Hillhead High School
Encyclopedia
Hillhead High School is a day school
located in Glasgow
, Scotland, on Oakfield Avenue, neighbouring the University of Glasgow
. It is one of the largest schools in Glasgow
.
Until 1976 it was a selective school. In that year the local authority in Glasgow abolished the selectivity process and the school gradually became a comprehensive school serving its geographical catchment area of Glasgow's West End.
The X-shaped listed Main Building, acquired in the 1930s, is the larger of the two buildings, and is where most pupils begin their studies. Most of the school's classrooms and offices are situated on its four floors. Its departments include Drama
, Music
, Physical Education
, English
, Art
, Mathematics
, Modern Languages, Home Economics
and most recently and controversially, Hair and Beauty. Also in the Main Building is the library
, where a career and exam advisor makes biweekly appearances. The main building was designed by E G Wylie in 1921, and construction finished in 1929. It is now protected as a category B listed building.
Originally owned by the University of Glasgow, the Terrace Building was acquired by Hillhead in c.2001. Its five floors house the Information Technology
, Technical and Graphic Communication Studies, Geography
, Biology
, Physics
, Chemistry
, Modern Studies
and History
departments, including their classrooms and accompanying staff rooms. This building is used primarily for applied studies.
to ten pin bowling. Students who take part in extracurricular activities can alternatively use this time for additional practice. Pupils choose their desired activity at the start of each major term, for example when returning from the summer holidays. When participating in MTA, pupils are dismissed at 2:40 p.m. rather than the usual 3:30 p.m.
From the late 1970s until the mid 1990s, Hillhead High enjoyed a reputation for producing the best school shows in Glasgow. The tradition for staging quality musicals began in 1977 when Oklahoma!
was performed at Partick Burgh Halls as a result of a very successful collaboration between classics teacher Alistair Fulton and music teacher Irene McLennan. This partnership, over the following years, provided a chance for many pupils to develop their talents both on-stage and backstage. The growing popularity of the shows led to the decision to perform them at the Mitchell Theatre, which helped to add to the professionalism of the productions. In 1985, to celebrate the school's centenary, a special version of The Music Man
was produced, which featured several former pupils as cast members. Culminating the partnership between Fulton and McLennan was the Scottish premiere of Li'l Abner
in the summer of 1992, after which McLennan retired. In 1994 Fulton again produced Oklahoma! as his farewell show before also retiring. The following year Calamity Jane
was produced by a new production team consisting of two music teachers and two English teachers, and was very well received. However this proved to be the final show after a run of nearly twenty years. The tradition still provides some of the fondest memories for ex-pupils, many of whom went on to pursue careers in art, drama and music, having been inspired after their involvement in the shows.
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
located in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland, on Oakfield Avenue, neighbouring the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
. It is one of the largest schools in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
Until 1976 it was a selective school. In that year the local authority in Glasgow abolished the selectivity process and the school gradually became a comprehensive school serving its geographical catchment area of Glasgow's West End.
School facilities
The school has two buildings, the Main Building and the Terrace Building. It also uses the nearby Wellington Church for mass assemblies at October, Christmas, Easter and Summer.The X-shaped listed Main Building, acquired in the 1930s, is the larger of the two buildings, and is where most pupils begin their studies. Most of the school's classrooms and offices are situated on its four floors. Its departments include Drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
, English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, Art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Modern Languages, Home Economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
and most recently and controversially, Hair and Beauty. Also in the Main Building is the library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, where a career and exam advisor makes biweekly appearances. The main building was designed by E G Wylie in 1921, and construction finished in 1929. It is now protected as a category B listed building.
Originally owned by the University of Glasgow, the Terrace Building was acquired by Hillhead in c.2001. Its five floors house the Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, Technical and Graphic Communication Studies, Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, Modern Studies
Modern Studies
Modern Studies is a subject unique to the Scottish secondary school curriculum , that is concerned with the study of local, national and international issues from a social, political and economic perspective...
and History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
departments, including their classrooms and accompanying staff rooms. This building is used primarily for applied studies.
Minority Time Activity
Hillhead High School is the only school in Glasgow which has implemented Minority Time Activity (MTA). On Friday afternoons, teachers host activities ranging from footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
to ten pin bowling. Students who take part in extracurricular activities can alternatively use this time for additional practice. Pupils choose their desired activity at the start of each major term, for example when returning from the summer holidays. When participating in MTA, pupils are dismissed at 2:40 p.m. rather than the usual 3:30 p.m.
School music
During the 1960s, under John McKendrick, the school developed a widely respected tradition for orchestral and chamber music, regularly coming first in the Glasgow Music Festival. At the height of its success the combined schools boasted three symphony orchestras, several wind ensembles and string ensembles, a madrigal group and a primary boys' choir. This last choir, under John McIntosh, participated in a performance of Carmina Burana with the SNO.From the late 1970s until the mid 1990s, Hillhead High enjoyed a reputation for producing the best school shows in Glasgow. The tradition for staging quality musicals began in 1977 when Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
was performed at Partick Burgh Halls as a result of a very successful collaboration between classics teacher Alistair Fulton and music teacher Irene McLennan. This partnership, over the following years, provided a chance for many pupils to develop their talents both on-stage and backstage. The growing popularity of the shows led to the decision to perform them at the Mitchell Theatre, which helped to add to the professionalism of the productions. In 1985, to celebrate the school's centenary, a special version of The Music Man
The Music Man
The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with...
