Boroughmuir High School
Encyclopedia
Boroughmuir High School is a non-denominational secondary school
in Edinburgh
, Scotland
. It was founded in 1904, and moved to its current site near the city centre
in 1913. Its catchment area
is in the south side of the city. It has the best non-private sector
exam results in Edinburgh
, while also ranking thirteenth in Scotland according to The Times Top 50 Scottish State Schools 2009 rankings.
, Intermediate 2
, Standard Grade
, Higher
and Advanced Higher. Pupils are given a set timetable through S1 and S2, and they have a choice in S3 of what subjects they would like to take. Incidentally, it is mandatory that they take a Modern Language (either French
, German
or Spanish
), Mathematics and English. The available subject choices can be found at; boroughmuir.edin.sch.uk/subjects
The chosen subjects will be studied over a period of two years, at the end of which SQA
examinations are sat. The pupils can then either choose to leave school, or continue on to S5, in which the students pick five subjects, usually at Higher
or a mixture of Higher
and Intermediate 2
. If the students decide to continue to S6, they must choose at least 3 subjects, usually at Advanced Higher, Higher
and sometimes Intermediate 2
.
;
The tie is bottle green and navy blue diagonally striped for years S1-4 and green all-over with the school crest for years S5-6. All members of the Head team; Head boy, Head girl (and their deputies), the Prefects and the House Captains (and their deputies) must now wear the black blazer
with the school crest on the left-hand pocket.
. Many private schools in Edinburgh, such as George Watson's College
, George Heriot's College and Fettes College
, have their own memorials to remember former pupils killed in both World Wars. Boroughmuir stands out from the rest though because it is the only state school that has a memorial, and also the fact that the school has been around for so long brings much importance to the event. Pupils are encouraged to listen to the broadcast as it usually happens during school time.
, each of which is led by a member of guidance staff. The houses are named after streets
surrounding the school - Montpelier, Viewforth, Hartington, Westhall, Bruntsfield and Leamington. It is the guidance teacher's job to monitor their assigned house members. To this effect, students attend one hour of Personal and Social Education (PSE) with their guidance teacher a week. The pupils can earn points for their house by collecting "Praise Stamps" or "Positive Discipline Referrals". These credits are attained by behaving well in class, completing work correctly and generally doing what you're supposed to. In S1 & 2 pupils receive letters home once they achieve a multiple of 30 stamps (e.g. 30, 60, 90). At the end of each term, the house with the most points will have its name engraved on a wooden board in the school atrium for coming out on top over all the other houses. In S3-4 the house with the most points at the end of each month is awarded by being given the chance to go out for the day to a destination of their choice, this could be bowling, going to a restaurant or going to the cinema for example. Points are kept track of by the guidance staff, who can also issue credits if they feel the need.
, German
, Russian
, Spanish
, Mandarin Chinese and English
) Department, the right side houses the Geography Department and some English classrooms. On the third floor, the left houses the Art Department with some Science classrooms and the right houses the Science Department. The bottom floor does not work like this, it has an area to which the lift and central stairway lead. Once you go through the door from the central stairway, to your right is the P.E. department and to your left is the C.D.T. department. To get to the C.D.T. depart you have to open a door and go down some stairs. Continuing to the end of the C.D.T. corridor, you will reach the north stairwell, the cafeteria and the exit to the school. This exit leads to the staff car parks, the H.E. sewing and cooking rooms and a few C.D.T. workshops. Home Economics (H.E) and Craft, Design and Technology (C.D.T) are mostly inside the school building, but with the H.E. kitchens outside and a small CDT workshop outside. It has an atrium where assemblies take place. The extremely limited space means that pupils doing P.E. (Physical Education) normally have to travel to sports centres outside school, these are usually Meggetland, Meadow Bank, The Crags Sports Centre, and a local swimming pool which could be Sciennes or The Royal Commonwealth Pool (when it re-opens!). The main entrance is on Viewforth, and just up the road is Bruntsfield Primary School. There are plans for a new building to be built but no suitable sites have been found that are affordable. Another plan is to stay and renovate the inside of the building. Th later plan seemed more likely until Edinburgh City Council announced its budget cuts, which will most likely limit any work done on the school to maintenance and essential upgrades.
The school also uses an annex - St Oswald's Church Hall - as its drama department. The site is occasionally used for various other events including musical performances and SQA exams. The annex has two halls, each with a proscenium arch stage and lighting systems.
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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 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...
, 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...
. It was founded in 1904, and moved to its current site near the city centre
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
in 1913. Its catchment area
Catchment area (human geography)
In human geography, a catchment area is the area and population from which a city or individual service attracts visitors or customers. For example, a school catchment area is the geographic area from which students are eligible to attend a local school...
is in the south side of the city. It has the best non-private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
exam results in 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...
