Newbattle Community High School
Encyclopedia
Newbattle Community High School is a non-denominational secondary
state school located in Easthouses
, Dalkeith
, Scotland
on the B6455 road. It is run by Midlothian
Council and has approximately 900 pupils on roll in six year groups from ages 11 up to 18. It serves the towns of Easthouses
, Mayfield
, Gorebridge
, Newtongrange
and the villages of North Middleton
, Temple
and Borthwick and their surrounding areas.
nasium, swimming pool
, floodlit synthetic turf pitch (new in 2005) and grassed rugby and football pitch as well as a social area formerly known as the O-Zone, which was (until full funding for the Healthy Respect project ceased in summer 2007) a national demonstration project that provides pupils with a drop-in facility, which encourages the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. The school has a Vocational Education
programme. Facilities for delivery in this area include a Hospitality Suite
, Hairdressing salon, Call Centre
and Recording Studio
.http://www.newbattle.org.uk/Information/description.html
parish was the Parish school at Crawlees, Newtongrange
, which was built in 1835 to serve the first colliery houses at Newton Grange (as it was then known). In 1849 this was followed by Newton Grange Colliery Schools.http://www.prestoungrange.org/arts-festival/html/press/dean_tavern/appendix05.html
Both of these schools closed in 1893 when the Newbattle Public School was opened in Gardiner Place, Newtongrange.http://www.prestoungrange.org/arts-festival/html/press/dean_tavern/appendix05.html. The building is still in use today as the Newbattle Community Education Centre.http://www.newbattle.org.uk/LocalHistory/schoolhistory.html This school was both a primary and a secondary school.http://www.newbattle.org.uk/LocalHistory/schoolhistory.html
The school remained both a primary and secondary school until 1925, when overcrowding was relieved by the construction of a primary school in Sixth Street, Newtongrange (still in use today as Newtongrange Primary School). As of 1925, Newbattle Public School became exclusively a secondary school.http://www.shb-llp.com/prestoungrange/html/press/dean_tavern/chapter11.html. Also, in about 1924, a school for the Roman Catholic children of Newtongrange
and Gorebridge
had opened at Newtonloan Toll, midway between the two villages (the site of the current St Andrews RC Primary School).http://www.shb-llp.com/prestoungrange/html/press/dean_tavern/chapter11.html
Records of the Newtongrange Gala Day show that the dux of Newbattle Public School was crowned Queen of Newbattle Parish at the gala each year http://www.newtongrangegala.com/. These records also show that at some point between 1940 and 1944, the name of the school changed to Newbattle Junior Secondary School.
. When first built, Newbattle High served the communities of Mayfield
, Easthouses
and Newtongrange
, but following the closure of Greenhall High School in 1994, its catchment area expanded to include Gorebridge
, Temple
, Borthwick
and North Middleton
.
Newbattle and its associated primaries were granted New Community Schools status in 2000. In 2005, Newbattle was selected as one of twenty eight schools in Scotland to be awarded Schools of Ambition
status. According to the Scottish Executive's
website, the schools of ambition programme aims to be "a radical step change in the approach to transforming educational outcomes, which aims to raise the ambitions of schools, instil belief and ambition in pupils, extend their opportunities and transform their life chances". http://www.schoolsofambition.co.uk/ The enhanced funding and support is being used to build on the Arts curriculum, and to develop pupil leadership and self-esteem.http://www.newbattle.org.uk/Information/soa.html
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 Easthouses
Easthouses
Easthouses is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, lying just outside Dalkeith. It forms the northern extension of the settlement of Mayfield, with which it is closely associated....
, Dalkeith
Dalkeith
Dalkeith is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the River North Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540...
, 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...
on the B6455 road. It is run by 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....
Council and has approximately 900 pupils on roll in six year groups from ages 11 up to 18. It serves the towns of Easthouses
Easthouses
Easthouses is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, lying just outside Dalkeith. It forms the northern extension of the settlement of Mayfield, with which it is closely associated....
, Mayfield
Mayfield, Midlothian
Mayfield is a community in Midlothian, Scotland, located just South of Dalkeith between the A68 and the A7 south.This housing development was built, in the 1950s, as overspill accommodation for the colliery workers of nearby Newtongrange and Easthouses and for other essential workers, as well as to...
