Stirling High School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Stirling High School | |
| "Tempori Parendum" | |
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| School type | Public |
|---|---|
| Established | 12th Century |
| Students | 940 students |
| Location | Ogilvie Road, Torbrex, Stirling, Scotland |
| Information | 01786 472451 |
| Website | http://www.stirlinghigh.co.uk/ |
Stirling High School is situated in Stirling, Scotland. It is the main high school (a school for 11-18 year olds) in the Stirling district, and currently has approximately 940 pupils attending. It is run by Stirling Council for the Scottish Executive (both state owned).
Before being where it presently is on Ogilvie Road - where it has been since the mid 1960s - the old school was on the old volcanic rock where Stirling Castle lies.
The headmaster of the school is Greig W. Ingram. The school operates a house system, the three houses are Douglas, Randolph and Snowdon, which are both for social and administrative purposes.Last session Randolph won the House cup by gaining the most house points. Douglas came second and Snowdon third. Each house has a depute headteacher and a principal pupil support teacher.
A new school building is currently under construction, on the Stirling County Cricket Ground adjacent to the school's current location.
The new school is being financed by the controversial Public Private Finance initiative, which involves the current site being sold to developers. The new school will sit adjacent to St Ninian's Primary School, with which it will share playing fields. it will be adjacent to a small park and will have much improved community facilities, including a swimming pool which will be open to the public in the evenings and at weekends. While there has been opposition to the financial arrangements, the new school will soon be a reality and there's no doubt that it will enhance the pupils' learning experience.
Stirling High also boasts one of the most competent music departments in the Stirling district area. The two permanent music teachers put on two concerts every year - one at Christmas and one at Easter - while there is an annual concert tour, normally to Malta, every summer. The school has performed two musicals - Calamity Jane and TamTrek (a science fiction original production). In 2007, some pupils put on a play completely in French.
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[edit] Coat of Arms and Motto
The coat-of-arms shows Queen Margaret, richly habited and crowned bearing in her right hand a sceptre and in her left a book all proper between two trees of knowledge, to remind us of the remote 12th century, when a bishop of St. Andrews, in whose diocese Stirling was, gave to Queen Margaret's Church of the Holy Trinity of Dunfermline the churches of Perth and Stirling and their schools. The wolf, couchant gardant, at the Queen's feet is taken from the "Small" Burgh seal, and reflects the early interest in education taken by the magistrates of the Royal Burgh, for later charters speak of scholam de Striuelin, and Scholam ejusdam ville, which suggest that the 'Church' school fairly soon became the town's school.
The latin motto Tempori Parendum translates to 'we must move with the times'.
[edit] The School War Memorial Window
A stained glass window created by Mr James Atterson to commemorate the school's victims of the World Wars.
The following is Mr Atterson's description of the window from when it was installed in the old school. It has subsequently been moved to the new high school.
"This Memorial Window is built into the fabric of the School on the site of the town wall, which guarded our town in days gone by. In keeping with the School's ancient history and traditions, it is fitting that the mediaeval language of Chivalry and Heraldry should be used in the design.
This design is built round the Christian Symbol of the Cross - the Cross of Service, Sacrifice and Salvation. This Cross is formed by the central mullion and transom.
With shields in the upper portion are placed the emblems of the Services :- The Royal Navy is represented by the anchor, symbol of faith and steadfastness. The Army is represented by the firmly-grasped sword of Justice, raised in defence of freedom and right. The Royal Airforce is represented by a wing issuing from a cloud, symbol of these gallant Knights of the Air who dared all in defence of our country. The Merchant Service is represented by the trident issuing from a wave, symbol of the service which maintained our life-line throughout the seven seas at such high cost.
On the right lower portion of the window, is the figure of Queen Margaret, taken from our School badge, and at her feet the wolf of Stirling, traditionally associated with the ancient history of our town.
On the left, against a background of the old School and the Tree of Life and Knowledge, is the figure of a kneeling Knight in a Crusader's Cloak, offering his earth-won laurels in exchange for the Crown of Life.
Above the figure of Queen Margaret is the inscription, "Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life."
May this memorial give lasting form to the image each of us carries in our heart and mind of a "Verray parfait gentil Knight" who dared all, gave all, gained all."
[edit] The Old School
In 1856 the high school was housed in a specially created building on Spittal Street. This building housed the classrooms for Mathematics, English, Modern Languages, Art, Classics; as well as a Gymnasium, and an Observatory on the roof.
This school stayed open until 1962, long after the Education (Scotland) Act 1872 which made education compulsory for children aged 5 to 13 and dramatically increased the intake of pupils for the school, when the school moved from its place at the top of the town, to Torbrex - the current position of the High School.
The building the old school was housed in has now been bought and turned into the Stirling Highland Hotel.
