Perth High School’s new head teacher Martin Shaw is setting his sights on big things as he steps up to prepare for a state-of-the-art replacement school.
Mr Shaw took up the top post at the region’s largest school in August following the retirement of popular head teacher Thirza Pupillo.
It is his first appointment as head teacher however the seasoned educator has made his mark on schools across Scotland – and even China.
Now he has turned his attention to helping the school achieve great things in the lead up to its £58.5 million replacement by 2024 on the existing school grounds at Oakbank Road.
He said: “This school is really going places. We have great staff here and in addition to that we have got the really exciting prospect of a new school in a couple of years’ time.
“I was really up for the challenge of getting the school ready to go into the new school – ready in terms of culture, ethos and how the young people and staff feel about the change.
“The new school is an exciting project and it shows that this is a local authority that really cares about the pupils and it is willing to invest millions of pounds into the young people of Perth High School.”
He hopes to prepare pupils for the transition by helping them understand the level of respect and investment that has been put into them.
Martin Shaw’s career so far
The Perth school is a world away from the Chinese school in Nanjing where Mr Shaw first discovered his enthusiasm for teaching.
He taught English as a second language and the lack of heating and resources helped him hone his craft.
Upon completion of his postgraduate teaching diploma, he then returned to Williamwood High School, near Glasgow, where he was taught as a teenager, as a teacher of history and religious education.
He then moved to Kirkintilloch High School as principal teacher of subject and later deputy head teacher.
Finally, before moving to Perth, he helped Dunblane High School navigate through Covid-19 and remote learning as the school’s deputy head teacher.
Now Mr Shaw hopes the prospect of a new state-of-the-art school will help spur staff and pupils on to achieving their goals.
It is expected the new building will be one of the most environmentally friendly schools in Scotland.
The school accommodates approximately 1,500 pupils from across the city.
He added: “I want to express my absolute positivity for the school and its community. It’s a great place and I think we’re really going places as a school.
“We’ve got something to really aim towards with the target of 2024. But in the meantime hopefully we’re going to do some really exciting stuff as a school to make Perth High School as good as it possibly can be.”