, Gorebridge
Gorebridge
Gorebridge is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. The village gets its name from the bridge across the River Gore, a tributary of the South Esk. It was once the home of Scotland's first gunpowder mill, at the Gore Water, commencing operation in 1794.Gorebridge has an annual gala day....
, Newtongrange
Newtongrange
Newtongrange is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. Known in local dialect as Nitten, or Nitten by the Bing ,it became Scotland's largest mining village in the 1890s, with the sinking of the Lady Victoria Colliery and a shaft over 1600 feet deep...
and the villages of North Middleton
North Middleton, Midlothian
North Middleton is a village in Midlothian, Scotland. Outlying hamlets include Temple and Borthwick...
, Temple
Temple, Midlothian
Temple is a village and parish in Midlothian, Scotland. Situated to the south of Edinburgh, the village lies on the east bank of the River South-Esk.-Pre-Reformation:...
and Borthwick and their surrounding areas.
Buildings
The school is accommodated in a large 1960s style main teaching block comprising four floors, with a single-story annexe housing science and Home Economics. There is a library area, and a Centre for Sport and Leisure, which is housed in a self-contained complex which includes a games hall, gymGym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, floodlit synthetic turf pitch (new in 2005) and grassed rugby and football pitch as well as a social area formerly known as the O-Zone, which was (until full funding for the Healthy Respect project ceased in summer 2007) a national demonstration project that provides pupils with a drop-in facility, which encourages the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. The school has a Vocational Education
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
programme. Facilities for delivery in this area include a Hospitality Suite
Hospitality Suite
Hospitality Suite is an award-winning stage play written by Roger Rueff that centers around conflicting notions of character, salesmanship, honesty, religion, and love that simmer until they boil over as two experienced salesmen and a young research engineer await a CEO whose visit to their modest...
, Hairdressing salon, Call Centre
Call centre
A call centre or call center is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing,...
and Recording Studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
.http://www.newbattle.org.uk/Information/description.html
History
The first school recorded in the NewbattleNewbattle
Newbattle is a village in Midlothian, in the ancient Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Andrews, about seven miles from Edinburgh. There was an abbey there founded about 1140, being the second of the six Cistercian Monasteries established by King David I of Scotland.-Newbattle Abbey:Newbattle Abbey was...
parish was the Parish school at Crawlees, Newtongrange
Newtongrange
Newtongrange is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. Known in local dialect as Nitten, or Nitten by the Bing ,it became Scotland's largest mining village in the 1890s, with the sinking of the Lady Victoria Colliery and a shaft over 1600 feet deep...
, which was built in 1835 to serve the first colliery houses at Newton Grange (as it was then known). In 1849 this was followed by Newton Grange Colliery Schools.http://www.prestoungrange.org/arts-festival/html/press/dean_tavern/appendix05.html
Both of these schools closed in 1893 when the Newbattle Public School was opened in Gardiner Place, Newtongrange.http://www.prestoungrange.org/arts-festival/html/press/dean_tavern/appendix05.html. The building is still in use today as the Newbattle Community Education Centre.http://www.newbattle.org.uk/LocalHistory/schoolhistory.html This school was both a primary and a secondary school.http://www.newbattle.org.uk/LocalHistory/schoolhistory.html
The school remained both a primary and secondary school until 1925, when overcrowding was relieved by the construction of a primary school in Sixth Street, Newtongrange (still in use today as Newtongrange Primary School). As of 1925, Newbattle Public School became exclusively a secondary school.http://www.shb-llp.com/prestoungrange/html/press/dean_tavern/chapter11.html. Also, in about 1924, a school for the Roman Catholic children of Newtongrange
Newtongrange
Newtongrange is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. Known in local dialect as Nitten, or Nitten by the Bing ,it became Scotland's largest mining village in the 1890s, with the sinking of the Lady Victoria Colliery and a shaft over 1600 feet deep...
and Gorebridge
Gorebridge
Gorebridge is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. The village gets its name from the bridge across the River Gore, a tributary of the South Esk. It was once the home of Scotland's first gunpowder mill, at the Gore Water, commencing operation in 1794.Gorebridge has an annual gala day....
had opened at Newtonloan Toll, midway between the two villages (the site of the current St Andrews RC Primary School).http://www.shb-llp.com/prestoungrange/html/press/dean_tavern/chapter11.html
Records of the Newtongrange Gala Day show that the dux of Newbattle Public School was crowned Queen of Newbattle Parish at the gala each year http://www.newtongrangegala.com/. These records also show that at some point between 1940 and 1944, the name of the school changed to Newbattle Junior Secondary School.
