Cumbernauld High School
Encyclopedia
Cumbernauld High School was the first comprehensive
secondary school in the then 'New Town
' of Cumbernauld
. It opened in 1964 and is a non-denominational, co-educational, secondary school. It is affectionately known by pupils and former pupils as "Cumby High".
, Kildrum
, Abronhill
, Carbrain
, Seafar
, Castlecary
, Westerwood, Dullatur
, Craigmarloch
, Carrickstone Vale and Airdrie
. Its associated feeder primary schools are Carbrain primary, Cumbernauld primary, Kildrum primary
and Ravenswood primary.
The school is situated in a large area to the south of the Kildrum Ring Road.http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=pc&gazString=G67%202UF It is bordered on the east and backs onto extensive woodland. The predominantly brick-built structure forms around the Robert Burns
building which consists of three tower blocks and houses most of the classrooms. These blocks are now known as A, B and C Blocks. In the past these were referred to as Boys, Girls and Senior Blocks respectively, with each having its own dining room. The James Watt
building houses the technical workshops and classrooms. The David Livingstone
building houses the science labs, art and home economics classrooms. There are also extensive playing fields and indoor sports facilities, including a swimming pool.
There are currently four houses in the school; all are named after geographical regions in Scotland: Argyll
, Braemar
, Campsie
and Dunkeld
. The Dunkeld house was a new addition and was created near the start of the 2010–2011 session.
The school has a highly respected supported learning unit, which provides on-site support for pupils with special and additional learning needs. There is also a flourishing performing arts unit which presents major musicals on a bi-annual basis with annual summer concerts and Christmas performances. With emphasis on extracurricular music tuition, the school has both an excellent soul and samba band.
first secondary school and therefore totemic, it was finished to an exceptionally high standard for the era, with teak and mahogany used widely throughout.
There were originally four school houses named after famous Scottish historical figures: Livingstone (David Livingstone
), Watt (James Watt
), Stevenson (Robert Louis Stevenson
) and Burns (Robert Burns
).
Pupils attended from the surrounding villages including Luggiebank and Castlecary
and after the closure of Twechar
Primary School's Junior Secondary Department in 1966, pupils were sent to Cumbernauld High School until the new Kirkintilloch High School
opened in 1972.
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
secondary school in the then 'New Town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
' of Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld is a Scottish new town in North Lanarkshire. It was created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow City. It is the eighth most populous settlement in Scotland and the largest in North Lanarkshire...
. It opened in 1964 and is a non-denominational, co-educational, secondary school. It is affectionately known by pupils and former pupils as "Cumby High".
Overview
Cumbernauld High covers the Scottish education system's stages S1 to S6 Scottish education system and whilst it has the capacity for 1100 pupils, the current roll is currently around 600. The school draws students from Cumbernauld and the surrounding area and includes Cumbernauld VillageCumbernauld Village
Cumbernauld Village is an area of the new town of Cumbernauld. Whilst Cumbernauld is a new town, having been first planned in 1956, the Village itself has a pre-mediaeval history, with a Roman settlement being built in the area due to its proximity to the Antonine Wall...
, Kildrum
Kildrum
Kildrum was the first area to be constructed in Cumbernauld new town. The main road is in the shape of an arc with residential streets leading from it...
, Abronhill
Abronhill
Abronhill is a suburb in the south-eastern quarter of Cumbernauld, a new town in North Lanarkshire, about 15 miles from Glasgow, Scotland. The suburb was possibly the last built using the same basic design guidelines employed by the rest of Cumbernauld...
, Carbrain
Carbrain, Cumbernauld
Carbrain is a neighborhood in the Scottish new town of Cumbernauld in North Lanarkshire. Construction of Cumbernauld began in 1963, and most areas of Carbrain were inhabited by the early 1970s. For the first several years, Carbrain was considered to be highly desirable as an escape from poor...
, Seafar
Seafar
Seafar is an area of the town of Cumbernauld.Seafar is south of the A80 trunk road and is bordered by Seafar wood, planted at the time of the construction of the town. The area was the second built in the new town of Cumbernauld, its many streets are named after famous Scottish sports heroes...
, Castlecary
Castlecary
Castlecary is a small village on the border between the North Lanarkshire and Falkirk council areas in Scotland. It is close to the new town of Cumbernauld....
, Westerwood, Dullatur
Dullatur
Dullatur is a village within the vicinity of Cumbernauld, Scotland. Its name is anglicised from the Gaelic "Dubh Leitir", which means dark slope...
, Craigmarloch
Craigmarloch, Cumbernauld
Craigmarloch is a residential area of the town of Cumbernauld in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was the last such area that the Cumbernauld Development Corporation laid out and began construction of. The area is designed to be like a village, with features such as a village green, a main street,...
, Carrickstone Vale and Airdrie
Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...
. Its associated feeder primary schools are Carbrain primary, Cumbernauld primary, Kildrum primary
Gillespie, Kidd & Coia
Gillespie, Kidd & Coia were a Scottish architectural firm famous for their application of modernism in churches and universities, as well as at St Peter's Seminary in Cardross. Though founded in 1927, it is for their work in the post-war period that they are best known...
and Ravenswood primary.
