Menzieshill High School
Encyclopedia
Established in 1968, Menzieshill High School is a secondary school
in the Menzieshill area of Dundee
, Scotland
. The current headteacher is Helen Gray.
, Menzieshill
, Charleston
, Lochee
and Dryburgh
catchment areas of Dundee, as well as the villages of Longforgan
and Inchture
. This area consists of a mixture of privately owned and council housing. The feeder primary schools are:-
: Aberfeldy, Fortingall
, Weem
and Culdares which are all named after Scottish villages. Pupils are placed into a House randomly upon admission, or depending on previous or current family allegiances. Points can be won for the Houses by winning sporting events or being involved in charity work on the school's behalf with the aim to compete for the House Championship. For each House, there is a male and female House captain, who are usually pupils in their Sixth Year, and a teacher who serves as Head of House.
The School Badge was designed to represent the school's ethos. It consists of a red, equilateral triangle supported by two grey trapezoids. The traingle represents the school; it is equilateral to show the school's commitment to equality of opportunity (as one of Dundee's first comprehensive schools, it did not select its pupils based on academic ability). The trapezoids represent the buildings immediately surrounding the school, many of which are grey and trapezoidal, whilst the green represents the abundant grassland that characterizes the area. The badge, therefore, shows that the school is at the heart of the community and is supported by it. Together, these elements form a stylized "M" for Menzieshill. Originally, the school colours were those of the school badge - bottle green, grey, and red - with the addition of black. The bottle-green blazers were highly distinctive but have been replaced by more traditional black ones. In the 1970s, the school uniform stipulated that other items had to be in "the school colours", which allowed pupils of both sexes to dress entirely (shirt, jumper, and trousers) in bottle-green or bright red if they so wished. Again, the current uniform stipulates black or grey for trousers, although there is some leeway for "self-coloured" shirts and jumpers.
, swimming
and football teams. The school football team has also established links to an American high school Calvert Hall College
and boys have visited the United States
, staying with families of pupils who attend the College. The Languages department of the school has maintained close ties with a French secondary school for the past two decades. An exchange programme is ran so that Second Year pupils can have a French pupil stay with them for a week then, the following year, the Menzieshill schoolchildren will travel to France
to stay with their French counterpart.
Responsible pupils in their Fifth and Sixth Year can volunteer to act as prefects, taking on various duties such as assisting teachers maintain discipline over break and lunch, take assemblies and guide visiting Primary Seven or new First Year pupils around the school. Every June, children who have excelled in school work or sporting activities are invited to the city's Caird Hall
where they are awarded merit certificates, prizes and trophies in front of proud fellow classmates, parents and teachers.
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 Menzieshill area of Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, 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...
. The current headteacher is Helen Gray.
Pupils
The school caters for one thousand pupils aged between eleven-and-a-half to eighteen in First to Sixth Year, and admits those who live in the Gowrie ParkGowrie Park
Gowrie Park is a residential area of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom. Sandwiched between Menzieshill and Dundee Technology Park, it is located in the western edge of the city. The Gowrie Park suburb was developed by local builders Bett Brothers in the 1970 and 80s and all homes are all privately...
, Menzieshill
Menzieshill
Menzieshill is an area of the city of Dundee, Scotland. It is located on the absolute west of the city and is immediately north west of Blackness and the West End, west of Lochee, east of Gowrie Park and south of Charleston...
, Charleston
Charleston, Dundee
Charleston is an area located on the northwest edge of Dundee, Scotland. Menzieshill is located to the immediate southwest, Camperdown borders it to the north, and Lochee is to the east. The area is home to two primary schools - Charleston Primary and St Clement's Primary - as well as a library...
, Lochee
Lochee
Lochee is an area in the west of Dundee, Scotland. Until the 19th century, it was a separate town, but was eventually surrounded by the expanding Dundee...
and Dryburgh
Dryburgh (Dundee district)
Dryburgh is the name of a district of Dundee, Scotland, home to The View. The band featured locations throughout the area in their video for their 2006 track Superstar Tradesman. The Dryburgh estate has been used for the band's 2007 videos for Skag Trendy and The Don...
catchment areas of Dundee, as well as the villages of Longforgan
Longforgan
Longforgan is a village and parish in the Carse of Gowrie, in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It lies west of Dundee on the main A90 road.-History:...
and Inchture
Inchture
Inchture is a village in Scotland on the A90 trunk road between Perth and Dundee on the northern side of the Firth of Tay. It is approximately nine miles from Dundee city centre and 13 miles from Perth centre...
