Clarkston Primary Celebrates Year of Award-Winning Success
School recognised for achievements in sport, reading, community fundraising, and pupil engagement.
By Kirsty Lennox
••3 min read
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Generic image of a Scottish primary school facade with a mural of children engaged in sports and reading, with a running track and book trolley visible.
Clarkston Primary School has concluded a highly successful year, earning accolades for its pupils' and staff's achievements across sports, academics, and community involvement.
Pupils and staff at Clarkston Primary have been recognised with multiple awards this year, celebrating their efforts on the sports pitch, in the classroom, and within the community. The school was named North Lanarkshire Council's Sport School of the Year 2026 at an awards ceremony held in Airdrie Town Hall in September. Additionally, it has been granted Reading School status and a Reading School Award by the Scottish Book Trust.
The school participated in the TCS London Mini Marathon for Schools, where pupils completed a 2.6-mile run around the school's sports pitch. This initiative saw approximately 621,000 children across Britain participate, and Clarkston's involvement earned them a Mini Marathon in Schools award. Furthermore, the school received a Team Jak Volunteer award for raising £2,935 for the charity, which supported pupils, families, and staff following the tragic death of a primary 1 child. Fundraising events, including a "Soak the Teacher" event that raised £735 and staff walking 11.5 miles in the Edinburgh Kilt Walk to raise a further £2,200, were supported by the wider Clarkston community.
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"I am absolutely bursting with pride that our school has been recognised with four fantastic awards this year. These achievements are a true reflection of the enthusiasm, commitment, and dedication of our whole school community, but I am particularly proud of our amazing pupils and staff."
Yvonne Callander, Head Teacher, expressed her immense pride in the school's accomplishments. She highlighted the pupils' and staff's enthusiasm for sport, their roles as Sports Ambassadors, and their participation in tournaments and the Mini Marathon. The Reading Award was praised for recognising the school's developed reading culture, with children enjoying books during lunchtime and utilising an outdoor library book trolley managed by Reading Ambassadors. Callander also commended the school's kindness and generosity in supporting Team Jak, emphasising the pupils' compassion and care for others.
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"I really liked the mini marathon because we all ran together around the pitch, it helped keep us fit and it helped us build our stamina. It was fun knowing so many other schools were doing it too."
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"Congratulations to everyone at Clarkston Primary on these fantastic achievements. It's great to see the pupils doing so well in sport and reading, and the way the school and community came together to raise money for Team Jak is a credit to them. Well done to the pupils, staff and families."
