Calderglen High School, commonly referred to as Calderglen, is a state-run secondary school

Secondary school

Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...

 in the St Leonards

St Leonards, East Kilbride

St Leonards is an area of the Scottish new town East Kilbride, in South Lanarkshire.St Leonards is a residential area on the east side of the town. The majority of the area's streets are named after Glens, Islands and Lochs from Scotland, for instance: Loch Shin, Loch Assynt, Glen Carron, Glen...

 area of the Scottish

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...

 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...

 East Kilbride

East Kilbride

East Kilbride is a large suburban town in the South Lanarkshire council area, in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland. Designated as Scotland's first new town in 1947, it forms part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation...

, in South Lanarkshire

South Lanarkshire

South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....

. The complex of buildings is situated on the precipitous bank of the Rotten Calder Water, overlooking a meander named the School Bend. The school derives its name from the Calder glen (gorge) which the afore-mentioned river occupies, and represents a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). The school has a pupil roll of approximately 2,000, and 130 teachers, making it one of the largest secondary-level education institutions in Europe. The School's houses are named Cameron, Torrance, and Struthers. Cameron is derived from Jean Cameron of Blacklaw involved in the Jacobite Rebellion and who lived nearby. Torrance is derived from the historic estate of Torrance situated within Calderglen, and former home for many centuries to the families of Hamilton and Stuart. Struthers is derived from the poet of the former forfaulds cottage in Calderwood, who became famous for his rustic works.

The school was established after the merger of Hunter High School and Claremont High School

Claremont High School (East Kilbride)

Not to be confused with other schools with the same name, see Claremont High School for details.Claremont High School was a non-denominational, state-funded secondary school in East Kilbride...

. Calderglen occupies the site of the former Claremont High, and was opened on 18 February 2008, in a new purpose-built building. The campus is shared with Sanderson High School, a special school catering for students with learning difficulties.

Modernisation

The schools of Hunter and Claremont High School (East Kilbride)

Claremont High School (East Kilbride)

Not to be confused with other schools with the same name, see Claremont High School for details.Claremont High School was a non-denominational, state-funded secondary school in East Kilbride...

 were in need of renewal due to wear and tear of the buildings. Leaks had started and asbestos

Asbestos

Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...

 damage was becoming a major issue. After consideration by South Lanarkshire Council, it was proposed to merge the two, and rename the new school Calderglen High. The other four high schools in East Kilbride have also merged into another two new schools.

Construction of the school started in 2004/2005 next to the existing Claremont building in St Leonards, and was to be ready at the start of the 2007/2008 school year, but was completed 6 months late. The Claremont building has been demolished and in its place is a new all-weather sports pitch facility.

Controversy

Demolition of the Hunter High School building has caused some controversy among the local people, mainly due to concerns over the asbestos within the structure. Demolition has been delayed, leading to problems with anti-social behaviour

Anti-social behaviour

Anti-social behaviour is behaviour that lacks consideration for others and that may cause damage to society, whether intentionally or through negligence, as opposed to pro-social behaviour, behaviour that helps or benefits society...

, such as youths drinking within the derelict building. However, the school was finally demolished and a new housing scheme is currently under construction in the former location of Hunter high.

Footnote Magazine

Footnote Magazine has won awards for the interviews and articles contained within it. It is the school magazine that has been running since 2008. (Formally known as The Calderglen Times)

Notable former pupils

Notable alumni of Calderglen's predecessor schools, Claremont and Hunter, include footballer and current Rangers F.C.

Rangers F.C.

Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

 manager Ally McCoist

Ally McCoist

Alistair Murdoch "Ally" McCoist, MBE ; 24 September 1962) is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Rangers in Scotland....

, television presenter Lorraine Kelly

Lorraine Kelly

Lorraine Kelly is a Scottish television presenter, journalist and actress, best known as a presenter for TV-am, and later GMTV and ITV Breakfast, on Lorraine.-Early life:...

, actor John Hannah

John Hannah (actor)

John David Hannah is a Scottish actor of film and television. He has appeared in Stephen Sommers' Mummy Series, Richard Curtis' Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow...

, and MSP and former health minister Andy Kerr.

Head teachers

The headmaster of Calderglen is Tony McDaid, There are also Deputy head teachers for each individual year, with Mrs June Watters as the head of first year, Mrs Brenda McLachlan for second year, Mr Jim Young for third year, Mr Michael Brady for fourth year, Mrs Elizabeth White for fifth year and finally, Mrs Odette Frazer as the head of sixth year.

Faculties

Within the school there are 11 departments known as faculties:

• Art and Design/Technology
• Biology and Chemistry
• Business Education and ICT
• English
• Geography and Modern Studies
• History and RMPS
• Mathematics
• Modern Languages and Gaelic
• Performing Arts
• Physical Education and Home Economics
• Science and Physics