Grammar school

Prior to 1970, a selective secondary education system existed in Scotland that involved two grades of secondary schools: Senior Secondaries and Junior Secondaries. At the heart of this selective system was an exam called the 11-Plus taken by all children in the last year of primary school. Those who passed the 11-Plus went to one of the Senior Secondaries (six-year schools) while all others attended one of the Junior Secondaries (four-year schools).^[8] Senior Secondary pupils were expected to stay on at school until aged eighteen and proceed to some sort of tertiary education at university or college, whereas Junior Secondary pupils had to leave school aged fifteen for jobs and/or apprenticeships. Before 1972, fifteen was the minimum school leaving age in Scotland.

Comprehensive

Stonelaw High School was established in August 1970 as a four-year school,^[9] merging some of the pupils already at Rutherglen Academy with pupils from Gallowflat Junior Secondary.^[3][8] Other Academy pupils who had been at primary schools in Cambuslang, Carmunnock and Burnside largely went up to the new (1970) Cathkin High School. Subsequently, Stonelaw pupils wishing to do Highers or Certificates of Sixth-Year Studies (CSYS) - these being pre-university qualifications - transferred to Cathkin High for their last two years.

The new Stonelaw school was based in the former Rutherglen Academy buildings at the corner of Stonelaw Road and Melrose Avenue^[9] along with an 'annex' – the Gallowflat Junior Secondary buildings on Hamilton Road^[3] The previous annex of Rutherglen Academy, the mid-19th century Macdonald School building in the heart of the town,^[10] closed at the same time – both arrangements involved hundreds of pupils walking through 400 yards of residential streets between the sites several times a day.^[2] Eventually Stonelaw High became a six-year school.

Relocation

Main entrance to the new buildings (2019)

The school relocated to new premises on Calderwood Road, Rutherglen in summer 1998,^[2][3] on land which had once been part of a farm. The playing fields, adjacent to the new site but finished in 1996 prior to the construction of the buildings, were previously the recreation grounds for the James Templeton & Co textile factory located at Glasgow Green which had also built some company houses in nearby streets.^[11]

The main Rutherglen Academy building, a Category B listed structure which survived a World War II bomb intended for nearby industrial sites, was redeveloped into 36 residential apartments in 2001, with the other buildings demolished and further modern flats constructed within the footprint, in a complex known as Academy Gate.^[12][13]

At the Gallowflat site, the main building (a replacement for the original which was destroyed by a fire in 1941)^[14][15] was used by Rutherglen High School, an additional educational needs facility, from 1999 until 2008 when they relocated to a new campus shared with the rebuilt Cathkin High School.^[16][17] The main building was soon replaced by a nursing home, David Walker Gardens, opened in 2011.^[18][19][20] The remaining east block at Gallowflat (the home economics department, its age reflected in its 'Girls' carving above the door – the demolished 'Boys' block further west housed the technical subjects) is also Category B listed but has lain empty and disused since the 1998 move, although plans to convert it into residences were approved in 2015.^[21][22]

Stonelaw High School (1970–)

• Ray Deans, footballer
• Simon Donnelly, footballer
• Jayd Johnson, actress
• Scott Kyle, actor
• Suzie McAdam, stage actress^[28]
• Stevan McAleer, racing driver^[29]
• William McLachlan, footballer
• Jonathan Saunders, fashion designer^[30]
• Richard Rankin, actor
• Steven Saunders, footballer^[31]
• Scott Stewart, footballer
• Alan Trouten, footballer
• Gary Erskine, artist
• Audrey Tait, musician

Rutherglen Academy (1926–1970)

• Archie Baird, footballer (Aberdeen etc.)
• Sir Denis William Brogan, historian, Professor of Political Science from 1939 to 1968 at the University of Cambridge, father of Hugh Brogan
• Janet Brown, female impressionist
• Andy Cameron, comedian
• Steven Campbell (artist)
• Duncan Glen, poet
• Niall Hopper, footballer
• Adam Little, footballer
• George Logan, best known as Dr Evadne Hinge of the comedy act Hinge and Bracket
• Mamie Magnusson, journalist
• Donny McLean, footballer
• Jim McColl OBE, entrepreneur and "Scotland's richest man" (£800 million in 2008)
• