Lenzie Academy

Infobox Scottish Secondary School
name = Lenzie Academy


motto = "Ditior Quia Doctior"
motto_pl =
established = 1886
approx =
closed =
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type = Comprehensive School
religion =
gender = Co-educational
lower_age = 11
upper_age = 18
president =
rector =
headteacher =
head_label = Rector
head = Roderick J McLelland, BSc
chair_label =
chair =
founder =
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chaplain =
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specialist =
examinations = Standard Grade, Scottish Qualifications Certificate
street = Myrtle Avenue
city = Lenzie
county =
postcode = G66 4HR
country = Scotland
campus =
localauthority = East Dunbartonshire
teachingstaff = 100
roll = 1,400
houses =
accreditation =
colours = Myrtle Green & Navy Blue
feeder_schools =
publication =
free_label_1 =
free_1 =
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free_3 =
website = http://www.lenzieacademy.e-dunbarton.sch.uk
website_name = School Website
latitude =
longitude =
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Lenzie Academy is a six year comprehensive school which serves the town of Lenzie and southern parts of Kirkintilloch. Founded in 1886, it is situated some nine miles east of Glasgow and to the south of the Campsie Fells. There are presently 1,414 students in attendance with an annual first year of eight classes of thirty pupils each, all coming from five associated primary schools, namely Auchinloch, Millersneuk, Lairdsland, Lenzie Moss and Lenzie Primary. 500 of the total roll are from outwith the catchment area, attending as placing requests.

Lenzie Academy has a strong record of achievement regarding pupils of all levels of ability and sends about 60% of their annual intake of pupils to university or further education colleges each year. Many pupils are also involved in extra-curricular activities like sport, music, drama, debating and science. The school offers a full range of Standard Grade, Higher, Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2 and Advanced Higher courses as well as programmes of personal and social education, learning support, school/industry links, work experience and enterprise activities.

The Senior Management Team consists of the Rector and their six Deputes. Eighteen Principal Teachers of subjects manage the curriculum in separate departments and eight Principal Teachers, manage Guidance and Pastoral Care, with one additional Principal Teacher overseeing Education for Work initiatives.

The current Rector is Mr Roderick J McLelland, BSc who has been Rector since 1996.

The Academy has an active School Board and a Parents' Association and both are very supportive of the school and has appeared in The Sunday Times best schools list for a number of years ranking around the 20th in Scotland, going up one place to 17th in 2006.

History

By 1884, the population of Lenzie had grown to over 1,500, and the town was beginning to experience some of the problems of growth. Residents of Lenzie, concerned about their children's education, started a petition for a public school to be set up, probably with schools like Hillhead High School and Bellahouston Academy in mind.

The petition was successful, and Lenzie Academy was built, capable of providing primary and secondary education. On the day of the school's opening on 1st September 1886, 220 pupils enrolled, many from the local private schools. The Academy was managed by the "School Board of Kirkintilloch and Cadder" as Lenzie fell within those two parishes.

In 1910, an extension to the original building was completed, allowing the school to accommodate more pupils. However, the school roll continued growing and, by the 1930s, was outgrowing the space of the building on Kirkintilloch Road, with space also being used in the Lenzie Public Halls and Lenzie Union Church.

Because of this growth it was decided that the school should move to a new, larger site, where a new Lenzie Academy could be built, capable of accommodating more pupils than before. However, the outbreak of World War II stalled planning until the 1950s. On the 21 September 1960, the new Lenzie Academy building was opened at a cost of £300,000. It was decided that the new school would be for secondary education only and the old school was renamed Lenzie Primary School and, as the name suggests, was for primary education only.

Notable alumni

Notable alumni of the school have included:

* Ian McCartney, former Chairman of the Labour Party,
* Tom Johnston, former Secretary of State for Scotland,
* Andy Dunlop, Travis guitarist,
* Moira Anderson, Singer Fact|date=October 2008
* Jimmy Mack, broadcaster
* Andrew Henderson, Scottish rugby union footballer.
* Rhona McLeod, News Reader Fact|date=September 2008

External links

* [http://www.lenzieacademy.e-dunbarton.sch.uk Lenzie Academy Website]
* [http://www.lenzie.org.uk Lenzie Community Web Site]
* [http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/scottishschoolsonline/schools/lenzieacademyeastdunbartonshire.asp Lenzie Academy's page on Scottish Schools Online]