, while also ranking thirteenth in Scotland according to The Times Top 50 Scottish State Schools 2009 rankings.
Subjects
The school offers a wide range of subjects. Exams are offered at Intermediate 1Intermediate 1
Intermediate 1 is an educational qualification in Scotland on the Scottish Qualifications Authority Scottish Qualifications Certificate achievement ladder similar to General Level at Standard Grades; it is the next step after Access 3...
, Intermediate 2
Intermediate 2
Intermediate 2 level is Level 5 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. Though equivalent to the Credit Level Standard Grade, there is an element of debate to this as it is perceived to be more difficult in some subjects, but less in others....
, Standard Grade
Standard Grade
Standard Grades are Scotland's educational qualifications for students aged around 14 to 16 years, which are due to be fully replaced in 2014 when Scottish Qualifications Authority's Higher Still system becomes the main qualifications as part of the major shake up of Scotland's education system as...
, Higher
Higher (Scottish)
In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education...
and Advanced Higher. Pupils are given a set timetable through S1 and S2, and they have a choice in S3 of what subjects they would like to take. Incidentally, it is mandatory that they take a Modern Language (either French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
or Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
), Mathematics and English. The available subject choices can be found at; boroughmuir.edin.sch.uk/subjects
The chosen subjects will be studied over a period of two years, at the end of which SQA
SQA
SQA may refer to:* Scottish Qualifications Authority* Software Quality Assurance or Software Quality Assurance Group* SQA Services, Inc....
examinations are sat. The pupils can then either choose to leave school, or continue on to S5, in which the students pick five subjects, usually at Higher
Higher (Scottish)
In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education...
or a mixture of Higher
Higher (Scottish)
In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education...
and Intermediate 2
Intermediate 2
Intermediate 2 level is Level 5 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. Though equivalent to the Credit Level Standard Grade, there is an element of debate to this as it is perceived to be more difficult in some subjects, but less in others....
. If the students decide to continue to S6, they must choose at least 3 subjects, usually at Advanced Higher, Higher
Higher (Scottish)
In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education...
and sometimes Intermediate 2
Intermediate 2
Intermediate 2 level is Level 5 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. Though equivalent to the Credit Level Standard Grade, there is an element of debate to this as it is perceived to be more difficult in some subjects, but less in others....
.
Uniform
Pupils are required to wear a uniformUniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
;
- white shirt
- black formal trousers or skirt
- black formal shoes
- school tie
The tie is bottle green and navy blue diagonally striped for years S1-4 and green all-over with the school crest for years S5-6. All members of the Head team; Head boy, Head girl (and their deputies), the Prefects and the House Captains (and their deputies) must now wear the black blazer
Blazer
A blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
with the school crest on the left-hand pocket.
War memorial
Boroughmuir is the only state school in Edinburgh with its own war memorial, the school hold an annual Remembrance Service on Remembrance DayRemembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
. Many private schools in Edinburgh, such as George Watson's College
George Watson's College
George Watson's College, known informally as Watson's, is a co-educational independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a hospital school in 1741, became a day school in 1871 and was merged with its sister school...
, George Heriot's College and Fettes College
Fettes College
Fettes College is an independent school for boarding and day pupils in Edinburgh, Scotland with over two thirds of its pupils in residence on campus...
, have their own memorials to remember former pupils killed in both World Wars. Boroughmuir stands out from the rest though because it is the only state school that has a memorial, and also the fact that the school has been around for so long brings much importance to the event. Pupils are encouraged to listen to the broadcast as it usually happens during school time.
Pastoral Care (Guidance)
At the start of 1st Year (S1) at Boroughmuir, each pupil is assigned to a houseHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
, each of which is led by a member of guidance staff. The houses are named after streets
Streets
Streets are the plural of street, a type of road.Streets or The Streets may also refer to:* The Streets, alias of Mike Skinner, a British rapper* Streets , a rock band fronted by Kansas vocalist Steve Walsh...
surrounding the school - Montpelier, Viewforth, Hartington, Westhall, Bruntsfield and Leamington. It is the guidance teacher's job to monitor their assigned house members. To this effect, students attend one hour of Personal and Social Education (PSE) with their guidance teacher a week. The pupils can earn points for their house by collecting "Praise Stamps" or "Positive Discipline Referrals". These credits are attained by behaving well in class, completing work correctly and generally doing what you're supposed to. In S1 & 2 pupils receive letters home once they achieve a multiple of 30 stamps (e.g. 30, 60, 90). At the end of each term, the house with the most points will have its name engraved on a wooden board in the school atrium for coming out on top over all the other houses. In S3-4 the house with the most points at the end of each month is awarded by being given the chance to go out for the day to a destination of their choice, this could be bowling, going to a restaurant or going to the cinema for example. Points are kept track of by the guidance staff, who can also issue credits if they feel the need.
