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High School of Glasgow

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High School of Glasgow
File:High School of Glasgow (badge).png
Address
Map
Old Anniesland
637 Crow Road

Glasgow
,
G13 1PL

Scotland
Information
TypeIndependent
MottoSursum Semper
(Ever Upward)
Established1976
FounderGlasgow Cathedral
Chairman of the GovernorsBrian Adair
RectorColin Mair
GenderMixed
Age5 to 18
EnrollmentApproximately 700 pupils (senior school)
Houses
  • Bannerman
  • Clyde
  • Law
  • Moore
Colour(s)
                                     
School YearsP1-S6
Websitehttp://www.glasgowhigh.com/

The High School of Glasgow is an independent, co-educational day school in Glasgow, Scotland. The original High School of Glasgow was founded as the Choir School of Glasgow Cathedral in around 1124, and was the oldest school in Scotland,[citation needed] and the twelfth oldest in the United Kingdom. It remained part of the Church as the city's grammar school until coming under local authority control in 1872, and closed in 1976, when the private Drewsteighnton School adopted the name. The School maintains a relationship with the Cathedral, where it holds an annual Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving in September.[1] It counts two British Prime Ministers, two Lords President and the founder of the University of Aberdeen among its alumni.

It is a selective school, meaning prospective pupils must sit an entrance test to gain admission. In 2009, The Times placed it as the top independent school in Scotland for Higher and Standard Grade results, a rise from second place the year before, although it placed only sixth in Scotland when counted by Highers alone, a drop from fourth in the previous year.[2]

The Rector of the school is Colin Mair.

History

The original school was founded as the Choir School of Glasgow Cathedral in around 1124, and later became known as Glasgow Grammar School. It was housed in Greyfriar's Wynd until 1782, when it moved to new purpose-built accommodation in George Street, but it moved again in 1821 to new premises between John Street and Montrose Street.[3] The name was changed in 1834 to The High School of Glasgow, and in 1872 it was transferred to the management of the Glasgow School Board. In 1878, the school moved into the former premises of the Glasgow Academy on Elmbank Street, when the latter moved to its new home in Kelvinbridge in the West End of the city.[3] The Glasgow High School for Girls was founded in 1894 and housed variously in Garnethill and Kelvindale.[4]

Up to the early 1970s The High School of Glasgow continued to follow an honourable tradition as a grant aided school funded by the local authority, with fees topped up by parents (around £9 a year in 1970) and with most materials or books for each class also to be provided by the parents, but generally bought secondhand from the previous year or from a Glasgow secondhand bookshop, ABC Educational. Many books held by students had a series of names of former owners on the fly leaf, running back to the date of that edition. All books had to be covered in brown paper to ensure longevity. Glasgow High was also commonly known as a "selective school", because entrance, at Primary 5 and at First Year in secondary, was by examination and interview. The result of this was that the school was populated by very intelligent and usually highly dedicated children, from a mix of backgrounds. The academic standard attained by the pupils was the highest in Scotland, outperforming the private sector, year on year.

From the late 1960s onwards, political debate developed about the future of grant aided schools, as they appeared to some to be anachronistic in the era of comprehensive education, and in the battle that ensued, former pupil Teddy Taylor MP fought for the continuation of the process. However, from 1971, as a result of a policy adopted by the Labour local council and not opposed by the Conservative government, The High School of Glasgow was slowly run down - admitting no new students after 1972 - until the limited student numbers rendered the school no longer viable as an independent entity. It was a deeply saddening time for those who stayed, as the school was closed through moratorium on entry, and first the primary school and then First and Second Years disappeared from the school. Parts of the school became locked down and the more ambitious and younger teachers left to pursue their careers elsewhere. Throughout all of this a core of dedicated teachers remained, some of whom were excellent, including the exceptionally intelligent, authoritarian and acerbic rector, Dr David Lees. There was a Dunkirk Spirit among the student body, most of whom understood the politics and the available options. Many, if not most, remained proud of their institution, whilst watching resources depleting and former glories becoming more distant.

Every year there had been class photographs taken, but in October 1975 the Glasgow Herald came to photograph the entire student body in one snap. In the academic year 1975-76 there were only around 300 boys in the school. In lines of benches, all boys and teachers stood together as if ready for the application of the blindfolds, in the playground within the quadrangle between blocks B, C and D, the sheds, the steps, the toilets and the Janitors' houses. When the school closed its doors on Wednesday 30 June 1976,those who left at that time became a former student body, three years deep, known as "the Class of 76". Although the name would continue in the future for those with the money to sustain it as a fee-paying school, this was the end of the egalitarian, aggressively intelligent Glasgow institution known as the High School of Glasgow.

