Craigmount High School
Encyclopedia
For the former private school see Craigmount School
.
Craigmount High School is a non-denominational secondary school in Edinburgh, Scotland with 1400 pupils located in the west of Edinburgh
, Scotland
. It moved into new premises at the beginning of the 2003 academic year. The current headteacher is Dr. John Campbell.
the school was catering for more pupils than it was designed for and the low-quality fabric of the building was deteriorating fast. It was obvious that something had to be done and, with renovation of the existing building looking expensive and difficult, the decision was taken to build a new school. In the summer of 2003 work began on the new building under a PPP (Public-Private Partnership
) scheme which involved selling the existing building and the upper sports pitches to a property developer. The new building was built on the site of the old playing fields. Work was completed on schedule and staff and pupils moved into the school in August 2003.
Once a year, Craigmount holds a three day alternative timetable when upwards of fifty activities are offered to students in years S1, S2 and S3. Students can choose between three single day courses, one three day course or even a week long excursion abroad.
In addition to this week several annual trips take place organised by various departments of the school. The music department runs a tour every two years (locations have included Paris
2000, Brittany
2002, Barcelona
2004, Austria
2006, The Netherlands 2008, and Germany
2010). The history department runs a trip to the WWI trenches in Belgium
each year. The music department is one of Craigmount's great successes, with credit due to the heads of departments; Linda Stewart who held the position until 2007 and Fiona Morrison who is the current head of department.
The school runs a musical production or play every year which is run by either a senior student or a drama teacher. Recent productions include Les Miserables (directed by Nick Hayes), Hired Man (directed by Nick Hayes), Battle of the Bands (directed by Laura Thompson), Little Shop of Horrors (directed by Gavin Laing), Bold Girls (directed by Sam Farr), Black Comedy (directed by Amy Stuart, Claire Dougherty and Emma Hindle) and The Wedding Singer (directed by Tom Chalmers, Neil Christy and Adam Brand)
The school debating club has enjoyed considerable success in recent years, competing regularly with other local and national teams. In 2007 two S6 pupils won the Scottish Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Tournament, beating three independent schools to win the title. In 2010, Gavin Todd and Adam Brand reached the Grand Finals of the Scottish Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Tournament, coming in 2nd place after a debate held in the Scottish Parliament debating chamber. Following this, in 2011, Euan Stamper and Joseph Deans reached the Semi-Finals of the Scottish Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Tournament, beating many other schools to get that far. Shortly after this, also in 2011, Aparna Potluru reached the grand finals of the ESU (English-Speaking Union) public speaking competition and came in what was a very close 2nd place. Aparna was said to be the only state school in the Scottish finals of this competition and she has beaten many schools to gain this position.
The school Photography Club provides many of the school's needs in the area of photography, including the school planners, Christmas Cards, and promotion posters, as well as providing students with a better eye in photography.
Craigmount also runs an Achievers International Group whereby students, particularly gifted in the area of business studies, are invited to join and run an international trade business; trading goods and services with schools around the world in countries such as the USA, Germany and Spain.
Craigmount School
For the modern high school see Craigmount High School.Craigmount School was a private school originally for boys, but for most of its history for girls, in Edinburgh. It opened in 1874 and closed in 1966. In its short history, it produced a number of notable alumni.-History:Craigmount was founded...
.
Craigmount High School is a non-denominational secondary school in Edinburgh, Scotland with 1400 pupils located in the west of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It moved into new premises at the beginning of the 2003 academic year. The current headteacher is Dr. John Campbell.
History
The first school premises were built in 1970 on the site of a farm to provide accommodation for increasing numbers of pupils from new housing developments. The school's distinctive 1970s architecture and campus layout provided flexible accommodation and space. However, various design faults result in the science corridor being too narrow and the dining hall not being able to hold all of the students. The school also contains an extensive music department and drama studio. However the design of the drama studio is also often criticised with complaints made about lack of size, audience and stage space, shape and design amongst many other issues.New building
By the late 1990s1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
the school was catering for more pupils than it was designed for and the low-quality fabric of the building was deteriorating fast. It was obvious that something had to be done and, with renovation of the existing building looking expensive and difficult, the decision was taken to build a new school. In the summer of 2003 work began on the new building under a PPP (Public-Private Partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
) scheme which involved selling the existing building and the upper sports pitches to a property developer. The new building was built on the site of the old playing fields. Work was completed on schedule and staff and pupils moved into the school in August 2003.