Building
The school building itself goes back over one hundred years. It has a cafeteria and two gym halls on the bottom floor and a library on the top floor. Each floor, excluding the bottom floor, has a central corridor. On the first floor, this is the Management Team corridor. On the second floor, it is the Guidance corridor; all the guidance teachers are usually here. On the third floor, the corridor houses the Science Technicians. The school has one disabled-access entrance and a lift. The classroom numbers work in a clockwise-increase fashion. From the central staircase, there is the central corridor, and one on either side. Going to the left would take you to the lowest numbers, as going to the right would give you the highest. The numbers are three digits. This tells you the floor and room number on that floor. For example, the eighth room on the third floor is written as 308. On the left side of the first floor is the Modern Studies and History Department, on the right the Music Department. On the second floor, the left houses the Modern Languages (FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Mandarin Chinese and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
) Department, the right side houses the Geography Department and some English classrooms. On the third floor, the left houses the Art Department with some Science classrooms and the right houses the Science Department. The bottom floor does not work like this, it has an area to which the lift and central stairway lead. Once you go through the door from the central stairway, to your right is the P.E. department and to your left is the C.D.T. department. To get to the C.D.T. depart you have to open a door and go down some stairs. Continuing to the end of the C.D.T. corridor, you will reach the north stairwell, the cafeteria and the exit to the school. This exit leads to the staff car parks, the H.E. sewing and cooking rooms and a few C.D.T. workshops. Home Economics (H.E) and Craft, Design and Technology (C.D.T) are mostly inside the school building, but with the H.E. kitchens outside and a small CDT workshop outside. It has an atrium where assemblies take place. The extremely limited space means that pupils doing P.E. (Physical Education) normally have to travel to sports centres outside school, these are usually Meggetland, Meadow Bank, The Crags Sports Centre, and a local swimming pool which could be Sciennes or The Royal Commonwealth Pool (when it re-opens!). The main entrance is on Viewforth, and just up the road is Bruntsfield Primary School. There are plans for a new building to be built but no suitable sites have been found that are affordable. Another plan is to stay and renovate the inside of the building. Th later plan seemed more likely until Edinburgh City Council announced its budget cuts, which will most likely limit any work done on the school to maintenance and essential upgrades.
The school also uses an annex - St Oswald's Church Hall - as its drama department. The site is occasionally used for various other events including musical performances and SQA exams. The annex has two halls, each with a proscenium arch stage and lighting systems.
Notable alumni
- Neve McIntoshNeve McIntosh-Early life:Born in Paisley, Neve McIntosh grew up in Edinburgh, where she attended Boroughmuir High School. She moved to Glasgow to attend the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, after which she was in repertory companies at Perth and at The Little Theatre on the Isle of Mull.-Theatre:She...
, actress - Willie DuffWillie DuffWilliam "Willie" Duff was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.Born in Winchburgh, West Lothian, Duff grew up in western Edinburgh, attending Corstorphine Primary School and Boroughmuir High School...
, footballer - Alexander Trotman, Baron TrotmanAlexander Trotman, Baron TrotmanAlexander James Trotman, Baron Trotman was Ford Motor Company's first foreign-born chairman and CEO.-Life and career:Trotman was born on July 22, 1933 in Middlesex, England...
, former CEO of Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... - Annette CrosbieAnnette CrosbieAnnette Crosbie, OBE is a Scottish character actor.-Life and career:Crosbie was born in Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland, to Presbyterian parents who disapproved of her becoming an actor. Nevertheless, she joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School while still in her teens...
, actress - Sarah Smith, Journalist (Channel 4 News)
- John StewartJohn Stewart- Academia and literature :*John Stewart of Baldynneis , Scottish courtier and writer*John "Walking" Stewart , English traveller and philosopher*John Alexander Stewart , Scottish scholar of Burmese...
, Chairman of Legal & General - Kirsty BalfourKirsty BalfourKirsty Balfour is a Scottish breaststroke swimmer.She won gold in the 200 metres breaststroke at the European Long-Course Championships in 2006, and took silver in same event at the World Championships in Melbourne in 2007.She announced her retirement from swimming on 7 November 2008 stating she...
, swimmer - Tom Palmer (rugby union), English rugby player
Belal Bellali