In 1976, the regional council closed the Boy's High School, while the Girls' High School began admitting boys and was renamed as Cleveden Secondary School.[4] The proposed closure was met with anger from former pupils and, the day after the closure of the Boys' High School, the new, independent, co-educational High School was created, following a merger involving the former pupils' association, the Glasgow High School Club, and Drewsteignton School in Bearsden, which effectively became the new High School.

Some of the members of the last High School intakes continued their education at other former Glasgow selective schools; most notably, around forty boys transferred to Hillhead High School to take Higher or CSYS examinations.

Today

Embroidery of the School badge, showing the items from the Glasgow Story and the School's motto

The new, purpose-built Senior School (Transitus to S6) is set among the playing-fields of Old Anniesland, owned by the Glasgow High School Club (below). There have been multiple extensions to these buildings, including the two-storey science block. The Junior School (Kindergarten to P6) occupies the site of the former Drewsteignton School, on Ledcameroch Road in Old Bearsden and recently underwent extension work. The Headmistress of the Junior School is Karen Waugh.

The School maintains the Christian nature of its foundation in Glasgow Cathedral. The Senior School holds daily whole-school assemblies, which include hymns and a reading as well as announcements and the presentation of awards achieved by pupils in curricular or extra-curricular activities.

Houses

Pupils at the School are divided into the following Houses:

The School operates a house competition, and pupils may earn points for their house through excellence in areas such as sports, music, academia. The current holder of the overall house championship is Moore House. The Junior School Houses take their names from British lifeboats: Broughtyferry (red), Campbelltown (blue), Lizard (green) and Longhope (yellow).

Glasgow High School Club

Glasgow High School Club
Location
President
Honorary President
Barrie Stobo (2012-2013)
The Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden
Websitehttp://ghscl.org.uk/

The Glasgow High School Club is the former pupil club of the High School and its predecessor schools, the High School for Boys, the Girls' High School and Drewsteignton School.[5]

The Club is a limited company,[5] run by a committee and a President, who is elected annually. The President for year 2012-2013 was Mr. Barrie Stobo,[6] and the Past President Mr. Colin N. Kerr.[6] The Honorary President is The Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden, and the Rector of the School, Mr. Colin Mair, is an ex officio member. The rest of the committee comprises three Honorary Vice Presidents, Senior Vice President, Junior Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, House Convenor, seven Ordinary Members, GHK Rugby President, Triathlon Representative, President of the Ladies' Section and President of Ladies' Hockey.[7]

The Club owns Old Anniesland, the site on which the School now stands, and is based in the pavilion. The Club runs all the facilities at Old Anniesland, including the recently constructed Jimmie Ireland Stand but excluding the school. Use of the Club's facilities is restricted to members. The Club runs a number of sports teams, although the former Glasgow High Kelvinside (GHK) rugby club merged in 1997 with rivals Glasgow Academicals FC to form Glasgow Hawks. The name was intended as an acronym of High, Accies, West (of Scotland) and Kelvinside, however West of Scotland declined the invitation to merge into the new team and continue to play separately from their ground in Bearsden. The friendly rivalry with the Glasgow Accies, based at neighbouring New Anniesland, inspired the name of the Anniesland Trophy, an annual golf competition between the Clubs.

The Club also has an active London branch, The London Club,[8] which hosts a dinner every March at the Caledonian Club and a lunch in early October for recent leavers moving to study in London. The London Club also runs a number of sports teams, particularly golf.

Notable alumni

See also: Category:People educated at the High School of Glasgow
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, Prime Minister
Bonar Law, Prime Minister
Sir John Moore, General
Lord Clyde, General
William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen
Joseph Dalton Hooker, botanist
Thomas Campbell, poet

Notable former pupils of the High School have included two Prime Ministers, the founder of the University of Aberdeen, the current and most recent Principals of the University of Glasgow and numerous judges and Law Officers, including the current Lord President of the Court of Session, as well as politicians, businessmen and academics.

Academia

Arts

Business

Law

Media

Military

Politics

Religion

Science

Sport

Notable Staff

Notes

  1. ^ "Annual Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving". High School of Glasgow. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  2. ^ "Parent Power: The High School of Glasgow". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 15 November 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Historical Perspective for Glasgow (section The High School of Glasgow)". Gazetter for Scotland. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  4. ^ a b Kelvindale history and schooling
  5. ^ a b Glasgow High School Club Limited
  6. ^ a b "The Club Committee of the Glasgow High School Club".
  7. ^ Glasgow High School Club Limited: Committee
  8. ^ London Club

55°53′13″N 4°19′38″W / 55.88694°N 4.32722°W / 55.88694; -4.32722

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