Vale of Leven Academy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vale of Leven Academy |
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Main Street
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| Information | |
| Type | Secondary |
| Motto | 1884 - 2010 Latin: Virtus Sola Nobilitas (Virtue is the only nobility) 2010 - Present: Achieving Together |
| Established | 1884 |
| Local authority | West Dunbartonshire Council |
| Head Teacher | Matthew Boyle |
| Staff | 150 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 987 |
| Capacity | 1100 |
| Houses | Fleming Grainger McKellen |
| Colour(s) | Maroon and Silver |
| SEED Number | 8304831 |
| Website | http://valeoflevenacademy.net |
Vale of Leven Academy is a secondary school in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It's a non-religious school, meaning it's open to students of all backgrounds. The school serves young people from nearby towns. These towns include Alexandria, Balloch, Bonhill, Jamestown, and Renton. The school building you see today opened in June 2009. It can welcome about 1,100 students.
Contents
School History
Early Days of the School
The school first opened its doors in 1884. It was known as North Public School back then. This first building is now home to Christie Park Primary. In 1894, the school got bigger. This allowed students to complete their first two years of secondary education.
Becoming Vale of Leven Academy
In 1909, the school became a full secondary school. It was then renamed Vale of Leven Academy. The school moved to its current location in 1962. This site is in the south of Alexandria. It's right on the border with Renton. St. Martin's RC Primary school is also on this same site.
Growing and Changing
By the early 1970s, the school had many students. Some classes even took place in temporary huts. A new building or extension was added in 1973. This new part replaced the old tennis courts. It brought 28 new classrooms, a large gym hall, a library, and a cafeteria.
School on TV
In 1996, the school was used for filming. It appeared in the Scottish Television series Take the High Road. School scenes with actor Gary Hollywood were filmed there. This happened during school holidays. Many students even came in their uniforms to be extras.
A Big Fire and New Beginnings
On June 22, 2002, a fire badly damaged the 'New Building'. This building was completely destroyed. For the next seven years, many lessons were held in temporary classrooms. Building work for a brand new school started in early 2008. This project was a partnership between West Dunbartonshire Council and a Dutch company called BAM. The new school was finished in June 2009. It opened for students that August.
Unusual Incidents
In February 2011, the school had to be evacuated. A student had brought in an old grenade for a history project. The police, fire brigade, and bomb disposal team were called. The grenade was safely removed and exploded in a controlled way. The school reopened later that day. In 2018, another incident occurred. A small fire was started by a pupil in the first-floor toilets. The fire brigade quickly put out the fire. Students were sent home for the day. The school was back to normal the very next day.
Head Teachers
Here are some of the people who have been Head Teachers at Vale of Leven Academy:
- Alex Rannie (around 1960–1974)
- Tom Murray (1974 – around 1980)
- Duncan Penny
- Angus McDonald
- Terry Lanagan
- Catriona Robertson (2009–2016)
- Paul Darroch (2016–2017)
- Matthew Boyle (2017–present)
Famous Former Students
Many talented people have attended Vale of Leven Academy. Here are a few of them:
- David Currie - A journalist and presenter for BBC Scotland.
- Peter Haining - A champion rower who won gold at the 1986 Commonwealth Games.
- Bobby Kerr - A former football player who captained Sunderland to win the 1973 FA Cup Final.
- Ian McColl - A Scottish football defender and later manager of the Scotland national team.
- Sharleen Spiteri - A singer-songwriter and lead singer of the Scottish band Texas.
- Stuart David - A co-founder of the bands Belle and Sebastian and Looper.
- Kelly Ann Woodland - A news journalist and reporter for STV news.
- Lynn Faulds Wood - A Scottish television presenter and journalist.
- Lachie Stewart - A gold medal winner in the 10,000 metres at the 1970 Commonwealth Games.
Images for kids
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The new school building from the South
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The old school building
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The demolition of the old school building
