Portobello High School
Encyclopedia
Portobello High School is a large secondary school
in Portobello
in the east of Edinburgh
. With 1450 pupils it is one of the largest state schools in Edinburgh and Scotland
. At one time it was the largest school in Europe mentioned in The Guinness Book of Records as having 2,500 pupils. The building is also one of the largest buildings in Edinburgh, however it is in a state of disrepair and is nominated for demolition. Portobello High School's current headteacher is Ms. Peigi MacArthur.
and has won three consecutive Green Flag award
s in 2003, 2005 and 2007. They became the first school in Scotland to achieve all three green flags. After the introduction of a fourth, permanent green flag into the Eco-schools scheme, Portobello was one of the first schools to achieve the accolade.
was originally founded as the rugby union
club for ex-pupils of PHS.
Option A proposed redeveloping the school on its existing site, augmented by the adjacent site of St John’s RC Primary School. Option B proposed redeveloping school on part of the golf-course area of Portobello Park. Option C proposed redeveloping school on part of the playing field area of Portobello Park.
The resulting report of the consultation recommended option C and this was approved by the Council in December 2006.
Protracted difficulties in identifying sufficient funding to progress all the schools intended for the next phase of redevelopment (the Wave 3 Schools) resulted in a prioritisation process in late 2008. Portobello High School was identified as the most urgent priority, and in December 2008 the City of Edinburgh Council committed £41M to the redevelopment of the school on the site identified by the 2006 consultation.
As a result, a design team was appointed in Spring 2009 with a Planning Application for the new school made in 2010.
Planning permission was granted in early 2011 after an extensive pre-planning consultation programme. On the 16th September 2011 Balfour Beatty where announced as the preferred choice to be awarded the contract to build the new school. Balfour Beatty have delayed signing the contract until legal action has been resolved relating to the place where the school will be built.
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 Portobello
Portobello, Edinburgh
Portobello is a beach resort located three miles to the east of the city centre of Edinburgh, along the coast of the Firth of Forth, in Scotland. It is now a suburb of Edinburgh, with a promenade fronting on to the wide sand beach....
in the east of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. With 1450 pupils it is one of the largest state schools in Edinburgh and 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...
. At one time it was the largest school in Europe mentioned in The Guinness Book of Records as having 2,500 pupils. The building is also one of the largest buildings in Edinburgh, however it is in a state of disrepair and is nominated for demolition. Portobello High School's current headteacher is Ms. Peigi MacArthur.
Curriculum
The school currently teaches a wide range of subjects. These include Drama, Music, Craft and Design Technology, Maths, Computing, English, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies, Science (Chemistry, Physics and Biology), Art, Home Economics, Geography, P.E, Modern Studies, History, Administration, Business Management, Spanish and French. Italian is offered in the Modern Languages department as a minority subject for senior pupils.Building
The building of Portobello High School is 8 floors high (not including the ground) with numerous extensions and additional annex buildings, including 2 gymnasiums, swimming pool, music department and 4 school house areas across an L-shaped 2 storey building, one half of which doubles as a dining area. A 2 storey temporary unit has also been erected in part of the school playground, housing 4 classrooms for maths. The main building also has elevators that only go to the 7th floor and frequently break.EcoSchool
Portobello High School is considered an EcoSchoolEco-Schools
Eco-Schools is an international program of environmental and sustainable developmental education for schools. Foundation for Environmental Education is the founder of the programme and Eco-Schools is just one out of their five programmes....
and has won three consecutive Green Flag award
Green Flag award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
s in 2003, 2005 and 2007. They became the first school in Scotland to achieve all three green flags. After the introduction of a fourth, permanent green flag into the Eco-schools scheme, Portobello was one of the first schools to achieve the accolade.
Notable alumni
Portobello RFCPortobello RFC
Portobello RFC, formerly known as Portobello FP, is a rugby union side based in Edinburgh, Scotland.The first XV currently plies their trade in East Regional League Division 1 Their 2nd XV, The Sexy Two's , play in the East Reserve League 2.-History:Portobello was founded as a former pupils club of...
was originally founded as the rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club for ex-pupils of PHS.
- Gary DunionGary DunionGary Dunion is a Scottish Green Party and Green Party of England and Wales politician, currently living in Edinburgh...
, politician - Gail PorterGail PorterGail Porter is a Scottish television presenter.- Life and career :Porter attended Portobello High School. She studied a BTEC HND in Media Production at West Herts College...
, TV presenter - Roy WalkerRoy WalkerRobert "Roy" Walker is a television personality and comedian from Northern Ireland, who worked for many years as both a television presenter and comedy actor...
, TV Presenter - Ewen BremnerEwen Bremner-Early life:Bremner was born in Edinburgh, the son of two art teachers. He attended Davidson's Mains Primary School and Portobello High School. He originally wanted to be a circus clown, but was offered a chance in show business by television director Richard D. Brooks. One of his first notable...
, Actor - Phil CunninghamPhil CunninghamPhil Cunningham may refer to:*Phil Cunningham , Scottish accordionist with the folk group Silly Wizard*Phil Cunningham , English guitarist, member of New Order, Bad Lieutenant and Marion...
, Musician - John RobertsonJohn Robertson-United Kingdom politicians:* John Robertson , MP for Bothwell, Lanarkshire 1919–1926* John Robertson , British Labour Party MP 1961–1979 for Berwick and Haddington, then Berwick and East Lothian...
, Sportsman - Ken BuchananKen BuchananKen Buchanan is a former boxing undisputed world lightweight champion. Many consider Buchanan to be the best boxer ever to come out of Scotland.- Early career :...
, Sportsman
Replacement School
In early 2006 City of Edinburgh Council engaged professional consultants to conduct a feasibility study on possible sites for the redevelopment of Portobello High School. This led to a statutory educational consultation, as well as a public consultation, on three possible options.Option A proposed redeveloping the school on its existing site, augmented by the adjacent site of St John’s RC Primary School. Option B proposed redeveloping school on part of the golf-course area of Portobello Park. Option C proposed redeveloping school on part of the playing field area of Portobello Park.
The resulting report of the consultation recommended option C and this was approved by the Council in December 2006.
Protracted difficulties in identifying sufficient funding to progress all the schools intended for the next phase of redevelopment (the Wave 3 Schools) resulted in a prioritisation process in late 2008. Portobello High School was identified as the most urgent priority, and in December 2008 the City of Edinburgh Council committed £41M to the redevelopment of the school on the site identified by the 2006 consultation.
As a result, a design team was appointed in Spring 2009 with a Planning Application for the new school made in 2010.
Planning permission was granted in early 2011 after an extensive pre-planning consultation programme. On the 16th September 2011 Balfour Beatty where announced as the preferred choice to be awarded the contract to build the new school. Balfour Beatty have delayed signing the contract until legal action has been resolved relating to the place where the school will be built.