Every child deserves the right to education, whatever their background. Common Thread’s educators are skilled in engaging difficult to reach children, those who have been out of education for a long time or who have been put off school through bad experiences. Working with each student’s potential and interests, they are gently tenacious in finding the hook for engaging every child.
Both Common Thread schools have places for day and residential students.
Creativity
Our educators are powerful role models for creative approaches to learning. By creating a climate of openness, encouraging playfulness and imagination and building a culture of creative risk-taking, they are able to nurture a student’s natural talents and passions.
This is further supported by well-equipped facilities that embrace individuality and creativity and a broad-ranging curriculum of creative opportunities and experiences – from music, craft and cooking to IT, languages and vocational skills.
A meaningful curriculum
Our curriculum is guided and influenced by the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). It promotes individual development and gives all young people the opportunity to achieve success through play, exploration and innovation, whilst gaining relevant qualifications, such as:
- National qualifications accredited by the SQA
- Duke of Edinburgh award scheme
- ASDAN accredited courses
Internal rewards, certificates of merit and celebrations of success
Our blended approach to learning includes face-to-face, outdoor, community-based and home/digital schooling. This gives children and young people a range of learning modalities to suit their needs.
Success Stories
One of our young people from the central belt achieved fantastic exam results in their last year at Common Thread’s Kilmarnock school.
They not only passed Nat 3 English, Nat 3 Applications of Maths and Nat 4 Practical Cookery…
…they also received a Crest award for Forensic Science and have been accepted for the Joinery Course at South Lanarkshire College.
Everyone at Common Thread wants to send you a huge ‘well done’ for all your hard work and your exam results. We are all so very proud of you and are rooting for your future success!!
Students at Dumfries School planted seed potatoes in the garden as part of their pledge for the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award status – which they successfully achieved in November 2023.
Spot the old slate repurposed as a label! Watching them grow and waiting patiently for them to be ready to harvest has been worth the wait. Older and younger students joined in the fun of harvesting. Just look at the number of potatoes they managed to get! The students enjoyed cooking them for their lunch
A young person from Kilmarnock School had fantastic exam success in 2023.
They passed Nat 4 English, Nat 4 Biology and completed their first year of a Sound Production course at college. Not only that, but they’ve also been accepted to study Mechanics, starting in September.
Well done from everyone at Common Thread. We’re so impressed and proud of you – what an achievement! It must have been a lot of hard work, but it will be worth it.
We’re all wishing you every success in the future!
Dumfries School recently visited Mossburn Community Farm with one of their young people to explore how we can help each other.
The community farm runs off donations and volunteering and supports their animals as well as local young people with opportunities, and animal assisted therapy and learning programmes.
When finding yourself getting cuddles and licks from a huge, beautiful cow, both staff and young people felt such calm and had a wonderful sense of communication and interaction.
You may even recognise one of the goats from the TV series Outlander! It was so friendly and approachable the director ensured it had a great home once filming was finished.
Earlier this year, some of our students enjoyed a visit to PD Music Studios in Ayr, where they learned more about Music Production and DJing. Some of the biggest names in the dance industry have honed their skills there, and one of our students is hoping to follow suit, and is currently applying to study music production at college.
Our schools
Our schools provide a unique and creative approach to learning, with environments that enable our learners to feel safe and welcome.
Dumfries
A place where confidence builds as learning is celebrated…
Kilmarnock
Our teaching staff offer unlimited belief in the potential of our students
All teachers are registered with the General Council of Teachers Scotland (GTCS).
Our schools are registered with the Scottish Council for Independent Schools (SCIS) and are members of Education Through Care, Scotland (ETCS). Our schools are SQA accredited centres.
Downloads
School dates for the 2024/25 academic year for Kilmarnock and Dumfries School, including holidays, inset days and target setting.
An introduction to the Common Thread approach to education and the process of referrals. Greyscale printer-friendly version.
An introduction to the Common Thread approach to education and the process of referrals.
Contact us
To make a referral or find out more, please get in touch via the form below. Alternatively, you can call us on 01576 204 202.
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