Sport
Sporting activities in Craigmount High School include:- CurlingCurlingCurling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Football
- Jiu JitsuJujutsuJujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
- GymnasticsGymnasticsGymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
- BadmintonBadmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
- Mountain BikingMountain bikingMountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
- HockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
- NetballNetballNetball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
- American FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
- RugbyRugby footballRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
Extracurricular activities
The School has an Environmental Management group who works to improve the school's environmental impact and the area around the school. The school has achieved the Silver Eco schools award and is continuing on to its Green Flag Award. The Eco Committee is made up of staff, students and parents.Once a year, Craigmount holds a three day alternative timetable when upwards of fifty activities are offered to students in years S1, S2 and S3. Students can choose between three single day courses, one three day course or even a week long excursion abroad.
In addition to this week several annual trips take place organised by various departments of the school. The music department runs a tour every two years (locations have included Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
2000, Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
2002, Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
2004, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
2006, The Netherlands 2008, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
2010). The history department runs a trip to the WWI trenches in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
each year. The music department is one of Craigmount's great successes, with credit due to the heads of departments; Linda Stewart who held the position until 2007 and Fiona Morrison who is the current head of department.
The school runs a musical production or play every year which is run by either a senior student or a drama teacher. Recent productions include Les Miserables (directed by Nick Hayes), Hired Man (directed by Nick Hayes), Battle of the Bands (directed by Laura Thompson), Little Shop of Horrors (directed by Gavin Laing), Bold Girls (directed by Sam Farr), Black Comedy (directed by Amy Stuart, Claire Dougherty and Emma Hindle) and The Wedding Singer (directed by Tom Chalmers, Neil Christy and Adam Brand)
The school debating club has enjoyed considerable success in recent years, competing regularly with other local and national teams. In 2007 two S6 pupils won the Scottish Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Tournament, beating three independent schools to win the title. In 2010, Gavin Todd and Adam Brand reached the Grand Finals of the Scottish Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Tournament, coming in 2nd place after a debate held in the Scottish Parliament debating chamber. Following this, in 2011, Euan Stamper and Joseph Deans reached the Semi-Finals of the Scottish Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Tournament, beating many other schools to get that far. Shortly after this, also in 2011, Aparna Potluru reached the grand finals of the ESU (English-Speaking Union) public speaking competition and came in what was a very close 2nd place. Aparna was said to be the only state school in the Scottish finals of this competition and she has beaten many schools to gain this position.
The school Photography Club provides many of the school's needs in the area of photography, including the school planners, Christmas Cards, and promotion posters, as well as providing students with a better eye in photography.
Craigmount also runs an Achievers International Group whereby students, particularly gifted in the area of business studies, are invited to join and run an international trade business; trading goods and services with schools around the world in countries such as the USA, Germany and Spain.
Headteachers
- Dr. John J. Campbell - (2006-Present)
- Mr. John Fraser - (1999-2005)
- Mr. Andrew Bruce - (1993-9)
- Mr. William Trotter - (1970-93)
Notable former pupils
- Keith Shannon, Ambassador to Moldova since 2009
- Michael StewartMichael Stewart (footballer)Michael James Stewart is a Scottish footballer who is currently a free agent after his release by Charlton Athletic. He is notable for beginning his career with Manchester United and having played for both of the Edinburgh derby rivals Hibernian and Hearts. He terminated his contract with Turkish...
- Professional footballer who has played for Manchester United, Hearts, Hibs and Charlton Athletic - Richard Baillie - Independent film producer
- We Were Promised JetpacksWe Were Promised JetpacksWe Were Promised Jetpacks is an indie rock band from Edinburgh, Scotland, comprising Adam Thompson , Michael Palmer , Sean Smith and Darren Lackie...
- Indie band