values and aims to help shape the future direction of the school

Guidance is a whole school responsibility and all staff, teaching and non-teaching have an important role to play.

A House system is in operation. There are three Houses: Jedburgh, Kelso and Selkirk and all staff and pupils belong to one of the Houses. In general terms the House Leader and House staff follow the progress of each pupil in their House group from first year until the time he /she leaves school. We are concerned with each pupil’s personal, social and vocational welfare and are able to offer support and guidance throughout their school career. We also have close links with outside agencies: Social Work Department, Psychological Services, Allied Health Professionals and Skills Development Scotland.  We are also keen to encourage close contacts between home and school and to involve parents in all aspects of their son / daughter school career.

Initial Contact  

S1 and S4           Mrs Heather Haggerty       Principal Teacher
S2 and S3           Mr G Williams                    Principal  Teacher
S5 and S5           Mrs C Perston                    Principal Teacher

We ask all parents/carers to support the school by encouraging your child(ren) to adhere to the agreed dress code and the wearing of our school uniform.   The wearing of a school uniform helps promote the identity of the school in the local community and helps create an ethos of sharing and pride in the school.

In addition, the wearing of a uniform helps towards increasing the protection of all pupils.  The wearing of a uniform helps staff and the pupils to distinguish between who belongs to the school and those who may be visitors.  This enables staff to approach and identify visitors more readily and helps in trying to offer a safer environment for pupils and teachers alike.

Equality of opportunity is an important aspect of the life of the school.  Any proposals on the dress code and on what constitutes the school uniform will be the subject of discussion with the Parent Council and where appropriate consultation with parents, pupils and staff.

There are forms of dress which are unacceptable in all schools such as:

• the wearing of football colours
• clothing with slogans that may cause offence (anti-religious, symbolism or political slogans)
• clothing which advertises alcohol, tobacco or drugs
• clothing which can be deemed unsuitable in terms of health and safety grounds such as shell suits, combat style clothing, dangling earrings, loose fitting clothes particularly in practical classes
• articles of clothing that could be deemed to inflict damage on other pupils or be used by others to do so
• footwear that may damage flooring.

The uniform for all Rutherglen High pupils is:

• White shirt with school tie
• White school polo shirt
• School sweatshirt
• Black jumper / cardigan
• Black trousers / skirt