The school is situated in a large area to the south of the Kildrum Ring Road.http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=pc&gazString=G67%202UF It is bordered on the east and backs onto extensive woodland. The predominantly brick-built structure forms around the Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
building which consists of three tower blocks and houses most of the classrooms. These blocks are now known as A, B and C Blocks. In the past these were referred to as Boys, Girls and Senior Blocks respectively, with each having its own dining room. The James Watt
James Watt
James Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
building houses the technical workshops and classrooms. The David Livingstone
David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
building houses the science labs, art and home economics classrooms. There are also extensive playing fields and indoor sports facilities, including a swimming pool.
There are currently four houses in the school; all are named after geographical regions in Scotland: Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
, Braemar
Braemar
Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee sitting at an altitude of ....
, Campsie
Campsie Fells
The Campsie Fells are a range of hills in central Scotland, stretching east to west, from Denny Muir to Dumgoyne, in Stirlingshire. . The highest point in the range is Earl's Seat which is 578 m high...
and Dunkeld
Dunkeld
Dunkeld is a small town in Strathtay, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is about 15 miles north of Perth on the eastern side of the A9 road into the Scottish Highlands and on the opposite side of the Tay from the Victorian village of Birnam. Dunkeld and Birnam share a railway station, on the...
. The Dunkeld house was a new addition and was created near the start of the 2010–2011 session.
The school has a highly respected supported learning unit, which provides on-site support for pupils with special and additional learning needs. There is also a flourishing performing arts unit which presents major musicals on a bi-annual basis with annual summer concerts and Christmas performances. With emphasis on extracurricular music tuition, the school has both an excellent soul and samba band.
Statistics and performance
- Learning and Teaching Scotland http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/scottishschoolsonline/schools/cumbernauldhighschoolnorthlanarkshire.asp
- Latest HMIE report http://www.hmie.gov.uk/documents/followup/Cumbernauld%20HS%208357234%20FT.html
History
Built in the early 1960s to a modern design, it was designed to accommodate the needs of the rapidly swelling population of Cumbernauld and was a large school with places for over 1000 pupils. As the Cumbernauld Development Corporation'sCumbernauld
Cumbernauld is a Scottish new town in North Lanarkshire. It was created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow City. It is the eighth most populous settlement in Scotland and the largest in North Lanarkshire...
first secondary school and therefore totemic, it was finished to an exceptionally high standard for the era, with teak and mahogany used widely throughout.
There were originally four school houses named after famous Scottish historical figures: Livingstone (David Livingstone
David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
), Watt (James Watt
James Watt
James Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
), Stevenson (Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
) and Burns (Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
).
Pupils attended from the surrounding villages including Luggiebank and Castlecary
Castlecary
Castlecary is a small village on the border between the North Lanarkshire and Falkirk council areas in Scotland. It is close to the new town of Cumbernauld....
and after the closure of Twechar
Twechar
Twechar is a small former mining village in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies between the larger towns of Kirkintilloch and Kilsyth.The Forth and Clyde Canal runs close to the village to the north, and closely follows the line of the Antonine Wall...
Primary School's Junior Secondary Department in 1966, pupils were sent to Cumbernauld High School until the new Kirkintilloch High School
Kirkintilloch High School
Kirkintilloch High School is a six year co-educational secondary school located in the Oxgang area of Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland.-School roll:...
opened in 1972.
Notable former pupils
- Isobel BuchananIsobel BuchananIsobel Buchanan is a Scottish operatic soprano.-Early life and career:Isobel Buchanan was born in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1971, she received a scholarship to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where in 1974, she was awarded with Student of the Year prize...
, opera singer - Craig FergusonCraig FergusonCraig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
, comedian - Lynn FergusonLynn FergusonLynn Ferguson is a Scottish writer, actress, comedienne and presenter. She is the sister of comedian Craig Ferguson and is known for voicing the character of Mac in the animated film, Chicken Run.-Early life:...
, comedienne - Gregg McClymontGregg McClymontGregg McClymont is a Scottish Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East since 2010.-Background and personal life:...
, Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East - Gordon MacDonaldGordon MacDonald (Scottish politician)Gordon MacDonald is a Scottish politician, currently the Scottish National Party MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands.He was born in Glasgow and educated at Cumbernauld High School, the Central College of Commerce and the Glasgow College of Technology.MacDonald contested the seat of Edinburgh Pentlands in...
, Member of the Scottish ParliamentMember of the Scottish ParliamentMember of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
, Edinburgh Pentlands - Bristow MuldoonBristow MuldoonBristow Muldoon is a former Scottish Labour politician.He represented the constituency of Livingston in the Scottish Parliament from 1999 to 2007, but then lost the seat to Angela Constance of the SNP....
, former Member of the Scottish Parliament
Notable former teachers
- Liz LochheadLiz LochheadLiz Lochhead is a Scottish poet and dramatist, originally from Newarthill in North Lanarkshire.-Background:After attending Glasgow School of Art, Lochhead lectured in fine art for eight years before becoming a professional writer....
, poet and dramatist http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth154 - Margaret EwingMargaret EwingMargaret Anne Ewing was a Scottish National Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament and as a Member of the Scottish Parliament...
, MP East Dunbartonshire 1974-9, MP Moray 1987-2001, MSP Moray 1999-2005 (deceased)