Hermitage Academy, Helensburgh facts for kids

Hermitage Academy is a large secondary school located in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It's a non-religious school, meaning it doesn't belong to any specific church. It's one of the two secondary schools in the Helensburgh area and is currently the biggest secondary school in all of Argyll and Bute.

Where Students Come From

The school serves a very wide area, like a big circle around Helensburgh. This area stretches from the Firth of Clyde (a large sea inlet) all the way to Loch Lomond (a famous lake) and a place called the Rest and be thankful. This means students come from Helensburgh itself, plus many nearby villages. Some of these villages include Cardross, Rhu, Shandon, Garelochhead, Clynder, Rosneath, Kilcreggan, Arrochar, Tarbet, and Luss. Because this area crosses a special geological line called the Highland Boundary Fault, the school is unique! It's considered both a "Lowland" and a "Highland" school.

A Look Back: Hermitage Academy's Story

The main building of Hermitage Academy today.

Hermitage Academy buildings from 1966 to 2008.

Hermitage Academy has moved a few times since it first opened! The very first school building was located in East Argyle Street. It was a beautiful Gothic-style building with four classrooms and a music room. It opened in 1880 and was designed to hold about 500 students.

Over time, the school grew, and the old building became too small. So, in 1966, a brand new secondary school building was opened at Campbell Drive in Helensburgh. But even that wasn't enough for all the students! Soon after, a second building of the same size was built right next to it.

Then, in February 2008, the school moved again to an even newer campus. This modern campus is located on the edge of town. If you look closely at the school's badge, you'll see it features the main entrance of the very first Hermitage School building.

School Leaders: Head Teachers

The Head Teacher is like the principal of the school. Robert Williamson was the Head Teacher until the summer of 2020. Before joining Hermitage Academy in 2017, Mr. Williamson was the Head Teacher at Drumchapel High School. He took over from Geoff Urie, who retired in June 2017. For a few months, David Mitchell, who was the Head Teacher of Dunoon Grammar School, helped out.

Douglas Morgan became the Acting Head Teacher in January 2021. He was then officially appointed as the permanent Head Teacher in November 2022.

School Motto: Hard Work Pays Off

The school's motto is Nulla Virtus Sine Labore. This is a Latin phrase that means "Nothing Achieved Without Hard Work." It's a great reminder that working hard helps you reach your goals!

As of November 2018, the school had about 1284 students and nearly 100 teachers.

Famous People Who Went Here

Many successful people have attended Hermitage Academy over the years! Here are a few:

• Marco Biagi - He was a former Minister in the Scottish Government, which is like a government official for Scotland.
• Hazel Irvine - You might have seen her on TV! She's a well-known BBC sports presenter and journalist.
• Ross King - He's a TV correspondent who reports from Los Angeles for ITV morning shows like Daybreak and Lorraine.
• Nigel Healey - An academic, which means he's a university professor or researcher. He is currently a Vice-President at the University of Limerick.
• Stephen Park - He was a former Team GB sailor and is now the performance director for British Cycling, helping cyclists train for success.
• Derek Parlane - A professional footballer who played for teams like Rangers and Leeds United, and also for Scotland, between 1970 and 1988.
• Luke Patience - A talented sailor who won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics!
• Richard Tait - He created the popular board game Cranium and was once named employee of the year at Microsoft.
• Very Rev Peter Donald Thomson - He was the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1934, which is a very important role in the Church of Scotland.
• Tom Gallacher - A Scottish playwright, meaning he wrote plays for the theatre.