James Gillespie's High School

James Gillespie's High School is a state secondary school in Marchmont, Edinburgh. The School is a modern multicultural comprehensive High School, educating pupils aged 11 to 18 years of age. It has recently celebrated their 200th anniversary and its campus enjoys a wonderful mix of ancient and modern architecture. The catchment area is in the centre of the city. [ [http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Attachments/Internet/Learning/Schools/School_catchments/jg%20high%20300.pdf JGHS Catchment - Edinburgh Council] . Retrieved 05/05/08. ]

History

1803 the result of the legacy of James Gillespie, a school for 65 students and one master was opened in Bruntsfield Place.

1870 the school moved into a larger building where the Royal Blind Asylum now stands at Gillespie Crescent. As the school developed, girls were admitted as well as boys and the number of students exceeded 1,000.

1908 the Edinburgh School Board took over the responsibility for the school and in 1914 it moved into the building at Bruntsfield Links, until recently used by Boroughmuir High School as an Annexe.

1935 Edinburgh Corporation acquired Bruntsfield House and its grounds from the Warrender family. The building of the present school commenced in 1964 and was completed in 1966. The school became a secondary school for 800 girls.

1989 the school moved to one site on the completion of an extensive building and modernisation programme. [ [http://www.jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk/ourschool.html JGHS Our School] . Retrieved 05/05/08. ] .

1980s Formerly the High School divided the student population into four 'houses' - Warrender, Roslin, Spylaw, and Gilmore. The houses would compete in intramural sports events, etc. The house system lasted into the early 1980s. Since then the buildings of the High School campus adopted the names of the houses with the addition of a new name, Bruntsfield. Each of the house (now building) names reflects a connection to the name of a locality in, or a historic family from, south Edinburgh.

2007 improvements were made to the fabric of the school's buildings after a state inspection found significant deficiencies in several of the 1966 structures. There is currently a campaign to build a new school. [ [http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1811222006 Edinburgh Evening News] . Retrieved 05/05/08. ] .

Events

Rock Night @ JGHS

A showcase for the flavour of JGHS Rock. Organised by the Music Department each year, Rock Night presents a surprising number of new and original bands formed by the pupils of JGHS.

Carol Concert

Usually held in the Usher Hall, the carol concert features some spectacular performances and showcases for the musical talent that exists in the school, and an opportunity to indulge during the festive period each year. The Senior Conert consists of pipe band, senior clarsach ensemble, senior wind band, flute ensemble, percussion ensemble, senior choir and string orchestra. The junior concert features pipe band, junior clarsach ensemble, junior wind band, S1 choir, S2/3 choir and guitar ensemble.

Diversecity Festival

Diversecity is a celebration of all the different cultures and talents that are in JGHS. Every year, hundreds of students work incredibly hard to put together performances for this show, including dancing, singing, poetry, martial arts, and then all come together at the end. Recently it celebrated its 10th anniversary at the school. School students from Zwelibanzi High are also given a chance to perform on stage when they come to visit Scotland to see the show.

J.G.H.S. South Africa Project

The South African Project aims to provide a substantial link with Zwelibanzi High School in Umlazi township, Durban. - an urban school in KwaZulu-Natal . There have already been visits to Zwelibanzi from JGHS and teachers and pupils from Zwelibanzi have visited JGHS. The School has an enthusiastic group of pupil fundraisers who have already raised substantial sums for our South African partners with a number of other projects already underway. The Sponsor a Pupil in Zwelibanzi, South Africa Project.Helps by sponsoring a pupil in our partner school Zwelibanzi High School S.A. Through Gift Aid we are able to increase your sponsorship by 28p in the pound.

During the past three years Freemasons from the Edinburgh area have contributed £10,000 to the Zwelibanzi Fund. This money has been used for a variety of purposes including facility development.

The latest donation has been given by Lodge Abbotsford which has spent the past year raising money to build a room specifically for the ‘soup kitchen’. A £3,000 cheque was received recently by Mr. Wallace which is more than enough to pay for the building work. Quotations have already been received from Zwelibanzi and they have been given the go ahead to start the work.

It is hoped that the work will be completed by the start of next year when the school returns after their summer holidays. [ [http://www.jamesgillespies.edin.sch.uk/southafrica/southafrica.html South Africa Project - JGHS] . Retrieved 05/05/08. ]

Famous Students

* Muriel Spark, a Scottish novelist attended what was then James Gillespie's High School for Girls and later set what is perhaps her most famous novel, "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" in "Marcia Blane's School for Girls" - a school resembling Gillespie's.

References

External links

* [http://www.jghs.edin.sch.uk/ Official Site]
* [http://www.scottishschoolsonline.gov.uk/schools/jamesgillespieshighschooledinburghcity.asp JGHS on Scottish Schools Online]
* [http://www.jamesgillespiestrust.com/ JGHS Trust]