Abronhill High School was a non-denominational, comprehensive, secondary school in Abronhill, a suburb of the Scottish new town of Cumbernauld. The school roll was 473 pupils in January 2009.[2] The school was the setting of the 1981 Scottish film Gregory's Girl. Abronhill High School was located near Abronhill Shopping Centre. It closed in June 2014.
| Abronhill High School | |
|---|---|
 Abronhill High School | |
| Location | |
 | |
Abronhill, Cumbernauld Scotland | |
| Information | |
| Type | Non-Denominational |
| Established | 1978 |
| Closed | 2014 |
| Local authority | North Lanarkshire Council |
| Number of students | 430 [1] |
The school was used by director Bill Forsyth for the external and internal location scenes of his 1981 coming-of-age romantic comedy film Gregory's Girl.[3]
History
editThe school was opened on 22 November 1978 by a local councillor, Martin Green. Abronhill High School was the third non-denominational high school to open in the Cumbernauld area.[4] It was built for a capacity of around 1000 students although in years before its closure the school roll was only around 500.[5] In 2007 pupils at the school piloted a mountain biking scheme that was developed with Forestry Commission Scotland.[6] On 1 September 2008, pupils at Abronhill High were the first in Scotland to receive the HPV vaccine at their school.[7]
Closure
editIn September 2012 North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) informed parents that it wished to close Abronhill High from August 2013 and transfer pupils to Cumbernauld High.[3] NLC's learning and leisure services committee approved the merger of these schools, saying that they anticipated this would address a falling school roll and be part of £1.3 million of savings.[8] It was subsequently delayed until 2014 following a consultation. The plan was criticised for damaging pupils' education. This did not stop NLC from going forward with the closure, and on 27 June 2014, the school was closed.[9][10] Demolition commenced on 18 November 2014.[8]
Redevelopment
editAfter demolition the site remained vacant for almost a decade. The initial council plan to sell the land to a housing developer stalled due to local and political opposition. In June 2020, NLC announced the area would not be sold for housing instead it proposed a new strategy where the former Abronhill school "will be assessed as a potential site for a future town and community hub, incorporating primary school provision and improved community facilities".[11]
References
edit- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Abronhill High School Cumbernauld. North Lanarkshire Council. 10 March 2009" (PDF). Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE). 10 March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ a b "Gregory's Girl school Abronhill High 'to close' by 2013". BBC News. 19 September 2012. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ "Abronhill High School". bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
- ^ "Gregory's Girl school may close". 5 October 2001. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2020 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "School introduces mountain biking into PE curriculum". HeraldScotland. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ "Scottish schoolgirls first in UK to be immunised against cervical cancer". HeraldScotland. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Gregory's Girl fans mourn as school demolished". www.scotsman.com. 18 November 2014.
- ^ "Gregory's Girl school Abronhill High to close in 2014". BBC News. 6 February 2013. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ "Closure of Gregory's Girl school Abronhill High is approved by ministers". BBC News. 28 June 2013. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ "Surprise new role for high school in Abronhill". www.glasgowworld.com. 4 June 2020.