Lasswade High School Centre
Encyclopedia
Lasswade High School Centre is a non-denominational secondary
state school located in Bonnyrigg
, Midlothian
, Scotland
.
, William Tennant
, LL.D., later Professor of Oriental languages at the University of St. Andrews, and Robert Marshall, who resigned in 1899 after 32 years as Headmaster, laid the foundation of Lasswade's excellent record as a higher grade school. The school dux to this day is presented with the Marshall Memorial Medal. There are obvious connections with noble estates of Melville, Dalhousie and Roslin and the school coat of arms reflects these and other educational connection within the area. On petition by the former Headmaster, the late Mr. F. Webster, M.A., the Lyon Court granted to the school a coat of arms.
The Melville "fess" or bar in red on a gold background, with the "engrailed" edges refers to the great House of Roslin. The falcon's heads are the heraldic charge of the Nicolson Family, closely associated with Lasswade, and the Golden Key represents Gibson of Pentland, the family most prominently associated with the school. The black spread eagle represents the House of Dalhousie and the open book represents learning.
, at the time Education Minister for Scotland. This included state of the art fully equipped Mathematics classrooms, Guidance classrooms, offices and meeting rooms and a Learning Support base with tutorial rooms. The school also has a purpose built Sports Centre which comprises of a game hall, squash courts, fitness training rooms, activity movement studio, cafeteria, creche and spacious playing fields.
Lasswade has been further development as a community school since 1979. This means that the staff and the facilities of the building and the other resources are available to students, young and adult, during the day and in the evenings of every day of the week. Pupils, parents and the whole community are encouraged to continue to make use of the facilities for educational, social, recreational and sporting activities. These activities and courses are widely publicised.
. The challenge was open to first and second year pupils at every school in the UK last year. Each school had to complete in three challenges which tested their skills and stamina. Pupils were asked to complete a shuttle run, which tested their ability to accelerate and change direction. They were also challenged to see how many star jumps they could do in a minute.
, People's Republic of China
. The collaboration is part of a wider initiative to develop a closer relationship between Scotland
and China
, and will include teacher and pupil exchanges as well as using e-mail and the internet to develop joint projects.
The School also has educational links to Pahama Secondary School in South Africa as part of the schools involvement with the London Olympic Games. This is promoting fitness in secondary schools. Trips have been made by teachers from both schools visiting the other.
inspection team in 2008, Lasswade High became the first and currently only secondary school in Midlothian to be awarded the Green Flag. The Green Flag is an internationally respected environmental award, indicating that a school is committed to the highest standards in environmental education and management.
in 2005, with key strengths being identified as:
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...
state school located in Bonnyrigg
Bonnyrigg
Bonnyrigg is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, eight miles southeast of Edinburgh city centre. The town had a population of 11,260 in the 1991 census which has risen to 14,457 according to the 2001 census. Along with Lasswade, Bonnyrigg is a twin town with Saint-Cyr-l'École, France.- History :Early...
, Midlothian
Midlothian
Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
, 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...
.
History
Education has flourished in the parish of Lasswade from medieval times in various church and monastic establishments, but schooling as we know it dates from the 17th century. Lasswade Kirk Session records list the names of the parish schoolmasters from 1646, and some of these, particularly the famous Scottish poetPoet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, William Tennant
William Tennant
William Tennant , Scottish scholar and poet, was born at Anstruther, Fife.He was lame from childhood. His father sent him to the University of St Andrews, where he remained for two years, and on his return he became clerk to one of his brothers, a corn factor...
, LL.D., later Professor of Oriental languages at the University of St. Andrews, and Robert Marshall, who resigned in 1899 after 32 years as Headmaster, laid the foundation of Lasswade's excellent record as a higher grade school. The school dux to this day is presented with the Marshall Memorial Medal. There are obvious connections with noble estates of Melville, Dalhousie and Roslin and the school coat of arms reflects these and other educational connection within the area. On petition by the former Headmaster, the late Mr. F. Webster, M.A., the Lyon Court granted to the school a coat of arms.
The Melville "fess" or bar in red on a gold background, with the "engrailed" edges refers to the great House of Roslin. The falcon's heads are the heraldic charge of the Nicolson Family, closely associated with Lasswade, and the Golden Key represents Gibson of Pentland, the family most prominently associated with the school. The black spread eagle represents the House of Dalhousie and the open book represents learning.
More Recently
In 1956, Lasswade Senior Secondary School transferred to a new building on the present site with improvements and extensions opened in 1978 to provide new accommodation for Business Studies, Home Economics, Music, Art & Design, Science, Craft, Design & Technology, Library, Computer Room, Kitchen, Dining Room and Sports Centre. During session 1999/2000, a new Mathematics and Support wing was built and formally opened by Jack McConnellJack McConnell
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale is a British Labour life peer in the House of Lords. He was third First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament...
, at the time Education Minister for Scotland. This included state of the art fully equipped Mathematics classrooms, Guidance classrooms, offices and meeting rooms and a Learning Support base with tutorial rooms. The school also has a purpose built Sports Centre which comprises of a game hall, squash courts, fitness training rooms, activity movement studio, cafeteria, creche and spacious playing fields.
