Graeme High School
Encyclopedia
Graeme High School is a non-denominational public secondary school located in Falkirk
, Scotland
. The school is run by Falkirk Council on behalf of the Scottish Executive
Education Department. The catchment area is served by Hallglen
, Laurieston
, St. Margaret's, Victoria and Westquarter
primary schools.
, a trusted leader in the army of William Wallace
.
In 1998, it was decided by the Scottish Executive that five local schools, including Graeme High School, would be rebuilt. Graeme High was rebuilt on the playing fields east of the original school. In August 2000 the replacement school was opened by the then the late First Minister
Donald Dewar
. At the time Public Private Partnership scheme (PFI
) project that included the rebuilding of Graeme High was one of the largest in the UK.
For the last few shows, the school has hired a large amount of sound and lighting equipment from Great Big Resources. This has improved the overall quality of the shows at Graeme High, as it creates a more professional atmosphere. The sound is usually operated by a GBR employeee, and the lighting is designed and operated by a pupil of the school (Ross Imlach). Two followspot operators are also both pupils of Graeme High School. The two operators are - as standard - directed by the lighting operator/designer.
.
. The plot of this musical is very similar to that of Footloose, but (as stated before) containing the works of Elvis.
The show was a success, and it was enjoyed by all. Having a live band perform aided this, as in the previous year there were only tracks played from a CD.
was performed at Graeme High. The songs were chosen by the director, and dropped into the script in appropriate places. This worked well for the school, as it gave pupils in the music department an opertunity to record the songs that were used in the show, as the music was played from a CD.
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
, 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...
. The school is run by Falkirk Council on behalf of the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
Education Department. The catchment area is served by Hallglen
Hallglen
Glen Village is a village in the Falkirk council area of Scotland. It is a settlement at the southern end of Callendar Park, south of Falkirk....
, Laurieston
Laurieston, Falkirk
Laurieston is a village in the Falkirk council area in Central Scotland. It is east Falkirk, south-west of Grangemouth and west of Polmont.Laurieston is located on the A803 road between Falkirk and Polmont...
, St. Margaret's, Victoria and Westquarter
Westquarter
Westquarter is a village in the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The village is west of Polmont and south-east of the town of Falkirk.Westquarter can be accessed from the north via the A803 road and from the south via the B805 road....
primary schools.
Admissions
The school role is just under 1200 pupils, and there are almost 90 teachers on the staff.History
The school is named after Sir John de GrahamJohn de Graham
Sir John de Graham was a Scottish knight and soldier.He was born in the lands of Dundaff, Ayrshire, in the late 13th century. During the Wars of Scottish Independence he fought alongside Sir William Wallace...
, a trusted leader in the army of William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
.
In 1998, it was decided by the Scottish Executive that five local schools, including Graeme High School, would be rebuilt. Graeme High was rebuilt on the playing fields east of the original school. In August 2000 the replacement school was opened by the then the late First Minister
First Minister
A First Minister is the leader of a government cabinet.-Canada:In Canada, "First Ministers" is a collective term that refers to all Canadian first ministers of the Crown, otherwise known as heads of government, including the Prime Minister of Canada and the provincial and territorial premiers...
Donald Dewar
Donald Dewar
Donald Campbell Dewar was a British politician who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament in Scotland from 1966-1970, and then again from 1978 until his death in 2000. He served in Tony Blair's cabinet as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1997-1999 and was instrumental in the creation...
. At the time Public Private Partnership scheme (PFI
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
) project that included the rebuilding of Graeme High was one of the largest in the UK.