History of the current school building
The current high school building was built in 1969, replacing the former Newbattle Junior Secondary school in NewtongrangeNewtongrange
Newtongrange is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. Known in local dialect as Nitten, or Nitten by the Bing ,it became Scotland's largest mining village in the 1890s, with the sinking of the Lady Victoria Colliery and a shaft over 1600 feet deep...
. When first built, Newbattle High served the communities of Mayfield
Mayfield, Midlothian
Mayfield is a community in Midlothian, Scotland, located just South of Dalkeith between the A68 and the A7 south.This housing development was built, in the 1950s, as overspill accommodation for the colliery workers of nearby Newtongrange and Easthouses and for other essential workers, as well as to...
, Easthouses
Easthouses
Easthouses is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, lying just outside Dalkeith. It forms the northern extension of the settlement of Mayfield, with which it is closely associated....
and Newtongrange
Newtongrange
Newtongrange is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. Known in local dialect as Nitten, or Nitten by the Bing ,it became Scotland's largest mining village in the 1890s, with the sinking of the Lady Victoria Colliery and a shaft over 1600 feet deep...
, but following the closure of Greenhall High School in 1994, its catchment area expanded to include Gorebridge
Gorebridge
Gorebridge is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. The village gets its name from the bridge across the River Gore, a tributary of the South Esk. It was once the home of Scotland's first gunpowder mill, at the Gore Water, commencing operation in 1794.Gorebridge has an annual gala day....
, Temple
Temple, Midlothian
Temple is a village and parish in Midlothian, Scotland. Situated to the south of Edinburgh, the village lies on the east bank of the River South-Esk.-Pre-Reformation:...
, Borthwick
Borthwick
Borthwick is a small hamlet in Midlothian, Scotland. To the west of the village is the fifteenth-century Borthwick Castle. Other places nearby include Temple, Midlothian, Newbattle, Newbattle Abbey, Heriot, Scottish Borders.-External links:******...
and North Middleton
North Middleton, Midlothian
North Middleton is a village in Midlothian, Scotland. Outlying hamlets include Temple and Borthwick...
.
Newbattle and its associated primaries were granted New Community Schools status in 2000. In 2005, Newbattle was selected as one of twenty eight schools in Scotland to be awarded Schools of Ambition
Schools of Ambition
The Schools of Ambition programme was a political education initiative for secondary schools in Scotland run by the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate....
status. According to the Scottish Executive's
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...
website, the schools of ambition programme aims to be "a radical step change in the approach to transforming educational outcomes, which aims to raise the ambitions of schools, instil belief and ambition in pupils, extend their opportunities and transform their life chances". http://www.schoolsofambition.co.uk/ The enhanced funding and support is being used to build on the Arts curriculum, and to develop pupil leadership and self-esteem.http://www.newbattle.org.uk/Information/soa.html
Departments
- MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
- EnglishEnglish languageEnglish 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...
- ScienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
(BiologyBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, ChemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and PhysicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
) - ArtArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and Design - MusicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and DramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a... - Craft and Design
- Physical EducationPhysical educationPhysical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
- Religious and Moral Education
- GeographyGeographyGeography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
- HistoryHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
- BusinessBusiness educationBusiness education involves teaching students the fundamentals, theories, and processes of business. Education in this field occurs at several levels, including secondary education and higher education or university education. Approximately 38% of student enroll in one or more business courses...
, ICT, VocationalVocational educationVocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
and Enterprise Education - Home EconomicsHome EconomicsHome economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
- Modern languages (FrenchFrench languageFrench 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...
, SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , 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...
and GermanGerman languageGerman 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....
)
Notable former pupils
- Adam Nelson (footballer)Adam Nelson (footballer)Adam Nelson is a Scottish football player.Nelson was educated at Newbattle Community High School and won a Midlothian county cap in 1999....
, Scottish footballer - Ashleigh GrayAshleigh GrayAshleigh Gray is a British musical theatre performer who recently appeared as the standby for Elphaba in the London production of Wicked.-Early life:Gray was born in Fife, Scotland and educated at Newbattle Community High School in Dalkeith...
, West End musical performer - Alex NotmanAlex NotmanAlexander McKeachie Notman is a Scottish football player who currently plays for Formartine United.-Career:...
, footballer - Steve Hoffman, former Scottish International basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player