Lasswade has been further development as a community school since 1979. This means that the staff and the facilities of the building and the other resources are available to students, young and adult, during the day and in the evenings of every day of the week. Pupils, parents and the whole community are encouraged to continue to make use of the facilities for educational, social, recreational and sporting activities. These activities and courses are widely publicised.
Schools Curriculum Award 2000
Lasswade High School Centre received the prestigious award at a ceremony in London in recognition of the school's involvement with the local community. The award was open to all schools - nursery, primary and secondary - in the United Kingdom. Assessment of the school was made in two stages - an initial written submission followed by a visit by two external assessors - to ensure that the school met the challenging criteria set by the Trustees. The award is sponsored by the government departments and private industry.Fittest School in Britain 2009
The school took the top prize in the Fitter Schools Challenge, in which 3,000 UK schools put their sporting prowess to the test. The school was presented with a trophy and £10,000 worth of sports equipment by Olympian Roger BlackRoger Black
Roger Anthony Black MBE is a retired British athlete. During his athletics career, he won individual silver medals in the 400 metres sprint at both the Olympic Games and World Championships, two individual gold medals at the European Championships, and 4x400 metres relay gold medals at both the...
. The challenge was open to first and second year pupils at every school in the UK last year. Each school had to complete in three challenges which tested their skills and stamina. Pupils were asked to complete a shuttle run, which tested their ability to accelerate and change direction. They were also challenged to see how many star jumps they could do in a minute.
School Clubs and Activities
School students are encouraged to take pat in activities which are not pat of the timetabled subjects. A broad programme of clubs and other interest-based activities are on offer. Amongst others, there are various sports clubs like basketball, badminton and table tennis as well as the more usual football, rugby and athletic events. There is a strong music tradition within the school with regular concerts and performances. Many teachers offer the facilities of their departments at various times, such as lunchtime, for students to develop their own interests.Links with China and South Africa
In recent years, the school has developed educational links with Tianlin No 3 Middle School in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The collaboration is part of a wider initiative to develop a closer relationship between 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...
and China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, and will include teacher and pupil exchanges as well as using e-mail and the internet to develop joint projects.
The School also has educational links to Pahama Secondary School in South Africa as part of the schools involvement with the London Olympic Games. This is promoting fitness in secondary schools. Trips have been made by teachers from both schools visiting the other.
Eco-Schools
Following a visit by an Eco-SchoolsEco-Schools
Eco-Schools is an international program of environmental and sustainable developmental education for schools. Foundation for Environmental Education is the founder of the programme and Eco-Schools is just one out of their five programmes....
inspection team in 2008, Lasswade High became the first and currently only secondary school in Midlothian to be awarded the Green Flag. The Green Flag is an internationally respected environmental award, indicating that a school is committed to the highest standards in environmental education and management.
School Building
Lasswade High School is one of 134 schools in Scotland whose buildings are classified by the Scottish Government as Category D, meaning they are deemed 'economically expired' and 'in danger of failure'. In 2009, it was announced that a new Lasswade High School Community Campus is to be built, with construction beginning October 2011.Inspection
The school was last inspected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of EducationHer Majesty's Inspectorate of Education
Her 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...
in 2005, with key strengths being identified as:
- The school's promotion of pupils' personal and social development and pastoral care.
- Success in encouraging pupils' wider achievements.
- Involvement of pupils in productive decision-making and action.
- High-profile community links, including partnership with parents.
Notable former pupils
- Gary Locke, professional footballer.
- Steven WhittakerSteven WhittakerSteven Gordon Whittaker is a Scottish association footballer who currently plays as a right back for Scottish Premier League club Rangers and the Scotland national side....
, professional footballer. - Rajiv Joshi, Chairman of the Scottish Youth ParliamentScottish Youth ParliamentThe Scottish Youth Parliament, also known as SYP, is a democratic, politically independent, inclusive, charity set up by a group of passionate youth workers as a national voice for young people in Scotland....
(2005–2007). - Sean FraserSean Fraser (swimmer)Sean Fraser is a Scottish swimmer, who won a bronze medal for Great Britain in the S8 100m backstroke at the Beijing Paralympics 2008. At the 2010 Commonwealth Games he bagged a silver medal in Men's 100 metre freestyle S8 with a time of 1:00.77.-References:...
, swimmer and bronze medallist at the 2008 Summer Paralympics2008 Summer ParalympicsThe 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao....
in BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. - Gary MasonGary Mason (footballer)Gary Mason is a Scottish professional footballer, who currently plays for Scottish First Division side Dunfermline Athletic.-Career:...
, professional footballer. - Gary NaysmithGary NaysmithGary Andrew Naysmith is a Scottish footballer, currently playing for Huddersfield Town in League One and has been capped for the Scotland national team 46 times...
, professional footballer. - Mark Martin, former Real Radio and now returned to Forth One presenter.
- Graeme RandallGraeme RandallGraeme Randall is a Scottish judoka.Randall was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in March 2010. He was the second male from Great Britain ever to hold a world title in judo.-Achievements:-References:...
, former World Judo champion (1999). - Craig ThomsonCraig Thomson (footballer)Craig Thomson is a Scottish footballer who plays as a right back for Scottish Premier League club Hearts. He has also played at left back and on the right wing. Thomson was loaned to Lithuanian club FBK Kaunas after he was convicted of indecent behaviour...
, professional footballer.