Traditions
There are three houses — Lockhart (Red), Morrison (Yellow) and Steele (Purple) — which are named after the first three rectors of Graeme High School. Lockhart House was the first of the Inter-House Winners of Graeme High School (2005/06). Although Steele House is currently the most successful, having won the shield four times, Morrison House is the only house to have failed to win the Inter-House Shield to date. The houses are controlled by the House Captains and Vice Captains from each house and are led by the three current Deputy Rectors of the school.| Year | Inter House Champions |
| 2005/06 | Lockhart |
| 2006/07 | Steele |
| 2007/08 | Steele |
| 2008/09 | Lockhart |
| 2009/10 | Steele |
| 2010/11 | Steele |
Notable former pupils
- Adam CrozierAdam CrozierAdam Crozier is a Scottish businessman, and the current chief executive officer of media company ITV plc, operator of the television channel ITV in England and Wales...
, chief executive of the ITV plcITV plcITV plc is a British media company that operates 12 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network, the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom...
, and former chief executive of Royal MailRoyal MailRoyal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
and The Football AssociationThe Football AssociationThe Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association... - Malcolm MiddletonMalcolm MiddletonMalcolm Bruce Middleton is a Scottish musician best known for his work with Aidan Moffat in post-folk indie band Arab Strap as well as his solo career writing and producing...
, musician - James RedmondJames Redmond (broadcaster)Sir James Redmond was a British engineer. One of the pioneers of modern public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, he spent the greater part of his career with the Engineering Department of the BBC rising all the way through the ranks from vision mixer to Director of Engineering and was...
, broadcaster - Tam ScobbieTam ScobbieThomas "Tam" Scobbie is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays for Falkirk. Scobbie is also a regular squad member for the Scotland U-21 national team-Youth career:...
, footballer - Grant ThomsonGrant ThomsonGrant ThomsonBorn in Falkirk, Grant 32 is currently based in Glasgow. Upon leaving Graeme High School, he enrolled on the HND Acting and Performance course at Falkirk College of Further and Higher Education. The 6'8" 'actor has several credits to his name in theatre, television and film...
, actor
School Shows
Every year, Graeme High School performs a musical. This is always at the end of the summer term, and is run by both pupils and teachers. Trends have shown that the school tends to pick less known plays, but ones that contain popular songs so it is still appealing to the general audience.For the last few shows, the school has hired a large amount of sound and lighting equipment from Great Big Resources. This has improved the overall quality of the shows at Graeme High, as it creates a more professional atmosphere. The sound is usually operated by a GBR employeee, and the lighting is designed and operated by a pupil of the school (Ross Imlach). Two followspot operators are also both pupils of Graeme High School. The two operators are - as standard - directed by the lighting operator/designer.
Our House - 2011
The school is scheduled to put on the West End musical, Our House. All the music is from the works of MadnessMadness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
.
All Shook Up - 2010
Just before the summer of 2010, GHS performed a musical based on the works of Elvis PresleyElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. The plot of this musical is very similar to that of Footloose, but (as stated before) containing the works of Elvis.
The show was a success, and it was enjoyed by all. Having a live band perform aided this, as in the previous year there were only tracks played from a CD.
Gregory's Girl - 2009
In 2009, an adaptation of the film Gregory's GirlGregory's Girl
Gregory's Girl is a 1981 Scottish coming-of-age romantic comedy film written and directed by Bill Forsyth.The film is set in and around a state secondary school in the Abronhill district of Cumbernauld. It features Gordon John Sinclair, Dee Hepburn, and Clare Grogan, among others...
was performed at Graeme High. The songs were chosen by the director, and dropped into the script in appropriate places. This worked well for the school, as it gave pupils in the music department an opertunity to record the songs that were used in the show, as the music was played from a CD.
See also
- Education in ScotlandEducation in ScotlandScotland has a long history of universal provision of public education, and the Scottish education system is distinctly different from the other countries of the United Kingdom...
- List of schools in Scotland
- Her Majesty's Inspectorate of EducationHer Majesty's Inspectorate of EducationHer Majesty's Inspectorate of Education is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for the inspection of public and independent, primary and secondary schools, as well as further education colleges, community learning, Local Authority Education Departments and teacher...