. This area consists of a mixture of privately owned and council housing. The feeder primary schools are:-
- Gowriehill Primary SchoolGowriehill Primary SchoolGowriehill Primary School is a Scottish primary school in the Menzieshill area of Dundee, Scotland, established in August 1963. Nearly all the Gowriehill P7 pupils leave to go to Menzieshill High School.-Pupils:...
- Hillside Primary School
- Lochee Primary School
- Charleston Primary School
- Longforgan Primary School
- Inchture Primary School
School Houses
Pupils at the school are organised into four HousesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
: Aberfeldy, Fortingall
Fortingall
Fortingall is a small village in highland Perthshire, Scotland, in the glen of the River Lyon. Place-name Gaelic Fartairchill, 'church at the foot' . Its nearest sizable neighbours are Aberfeldy and Kenmore.According to legend it was the birthplace of Pontius Pilate...
, Weem
Weem
Weem is a village on the B846 near Aberfeldy in Perthshire, Scotland.The name Weem is derived from the Gaelic uaimh, meaning 'cave'....
and Culdares which are all named after Scottish villages. Pupils are placed into a House randomly upon admission, or depending on previous or current family allegiances. Points can be won for the Houses by winning sporting events or being involved in charity work on the school's behalf with the aim to compete for the House Championship. For each House, there is a male and female House captain, who are usually pupils in their Sixth Year, and a teacher who serves as Head of House.
School Day
The school day begins at 8.54am and ends at 3.40pm with a fifteen minute morning break and an hour long lunch break. There are six periods of lessons a day, each 52 minutes long. There is a 19 minute slot between first and second period when pupils assemble in their tutor groups. Tutor groups consist of two to three pupils from each year group and allow time for the daily school bulletin to be read out, along with any other information which pupils may require.School Badge and Colours
Academic Achievement
In terms of academic achievement the school has struggled in the past, although its Music and Art departments are highly rated; in 2009 less than 2 percent of its pupils achieve 5 Highers or more. The 2005 HMI inspection stated that while the school's facilities, curriculum and teaching were all "good", levels of academic attainment were "weak". It also cited a lack of mutual respect between staff and pupils and said that teachers did not feel as though they were given the opportunity to influence plans for the future direction of the school. Also because of the area and gangs of youth that attend this school respect for teachers will never happen so long as these gangs are allowed to operate throughout the school. The same report said that the school enjoys a "very good" partnership with parents and the local community.Extra Curricular Activities
Menzieshill High School provides a number of extra curricular clubs for pupils to participate in, including Science Club, chess and various music and sporting activities. A number of pupils have gone on to participate on an international level for the school water poloWater polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and football teams. The school football team has also established links to an American high school Calvert Hall College
Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School is a Catholic college preparatory high school for boys located in Towson, Maryland, United States...
and boys have visited the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, staying with families of pupils who attend the College. The Languages department of the school has maintained close ties with a French secondary school for the past two decades. An exchange programme is ran so that Second Year pupils can have a French pupil stay with them for a week then, the following year, the Menzieshill schoolchildren will travel to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to stay with their French counterpart.
Responsible pupils in their Fifth and Sixth Year can volunteer to act as prefects, taking on various duties such as assisting teachers maintain discipline over break and lunch, take assemblies and guide visiting Primary Seven or new First Year pupils around the school. Every June, children who have excelled in school work or sporting activities are invited to the city's Caird Hall
Caird Hall
The Caird Hall is the principal concert auditorium in Dundee, Scotland.Built between 1914 and 1923 and named after its benefactor, the jute baron James Key Caird, the Caird Hall regularly hosts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra....
where they are awarded merit certificates, prizes and trophies in front of proud fellow classmates, parents and teachers.