Innovation at KA

Our mission is to equip young people with the skills to become problem solvers, collaborators and creators, ready to tackle real world challenges.

Scotland’s School of Innovation

In September 2019, Kelvinside Academy launched Scotland’s School of Innovation, the first of its kind in the UK. Inspired by an architecture studio model, learning at the school focuses on real-world challenges and collaborative problem-solving rather than traditional exams.

All of Kelvinside Academy pupils – from J1-S6 – can benefit from this innovative approach, pushing the boundaries of conventional education to foster creativity and critical thinking.

Easter Innovation Camp

Monday 7 April – Thursday 10 April 2025

The Innovation Camp is designed to enhance creativity and engineering skills. Throughout the week, participants will engage in enjoyable problem-solving activities resulting in two thrilling competitions: one featuring radio-controlled micro-bots and another showcasing their LEGO SPIKE-designed robots. There will also be engaging experiences within the school, ensuring each day is memorable.

This Camp is open to children from all schools in P7-S3.

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“We are committed to changing the educational landscape in Scotland, and our position as a top independent school places us well to create a model or beacon of what education could look like. I feel passionately that the innovation experience will challenge our pupils to learn in new ways and use new technologies: analytical thinkers will be inspired to explore their creative selves, while creative students will undoubtedly expand their capacity to think and learn analytically.” DAN WYATT, RECTOR

J1-S6

Our Innovation School provides all our pupils with an innovation-focused experience. The work pupils engage in within the Innovation School involves navigating the messiness of the creative process from inception to completion by prototyping and testing. Pupils are set a challenge, problem to solve or product to design. They are challenged to learn in new ways: analytical thinkers are inspired to explore their creative selves, while creative learners expand their capacity to think and learn analytically. We focus on hands-on problem solving, encourage an inventive culture, promote peer teaching and learning, and cultivate pupils’ curiosity.

Our pupils spend time in the Innovation School from their very first day at School in Junior 1.

In Junior School, our Innovation School Coaches work with our class teachers to ensure that the Innovation school design projects are themed with current class topics. This offers real depth of understanding even for our youngest learners.

Our older pupils from S3-S6 can select Innovation as one of their subject choices – separate from the usual National 5 or Higher subjects.
Develop Real World Solutions

Older pupils are taught within the multidisciplinary framework of the design Studio unlike more traditional subjects, with the aim of them acquiring a highly personalised understanding of the world and how they relate to it and can fully participate in it. They develop multiple solutions to problems and learn the importance of moving from one solution to the next, combining, exploring and thinking of the possibilities. They also learn how to change their perspective on an issue quickly. They learn that solutions depend on perspective, and only by understanding an issue from multiple perspectives can they fully explore the terrain of possibilities.
Collaboration

Most Innovation Studio projects are done in a team. Pupils quickly have to learn how to work together, listen to other people’s ideas, sell their teammates on their own ideas, find each other’s strengths, and assign project components based on those strengths.
Iteration

When we fail at something, we might give up and move on to something new. However, Innovation Studio is teaching the process of “iteration” — the repetition of a process and the willingness to refine concepts. Pupils get feedback from staff and community partners, and continue to refine their project during the term. This is such a HUGE part of the learning process — to realise that solutions often require a willingness to take risks and to try different things.
Portfolios

Pupils are tasked with documenting their work, publicly presenting their projects, accepting constructive feedback, and using that feedback to improve their work. They are consistently developing their creative critical thinking skills as they work through multiple iterations of their project.
Presentation

Pupils present their projects to each other at the end of the studio, to staff, at meetings with community partners, and to school visitors. The ability to communicate effectively and confidently is a valuable skill.

Industry Partnerships

Based on the architectural studio model it will be geared around multidisciplinary, collaborative projects. Partnerships will be formed with Scottish Industry and Academia so that young people can gain insight, experience and teaching direct from industry.

To discuss a partnership with our Innovation School, please email David Sassarini, Director of Educational Technology and Innovation at david.sassarini@kelvinside.org.

Peak Scientific

Peak Scientific is a dynamic, fast growing company who specialise in laboratory gas generators for applications such as oil and gas analysis, environmental testing and pharmaceutical research. Since its formation Peak design engineers have been working hard to provide alternative gas solutions for laboratory and industrial applications. These innovative designs and Peak’s unrivalled customer care are just some of the elements that have contributed towards Peak’s success. However, more than anything, it is the innovation and the skills of their people that drive global success. Established in the UK in 1997 near Glasgow, Peak Scientific boasts a significant local presence on every continent; including major operations in North America, China and India.

Balfour Beattie

Balfour Beatty were our build partner on Scotland’s School of Innovation.

As well as disrupting education, the building is a beacon for the construction sector as it is the country’s first sustainable building designed and constructed using circular and eco-design principles.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Kelvinside Academy, in a relationship which shares our vision of reducing onsite activity by 25% by the year 2025 and will help us develop our future talent. We have worked closely with Kelvinside Academy to ensure a collaborative design process and maximise efficiencies through circular and eco-design principles, which are designed to minimise waste and capitalise on resources. We look forward to successfully delivering this unique project and developing close links between the school and industry for years to come.”

Hector MacAulay, Balfour Beatty’s Regional Managing Director for Scotland and Ireland

Cooper Architects

Designers of the building, Cooper Architects is an award winning practice which is driven by high quality design. They specialise in contemporary individual houses, self-build projects, small commercial developments, domestic extensions and conversions. They provide exciting, unique, and appropriate design solutions which reflect our client’s needs and aspirations.

Ellen McArthur Foundation

The Foundation works with business, government and academia to build a framework for an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design. Their mission is to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

Kelvinside Academy presented the disruptive aims of Scotland’s School of Innovation at their recent Disruptive Innovation Festival (DIF). The DIF is an online platform which aims to shift mindsets and inspire action towards a circular economy. It invites people to share disruptive ideas and stories on a number of topics, and attracts a worldwide audience, sparking critical conversations and participation through a combination of live interviews, films, and podcasts.

Zero Waste Scotland

They were guiding partners in our drive to build the country’s first sustainable building designed and constructed using circular and eco-design principles. Zero Waste Scotland are the driving force of the circular economy in Scotland providing businesses and practical support and funding. The circular economy is where everything has value and nothing is wasted. It’s about new business models, products designed with their whole life cycle in mind, remanufacturing and reprocessing to create new products from old, and re-using and repairing – all to keep products and materials in the economy for as long as possible.