Lornshill Academy
Encyclopedia
Lornshill Academy is a six year comprehensive school
situated in Alloa
, Clackmannanshire
, Scotland
. Approximately 1100 pupils are enrolled with the school. Lornshill currently employs approximately 83 teachers and 8 classroom assistants. Lornshill is currently associated with seven primaries – Craigbank, Clackmannan, Banchory, Fishcross, Deerpark, Abercromby and Saint Serfs.
The original Lornshill Academy, albeit a fairly modern school, had severe maintenance issues due to its geographical position on the side of a large hill which once housed several coalmines. The previous Lornshill has significantly sunk in recent years. Also, due to a lack of space many classes have to be held in makeshift huts. For these reasons, along with simply having the need to advance technologically, a new school was built. The new school has been completed and was opened in August 2009. The closing ceremony for the original Lornshill Academy was held on the 19th of June 2009, with the new school officially opening in the new term. Lornshill was the third and final secondary school in Clackmannanshire to open its new building. The new building is now situated at the top of the hill which gives both pupils and staff great views of the nearby ochil hills
from all three floors.
Pupils can be elected to both House and Pupil council, both of which exist in order for the school to have a more democratic system, granting the pupils a say in how the school should be run.
Another system in place within Lornshill is Peer Mediation. This is a system whereby pupils are able to confine to another pupil about issues they may have. A Peer Mediator can be identified by a characteristic purple tie.
Prefects are nominated at the end of 4th year, and are granted prefect authority at the beginning of 5th year. Generally speaking, all 6th years are automatically given prefect status. Head and depute head boys and girls are chosen in 6th year.
with white shirt and a lornshill tie. Yet again, in timing with the move to the new school building, a new uniform has been selected in which every pupil wears a shirt and tie – the tie varying with the yeargroup of the pupil. "Colours" are given to prefects which have excelled in sporting excellence to border their blazer. Peer Mediators are expected to wear a purple tie.
Each year the title of Junior-Dux
is given to the 3rd year pupil who is seen as top of the year academically speaking. A runnerup is given the title of Proxime Accessit.
The title of Dux
in selected in a similar fashion for those in 6th year. Again a Proxime Accessit is also chosen.
player Alan Hansen
was taught at Lornshill. He will also open the new school building.
Jack McConnell
taught Maths at Lornshill before his time. He provided the cutting of the "turning of the sod" ceremony.
On 9th September 2009, Alan Hansen
(former pupil and ex-footballer) was the main speaker at an open night where Council executives were in attendance.
On 15th September 2009 The Earl of Wessex , Prince Edward
performed the Royal Opening.
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...
situated in Alloa
Alloa
Alloa is a town and former burgh in Clackmannanshire, set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on on the north bank of the Firth of Forth close to the foot of the Ochil Hills, east of Stirling and north of Falkirk....
, Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
, 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...
. Approximately 1100 pupils are enrolled with the school. Lornshill currently employs approximately 83 teachers and 8 classroom assistants. Lornshill is currently associated with seven primaries – Craigbank, Clackmannan, Banchory, Fishcross, Deerpark, Abercromby and Saint Serfs.
The original Lornshill Academy, albeit a fairly modern school, had severe maintenance issues due to its geographical position on the side of a large hill which once housed several coalmines. The previous Lornshill has significantly sunk in recent years. Also, due to a lack of space many classes have to be held in makeshift huts. For these reasons, along with simply having the need to advance technologically, a new school was built. The new school has been completed and was opened in August 2009. The closing ceremony for the original Lornshill Academy was held on the 19th of June 2009, with the new school officially opening in the new term. Lornshill was the third and final secondary school in Clackmannanshire to open its new building. The new building is now situated at the top of the hill which gives both pupils and staff great views of the nearby ochil hills
Ochil Hills
The Ochil Hills is a range of hills in Scotland north of the Forth valley bordered by the towns of Stirling, Alloa, Kinross and Perth. The only major roads crossing the hills pass through Glen Devon/Glen Eagles and Glenfarg, the latter now largely replaced except for local traffic by the M90...
from all three floors.
Pupils
Lornshill has a clear organisational structure for its pupils. Each pupil is placed in one of three houses: Devon, Forbraes and Grange. Previously there was a 4th house named Ochil, and a 5th named Forth, however these were abolished due to a lack of need and also confusion due to having two houses beginning with F (for abbreviation) and the ambiguity of having a house beginning with O, which may be confused for the number 0. Pupils are normally of the ages 11 – 18 and are split into a standard S1-S6 (on rare occasion a pupil can apply to stay on for a further year after S6, referred to – simply – as S7). These years are then again split into 3 subgroups: Junior (S1-S2), Middle (S3-S4) and Senior (S5-S6).Pupils can be elected to both House and Pupil council, both of which exist in order for the school to have a more democratic system, granting the pupils a say in how the school should be run.
Another system in place within Lornshill is Peer Mediation. This is a system whereby pupils are able to confine to another pupil about issues they may have. A Peer Mediator can be identified by a characteristic purple tie.
Prefects are nominated at the end of 4th year, and are granted prefect authority at the beginning of 5th year. Generally speaking, all 6th years are automatically given prefect status. Head and depute head boys and girls are chosen in 6th year.
Uniform
Uniform is high on the agenda at Lornshill Academy. Originally a typical white poloshirt and black sweatshirt outfit was custom to Lornshill displaying the full Lornshill logo. This has since undergone major makeovers. The uniform then changed to display a much more subtle logo of the name of the school itself in a white typeface. This has both been positioned on both the sleeve and the chest area. Prefects are expected to wear a black blazerBlazer
A blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
with white shirt and a lornshill tie. Yet again, in timing with the move to the new school building, a new uniform has been selected in which every pupil wears a shirt and tie – the tie varying with the yeargroup of the pupil. "Colours" are given to prefects which have excelled in sporting excellence to border their blazer. Peer Mediators are expected to wear a purple tie.
School timetable
The school follows a fairly standard timetable. Pupils attend the school 5 days a week for equal lengths of time. School begins with a first bell at 9:03 AM, and a second at 9:05AM, by which time pupils must be in registration class, or else be recorded as late. The pupils are given two breaks: one referred to, simply, as break (or interval), at 11 o'clock until quarter past the hour and Lunch from 1 o'clock until 1:50 PM. The school day finishes at 3:40 PM. Each school day is split up into six periods (excluding tutorial). On Fridays tutorial is extended, which effects the beginnings and lengths of certain periods, but not the overall length of time spent at school.Award Schemes
Previously one award ceremony was carried out in the school's Game Hall awarding all award receiving pupils, at the end of each year. However due to the long windedness of the ceremony it is now split into smaller clusters of years.Each year the title of Junior-Dux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
is given to the 3rd year pupil who is seen as top of the year academically speaking. A runnerup is given the title of Proxime Accessit.
The title of Dux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
in selected in a similar fashion for those in 6th year. Again a Proxime Accessit is also chosen.
Notable former pupils
Former Liverpool F.C.Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
player Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
was taught at Lornshill. He will also open the new school building.
Notable former staff
Ex-First Minister of ScotlandFirst Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
Jack McConnell
Jack McConnell
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale is a British Labour life peer in the House of Lords. He was third First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament...
taught Maths at Lornshill before his time. He provided the cutting of the "turning of the sod" ceremony.
Events for the opening of the new school
The first day in the new building was 18th August 2009.On 9th September 2009, Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
(former pupil and ex-footballer) was the main speaker at an open night where Council executives were in attendance.
On 15th September 2009 The Earl of Wessex , Prince Edward
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
performed the Royal Opening.