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Westray Junior High School: One of Scotland’s most remote schools secures new head teacher

The Orkney school has had three heads in recent years, and Julie Muir said she “didn't make the decision lightly”.

Julie Muir will begin as Westray Junior High School head teacher in August. Image: Orkney Islands Council
Julie Muir will begin as Westray Junior High School head teacher in August. Image: Orkney Islands Council

One of Scotland’s most remote schools has a new head teacher.

Three hours’ boat ride from the Orkney capital Kirkwall, Julie Muir will take the reins at Westray Junior High School after the summer holidays.

She has been teaching in Orkney for the past 28 years – at Stenness, Glaitness and most recently Papdale in Kirkwall.

Ahead of her first head teacher role, she’ll be moving with her husband Keith to the island of Westray.

This means there will be no dramatic commute, like the former head teacher at Papa Westray School – one of Westray Junior High’s feeder primary schools – who took the world’s shortest scheduled flight to get to work.

Westray Junior High School is one of the most remote schools in Scotland. Image: DC Thomson

New Westray Junior High School head looking forward to returning to island life

Westray Junior High School has had three heads in recent years, and Julie said she and Keith “didn’t make the decision lightly”.

Although currently based in Kirkwall, Julie grew up on Westray’s neighbouring island, Sanday. And she told The P&J that she’s looking forward to returning to life on a small island.

“Westray is a very vibrant island community with loads of opportunities for folk to build a life there. So me and my husband will be doing that. You can have a great quality of life out there.

Julie Muir with pupils at Papdale Primary School in Kirkwall, where she is currently a P3 teacher. Image: Orkney Islands Council

“I grew up on Sanday so I know what island life is like and I understand what the needs are for junior secondaries.

“It’s a little different to more populated areas, but it’s very much a feature of our rural areas that children really need a good home life and community experience, but they also need that high-quality learning experience up to at least the age of 16.

“And that’s what these junior high schools offer them.

“I hope to get to know everybody quickly. I’m very aware that it’s a great team that I’m joining.”

‘Westray really is a go-ahead community’

She added: “I’ve spent quite a lot of time on Westray socially and got a lot of good friends there, so I understand the community.

“People have built great lives there, running great businesses, and they’re just very dynamic and forward-thinking in the way they go about things.

“It really is a go-ahead community, there’s a lot of innovation and a very strong arts and culture scene.

“A lot of good fishing and farming industries, but also the kind of service industries a community needs – bakeries, restaurants, shops, swimming pools and so on.

“So it’s a really attractive place from that perspective.

Julie Muir. Image: Orkney Islands Council

“Yes, every island has its own community, but within that we have a shared understanding of what makes us all tick, and why we love it so much.

“Once you’ve been part of that island scene, it doesn’t leave you.”

The charm of living on an 18-square-mile island

The role at Westray Junior High School pays more than £76,000 a year, and there is even a chippy and a golf course on the tiny island.

The school is home to 78 pupils aged three to 16, on an island with a population of just under 600.

Orkney Islands Council used the 18-square-mile island’s natural charm, ancient history and beauty to attract candidates.

Westray is one of the most dramatic and charming parts of the UK, let alone Scotland. Image: Orkney Islands Council

“Stunning sea cliffs, sandy beaches, an array of local businesses and a rich history can be found on Westray,” it said in the job advert.

“If you enjoy wildlife then Westray is a haven – many return time and again to witness the puffin and other seabird colonies.

“There’s a 9-hole golf course, art galleries, excellent food producers, a hotel, bistro, café, chippy, several shops, GP surgery, youth groups and club, a play park and play group…the list goes on.

“Key to the island’s success and at the heart of the community is the island’s school which sits within the village of Pierowall.”

‘Living on an island we do face challenges’

The view across the sound from Westray Junior High School. Image: Orkney Islands Council

Louise Harcus has been a teacher at Westray Junior High School for more than 20 years. She shared what she believes makes the island and school so special.

“The reason I get up every morning and come to work is the love I have for teaching the children, seeing how excited they are about learning, and supporting and building relationships with their families,” she said.

“I have taught my own children, nieces, nephews, friends’ children, and I recently started teaching my second generation of children, which is part and parcel of living and working in a small community.

“We are a fairly unique school in that we have three departments, from nursery, primary through to secondary, all requiring time and support from a head teacher.

Westray Junior High School. Image: Orkney Islands Council

“Living on an island we do face challenges, but our children are resilient and the staff team very flexible to allow for situations that may arise, for example if an itinerant teacher cannot get here due to the weather and we need to bridge that gap.”

She added: “Both our practitioners in the nursery were pupils at the school, they did their training on the mainland and returned to work here.

“There’s surely no better advert for coming to work at Westray Junior High School than that!”

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