Bellahouston Academy

Infobox School
name = Bellahouston Academy


imagesize =
caption =
location = Bellahouston, Glasgow, Scotland
founder = Alexander Sim
head = Ian Anderson
founded = 1876
pupils = 1100
feeders = Lorne Street Primary
Ibrox Primary
Pollokshields Primary

Bellahouston Academy is a non-denominational state-run secondary school in Bellahouston, south-west Glasgow, Scotland.

History

Bellahouston Academy first opened in 1876 as a private school, run by Alexander Sim. It was taken over by the Govan School Board in 1885, and has been a state school ever since. [cite web |url=http://www.theglasgowstory.com/image.php?inum=TGSA00633 |title=Bellahouston Academy |accessdate=2008-03-27] The school buildings have recently been refurbished to provide for 1100 pupils.

The site of the Academy was donated by the Misses Steven of Bellahouston whose generosity also provided the clocktower,and the building was designed by a Bath Street architect,Robert Balde.The advertisement which announced the opening of the Academy described it as a 'Boy's High Class School and Ladies' College'.For its first nine years the Academy struggled to function privately and the opening of new schools in the area which were supported by rates and government grants,this became increasingly difficult,despite such economies as dispensing with the office and salary of the rector.In 1885 therefore,the Academy ceased to be a private school,and was sold to Govan Parish School Board for £15,000,who added a swimming pool,one of the first in Scotland.The school was built to provide education for the children of the area who would otherwise have had to travel to Glasgow to the fashionable schools;not an easy journey as there was little public transport until the introduction of the tram,in 1879.In 1901 the Institute was opened to train pupil-teachers,but when this system was replaced in 1907 by a junior system,the Institute became part of the Academy,which by now had become a Secondary School and Junior Student Centre.In 1905 the main building was renovated and a new gymnasium and baths were built.In 1919 the Academy passed into the care of the new Glasgow Education Authority,which itself was replaced in 1929 by the Education Committee of the Corporation of Glasgow. In the 1930s the Academy lost its title and was renamed Bellahouston Secondary School, but its name never changed locally, and like other schools, it was permitted to revert to its old title.

New School

In 1962 the modern building in Gower Terrace was opened and took in pupils and staff from Pollokshields Secondary and became a comprehensive.In the late 1960s a BBC TV series 'This Man Craig' was filmed at Bellahouston Academy featuring the actor John Cairney,famous for his portrayals of Robert Burns.In 1973,due to increasing numbers,the old building on Paisley Road West was re-opened,better known as 'Colditz' to its pupils. This building was later converted to a Muslim school called Iqra Academy,but this was closed by the school inspectors due to poor educational standards.It is now an Ethnic Minority Business Centre.Pupils going to the school were disrupted by the building of the M8/M77 interchange which was completed in 1977.There was a major fire in 1991,part of the building was structurally damaged and had to be demolished.In 1996 the school returned to the refurbished main building,which is designed to hold 1,100 pupils.

Curriculum

The school is non-denominational and co-educational,and the current roll [2007-08] is 904 pupils.The school has departments in the following subjects-Art,Business Education,English and Drama,Geography,History,Home Economics,Information Technology,Mathematics,Modern Languages,Modern Studies,Physical Education,Religious Education,Science [Biology,Chemistry,Physics] and a Technical Dept.The local Ibrox Complex is used to run league football,Bellahouston Ski Centre is used for ski-ing and snowboarding lessons.Golf is catered for at the Normandy Golf Range and Whitecraigs Golf Course.

Glasgow School of Sport

Scotland's first school dedicated to sport has been developed at Bellahouston Academy. The Glasgow School of Sport aims to develop the talents of young sportsmen and women.The Sports Hall was completed in October 2002,and was opened by Princess Anne in 2003.The School of Sport specialises in five sports-athletics,gymnastics,hockey,badmington and swimming.120 pupils are at this specialised Academy,combining sports and studies,which was visited by double Olympic Gold Champion,Kelly Holmes.In 2005 the school under 16 football team won both the Glasgow League and Scottish Cup Final at Firhill in the same season.

Also pupils will be performing in the Commonwealth games 2014

Famous Ex-Pupils

Jack Bruce - Bassist with 60's supergroup Cream.

Chick Young - Sports journalist and broadcaster.

Chris McClure - Better known as the singer 'Christian'.

Ian Durrant - Ex Rangers, Kilmarnock, and Scotland footballer.

Russell Webb - Guitarist with the Zones,The Skids and the Armoury Show.

Ferrier Richardson - Chef and restaurant owner and author of 'Glasgow On a Plate' series.

Peter Fleming- Three-time winner of the Glasgow Marathon.

Jimmy Logan - Entertainer, Theatre Owner, Producer, Director, and Actor.

Shabana Bakhsh - Actress

derek Caldwell - lifesaver policeman, to HRH Princess of Wales.

Elaine Benson (nee. Gray)- Olympic Swimmer, Montreal 1976

Scott Corey, Musician

School Motto

The school motto is 'Alere Flammam' which translates from Latin as 'Keep the flame burning'.

School Captains Boys Captain- David McQueen 05/06Girls Captain- Hannah Sinkie 05/06

Boys Captain- Barrie Greenan 06/07Girls Captain- Stacey Daniels 06/07 (Also winner of school Dux 2007)

Annual School Shows

2003- Grease2004- Annie2005- The Wizard of Oz2006- Alladin2007- Joseph and the Amazing technicolour dreamcoat

References

Bellahouston Academy Magazine [Centenary Edition] .Bellahouston Academy Handbook,2007-08.The Glaswegian.Govan Press.South Side News.Southsider.

External links

* [http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/GoingtoSchool/Secondary/Schools/Non-Denominational/bellahoustonacademyandschoolofsport.htm Bellahouston Academy]
* [http://www.glasgowschoolofsportbellahoustonacademy.co.uk/ Glasgow School of Sport]