| Motto | United in Effort |
|---|---|
| Established | 1970 |
| Type | Comprehensive High School |
| Location | Tullibody Road Alloa Clackmannanshire FK10 2EU United Kingdom |
| Students | 1057 (approx) |
| Houses | Devon, Grange, Forbraes |
| Website | Lornshill Academy Website |
Lornshill Academy is a six year comprehensive school situated in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. Approximately 1100 pupils are enrolled with the school. Lornshill currently employs approximately 83 teachers and 8 classroom assistants. Lornshill is currently associated with seven primaries – Craigbank, Clackmannan, Banchory, Fishcross, Deerpark, Abercromby and Saint Serfs.
The original Lornshill Academy, albeit a fairly modern school, had severe maintenance issues due to its geographical position on the side of a large hill which once housed several coalmines. The previous Lornshill has significantly sunk in recent years. Also, due to a lack of space many classes have to be held in makeshift huts. For these reasons, along with simply having the need to advance technologically, a new school was built. The new school has been completed and was opened in August 2009. The closing ceremony for the original Lornshill Academy was held on the 19th of June 2009, with the new school officially opening in the new term. Lornshill was the third and final secondary school in Clackmannanshire to open its new building. The new building is now situated at the top of the hill which gives both pupils and staff great views of the nearby ochil hills from all three floors.
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Lornshill has a clear organisational structure for its pupils. Each pupil is placed in one of three houses: Devon, Forbraes and Grange. Previously there was a 4th house named Ochil, and a 5th named Forth, however these were abolished due to a lack of need and also confusion due to having two houses beginning with F (for abbreviation) and the ambiguity of having a house beginning with O, which may be confused for the number 0. Pupils are normally of the ages 11 – 18 and are split into a standard S1-S6 (on rare occasion a pupil can apply to stay on for a further year after S6, referred to – simply – as S7). These years are then again split into 3 subgroups: Junior (S1-S2), Middle (S3-S4) and Senior (S5-S6).
Pupils can be elected to both House and Pupil council, both of which exist in order for the school to have a more democratic system, granting the pupils a say in how the school should be run.
Another system in place within Lornshill is Peer Mediation. This is a system whereby pupils are able to confine to another pupil about issues they may have. A Peer Mediator can be identified by a characteristic purple tie.
Prefects are nominated at the end of 4th year, and are granted prefect authority at the beginning of 5th year. Generally speaking, all 6th years are automatically given prefect status. Head and depute head boys and girls are chosen in 6th year.
Uniform is high on the agenda at Lornshill Academy. Originally a typical white poloshirt and black sweatshirt outfit was custom to Lornshill displaying the full Lornshill logo. This has since undergone major makeovers. The uniform then changed to display a much more subtle logo of the name of the school itself in a white typeface. This has both been positioned on both the sleeve and the chest area. Prefects are expected to wear a black blazer with white shirt and a lornshill tie. Yet again, in timing with the move to the new school building, a new uniform has been selected in which every pupil wears a shirt and tie – the tie varying with the yeargroup of the pupil. "Colours" are given to prefects which have excelled in sporting excellence to border their blazer. Peer Mediators are expected to wear a purple tie.
The school follows a fairly standard timetable. Pupils attend the school 5 days a week for equal lengths of time. School begins with a first bell at 9:03 AM, and a second at 9:05AM, by which time pupils must be in registration class, or else be recorded as late. The pupils are given two breaks: one referred to, simply, as break (or interval), at 11 o'clock until quarter past the hour and Lunch from 1 o'clock until 1:50 PM. The school day finishes at 3:40 PM. Each school day is split up into six periods (excluding tutorial). On Fridays tutorial is extended, which effects the beginnings and lengths of certain periods, but not the overall length of time spent at school.
Previously one award ceremony was carried out in the school's Game Hall awarding all award receiving pupils, at the end of each year. However due to the long windedness of the ceremony it is now split into smaller clusters of years.
Each year the title of Junior-Dux is given to the 3rd year pupil who is seen as top of the year academically speaking. A runnerup is given the title of Proxime Accessit.
The title of Dux in selected in a similar fashion for those in 6th year. Again a Proxime Accessit is also chosen.
Former Liverpool F.C. player Alan Hansen was taught at Lornshill. He will also open the new school building.
Ex-First Minister of Scotland Jack McConnell taught Maths at Lornshill before his time. He provided the cutting of the "turning of the sod" ceremony.
The first day in the new building was 18th August 2009. On 9th September 2009, Alan Hansen (former pupil and ex-footballer) was the main speaker at an open night where Council executives were in attendance. On 15th September 2009 The Earl of Wessex , Prince Edward performed the Royal Opening.