St Aloysius' College, Glasgow

St Aloysius' College
Motto Latin: Ad majora natus sum
(I am born for greater things)
Established 12 September 1859
Type Independent day school
Religion Catholic
Headmaster John Browne
Head of Junior School A Brady
Head of Kindergarten M. Forbes
Location 45 Hill Street
Glasgow
G3 6RJ
Scotland
Coordinates: 55°52′00″N 4°15′49″W / 55.8667°N 4.2635°W / 55.8667; -4.2635
Students 600 (Junior School)
980 (Senior School) overall 1580
Gender Coeducational
Ages 3–18
Colours Myrtle and gold
        
Publication The Eagle Eye
College hymn "Carmen Aloisianum"
Former pupils Old Aloysians
Website www.staloysius.org

St Aloysius' College is a selective fee-paying, independent, Jesuit school in Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1859, and named after the Jesuit Aloysius Gonzaga. Its strong Jesuit ethos emphasises practice of the Roman Catholic faith both in the church and in the community, with many charitable and community-based groups in the school. There are now no Jesuits in the school and indeed the school does not even have a priest chaplain. The affiliated St Aloysius Church is located nearby.

St Aloysius' College is a co-educational school with a kindergarten, junior school, and senior school. There are four houses: Edmund Campion, Ignatius of Loyola, John Ogilvie and Francis Xavier, named after Jesuit saints.

The College motto is Ad majora natus sum, which means "I am born for greater things." As in many Jesuit schools, pupils are instructed to inscribe AMDG (Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam – "To the greater glory of God") on all work. The school emblem is an eagle, and the College hymn is the Carmen Aloisianum.

History

Foundation

The school was established on 12 September 1859 at Charlotte Street, near Glasgow Green, in the East End of Glasgow. Here lived the city's largely migrant Catholic community from Ireland and the Scottish Highlands, both of which groups the school was intended to serve. Since 1866 the College's main campus has been situated in Garnethill on the north side of Glasgow city centre, adjacent to the Glasgow School of Art. Originally, the school was for boys only. In 1979 the admission policy was changed by the Governors during the tenure of Headmaster Fr. Henry Anthony Richmond SJ and girls were admitted. Girls now make up half of the school population.

St Aloysius Church next door, associated with the college

Buildings

Buildings include the original category-B listed Italianate Chandlery Building, including the administration block, library, and refectory. Its 1908 and 1926 extensions are known collectively as The Hanson Building, which accommodates classrooms for languages and the humanities as well as the school chapel and gymnasium.

The Mount Building, which originally housed the city's first Royal Hospital for Sick Children from 1882, and until recently housed the junior school (whose patron is St John Ogilvie), today houses music, art and drama, and the kindergarten.

More modern additions include the Clavius Building housing the Mathematics, Science, and Technology faculty and the Junior School Building, both of which have won RIBA architectural awards,[1] and have been identified as amongst the best modern Scottish buildings.

In 2011, the number of buildings and the size of the campus increased with the acquisition of the Mercy Convent site and buildings. As of 2012, the anticipated use of the buildings remained unclear, although the gym and staff room are currently located there.

The school has a close relationship with the Jesuit parish church of St Aloysius next door. The church is regularly used by the college and Masses offered for both the junior and senior schools.[2] The building is listed category A, designed by C. J. Menart in the baroque revival style and modelled on the Church of the Gesú, original Jesuit headquarters in Rome.[3]

Present

The current headmaster is John Browne, the second lay person in that role although he is leaving at the end of the summer term 2016. The Senior Deputy Headmaster is Frank J. Reilly and the Deputy Headmaster is Isabelle Erskine.

Junior School and Kindergarten

The Kindergarten and Junior School support children from the ages of 3 to 12 years old. The kindergarten is situated in the Mount Building, while the Junior school is in a modern building along Hill Street. As well as attending lessons in the Junior school, the pupils will also receive preparation for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion as part of the school's three-fold tuition for their academic, social and spiritual lives.[4]

Uniform

The Senior School uniform consists of a myrtle green woollen blazer emblazoned with the school emblem. Girls wear a mid-grey pleated skirt and stockings or black tights. Boys wear grey trousers and grey socks. In S4 to S6 pupils can be awarded colours – this means that they have the right to add a gold trim around the edge of their blazer. Academic colours can also be awarded to pupils who perform exceptionally well in their 5th year examinations. This is shown by red trim across the breast pocket of the blazer. Both genders wear polished black shoes, white shirt, applicable house tie, S6 tie, Honours tie or Captains tie as well as a grey pullover or green Sixth year jumper.[5]

Houses

A house system was established by headmaster Fr. Adrian J Porter SJ in 1997. The four houses, named after notable Jesuit saints, compete against each other in events including rugby, hockey, athletics, inter-house debating and a quiz. Each house also has a housemaster and colour:

Under headmaster John E. Stoer, the house system was replaced with the year system, except for sports and chess. This meant that instead of each house having its own housemaster, each year would have a Head of Year and a Deputy Head of Year.

Previously pupils were divided into 'Romans' and 'Carthaginians' with 'victories' being awarded to pupils for good work. These were totalled at the end of the academic year and overall awarded to the house with the most victories.

Schola Cantorum

In 2012 with the appointment of a full-time choir master, Mr Keith Roberts, the college initiated a major project to advance the school's capability and reputation in the field of choral music. The Schola in totality consists of three choirs; a Junior boys, Junior girls and Senior choir. The children involved are selected by audition and in addition to regular choir practice and performances, also receive individual voice coaching and lessons in an orchestral instrument. In their most significant performance to date, on 23 November 2013, the children of the combined Junior Schola performed several songs with the renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli, in front of an audience of 12,000 at Glasgow's newly opened Hydro arena.

Notable former pupils (Old Aloysians or O.A.)

A.J. Cronin, alumnus of the college

Media, arts and music

Academia and medicine

Clergy

Politics and law

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ "St Aloysius Maths Building, Glasgow, Elder & Cannon Architects", glasgowarchitecture.co.uk, URL Retrieved 27 September 2006
  2. ↑ Religious Life, St Aloysius College site Retrieved 24 January 2013
  3. ↑ British Listed Buildings Retrieved 24 January 2013
  4. ↑ Junior School, St Aloysius College site Retrieved 24 January 2013
  5. ↑ Senior School Uniform List. St Aloysius' College Handbook
  6. ↑ McCabe, John V. (2000). A History of St Aloysius' College 1859–1999. St Aloysius' College. p. 215. ISBN 0-9538287-0-0.

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