This exemplar demonstrates how Dunoon Grammar School, Argyll and Bute Council increased the proportion of the secondary curriculum delivered through the medium of Gaelic. Taigh Gàidhlig was established to provide additional immersion for young people in Gaelic Medium Education. This is an integrated part of the school’s existing vertical S1-S6 Support Time.

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What Was Done?

Dunoon Grammar School runs Taigh Gàidhlig* as its universal support time for all young people in S1-S6 Gaelic Medium Education. This focuses on delivering the school’s Universal Support house programme through the medium of Gaelic, with the Gaelic teacher as key adult. This also develops young people’s social and specialist language, as well as exploring inter-disciplinary learning and projects. Through consultation with all stakeholders, senior leaders established Taigh Gàidhlig.

*Taigh Gàidhlig translates to Gaelic House

Why was it done

In response to inspection findings, Dunoon Grammar School sought to increase the proportion of immersion for young people in Gaelic Medium Education. This became a priority as COVID-19 pandemic impacted on the proportion of immersion young people in Gaelic Medium Education experienced.

The school’s Gaelic Medium Education cohort is increasing but is only a small proportion of the overall school population. The cross-years S1-S6 “vertical” approach to a Taigh Gàidhlig increases young people’s opportunities to use Gaelic with peers and collaborate in group discussions. Should young people have paused their learning of Gaelic in the senior phase, being in the Taigh Gàidhlig helps them to maintain their fluency. Taigh Gàidhlig is designed to support young people’s continuity and progression in Gaelic Medium Education on a 3-18 basis into adult learning.

Dunoon Grammar School already had a “vertical” house group system with learners organised in classes which consists of a range of young people from all year groups. With two 35 minute-long periods a week, this allows for richer support conversations and learning opportunities with young people. When required, the school can bring together “horizontal” year-based cohorts for specific activities (such as for S6 UCAS applications). Whilst the approaches in this exemplar can be applied to deliver subject or project-based learning through Gaelic in a multi-age arrangement, the ethos can also be applied to single year group based arrangements as well. This is in addition to the school’s PSE programme delivered by Guidance staff.

Argyll and Bute Council have changed their school improvement plans to ensure a focus on planning priorities for Gaelic Medium Education. This will assist with meeting year-on-year improvements for Gaelic. The school has also established a Gaelic Council for staff and learners, in Gaelic and English Medium, to help promote further the language. The school is running an elective course for young people in S6 to learn Gaelic as an additional language which leads to National Qualifications.

Impact

Young people enjoy greater levels of confidence and fluency. They contribute more effectively to their communities, including both the Gaelic community and whole school community. Young people are increasing the situations in which they use Gaelic language. They express enjoyment at being able to associate with other young people of different ages in Gaelic Medium Education.

Young people can work more effectively on Gaelic Medium Education projects such as FilmG, collaborating and developing meta-skills and partnerships.

The image and status of Gaelic across the whole school has been greatly increased by Taigh Gàidhlig. The Gaelic department has used social media to capture and promote interesting practice. The project has been supported by staff at all levels. Senior leaders and teachers of support have been crucial to embedding Taigh na Gàidhlig.

The school has reflected upon its wider cross-year “vertical” house support time, and using the opportunity to compare with the COVID-19 pandemic enforced return to year group based house time classes in 2020/21, the school has found better engagement from young people in all year groups in the vertical house time classes in 2021 to 2022.

Improvement questions

• How well do all staff and learners in the school understand the importance of well thought out approaches to developing young people’s knowledge and use of language through immersion?
• How does our current curriculum design and timetabling support and provide opportunities for immersion opportunities out with literacy and Gàidhlig as a subject offer?
• To what extent are young people encouraged to speak and use Gaelic for a range of purposes through the curriculum and to add to the ethos for Gaelic in the school?
• How does our school ensure that Gaelic immersion is delivered on a 3-18 basis for all children and young people in Gaelic Medium Education?
• How are you using the four contexts of the curriculum so that all young people in Gaelic Medium Education receive immersion until they leave school?

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