was produced, which featured several former pupils as cast members. Culminating the partnership between Fulton and McLennan was the Scottish premiere of Li'l Abner
Li'l Abner
Li'l Abner is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe, featuring a fictional clan of hillbillies in the impoverished town of Dogpatch, Kentucky. Written and drawn by Al Capp , the strip ran for 43 years, from August 13, 1934 through...
in the summer of 1992, after which McLennan retired. In 1994 Fulton again produced Oklahoma! as his farewell show before also retiring. The following year Calamity Jane
Calamity Jane
Martha Jane Cannary Burke , better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, and professional scout best known for her claim of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok, but also for having gained fame fighting Native Americans...
was produced by a new production team consisting of two music teachers and two English teachers, and was very well received. However this proved to be the final show after a run of nearly twenty years. The tradition still provides some of the fondest memories for ex-pupils, many of whom went on to pursue careers in art, drama and music, having been inspired after their involvement in the shows.
Notable former pupils
- Stanley BaxterStanley BaxterStanley Baxter is a Scottish comic actor and impressionist, best known for his British television shows. He worked in radio, theatre, television and film.-Early life:...
, comedian (Parliamo Glasgow) - Menzies CampbellMenzies CampbellSir Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, CBE, QC, MP is a British Liberal Democrat politician and advocate, and a retired sprinter. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Fife, and was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007.Campbell held the British record...
, advocateAdvocateAn advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
and politician - Shahbaz Chauhdry, contestant on Big Brother UK series 7
- Josephine Pleasence, maiden & stage name Josephine Crombie, actress and singer. Wife of Donald PleasenceDonald PleasenceSir Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE, was a British actor who gained more than 200 screen credits during a career which spanned over four decades...
- Alastair DunnettAlastair DunnettSir Alastair MacTavish Dunnett was a Scottish journalist and newspaper editor. He edited The Daily Record newspaper for nine years and The Scotsman newspaper from 1956 to 1972. In 1975 he became chairman of Thomson Scottish Petroleum and was much involved in the establishment of the oil...
, journalist and newspaper editor - Laura FraserLaura FraserLaura Fraser is a Scottish actress.-Early life:Fraser is the daughter of Rose, a college lecturer and nurse, and Alister Fraser, a scriptwriter who also worked in business. She attended Hillhead High School and is a former member of the Scottish Youth Theatre...
, actor - Gordon JacksonGordon Jackson (actor)Gordon Cameron Jackson, OBE was a Scottish Emmy Award-winning actor best remembered for his roles as the butler Angus Hudson in Upstairs, Downstairs and George Cowley, the head of CI5, in The Professionals....
, actor - Janice HallyJanice HallyJanice Hally is a Scottish playwright and television screenwriter who has written more than 300 broadcast hours of prime-time British television drama serials and individual screenplays...
playwright and scriptwriter - Ian MacGregorIan MacGregorSir Ian Kinloch MacGregor, KBE was a Scottish-American metallurgist and industrialist, most famous in the UK for his controversial tenure at British Steel and his conduct during the 1984-1985 miner's strike while managing the National Coal Board.-Early life:Born in Kinlochleven, Scotland, his...
, metallurgist and industrialist, antagonist in the UK miners' strike (1984-1985). - Alexander MackendrickAlexander MackendrickAlexander Mackendrick was a Scottish American director and teacher. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and later moved to Scotland...
, film director - Alistair MacLeanAlistair MacLeanAlistair Stuart MacLean was a Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers or adventure stories, the best known of which are perhaps The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare, all three having been made into successful films...
, author - Saul MetzsteinSaul Metzstein-Selected films:*Dredd Second unit director*Micro Men starring Alexander Armstrong and Martin Freeman*Guy X starring Jason Biggs and Natascha McElhone*Late Night Shopping -External links:...
, film directorFilm directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... - Walter OwenWalter OwenWalter Owen was a Scottish translator transplanted to the Argentine Pampas. His career is an excellent example of how the translator can open up a key aspect of a culture to readers in another language. Born in Glasgow, he spent much of his boyhood in Montevideo and as an adult returned to the...
, translator of S.American poetry (Argentine gaucho epic Martin Fierro, etc.) - Robert ServiceRobert W. ServiceRobert William Service was a poet and writer who has often been called "the Bard of the Yukon".Service is best known for his poems "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and "The Cremation of Sam McGee", from his first book, Songs of a Sourdough...
, poet - Shuna Scott SendallShuna Scott SendallShuna Scott Sendall; born 28 December 1975, is a Scottish soprano opera singer. She is presently best known as the 2010 winner of the BBC Radio 2 Kiri Prize competition.-Biography:...
, soprano - Jean TurnerJean TurnerDr. Jean McGivern Turner is a former Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament for Strathkelvin and Bearsden....
, former Independent MSP - Jonathan WatsonJonathan WatsonJonathan Watson is a Scottish comedian and impressionist best known for his comedy sketch show Only an Excuse?, which parodies people and events from the world of Scottish football. Watson also regularly appeared on Tam Cowan's Offside television programme on BBC One Scotland where he performed a...
, comedian. (Only an Excuse?) - James Alfred Wight, writer (pen namePen nameA pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
: James HerriotJames HerriotJames Herriot was the pen name of James Alfred Wight, OBE, FRCVS also known as Alf Wight , an English veterinary surgeon and writer, who used his many years of experiences as a veterinarian to write a series of books of stories about animals and their owners...
)
External links
- Hillhead High's official website
- Hillhead High School's page on Scottish Schools Online
- League tables for the school — Taken from BBC Education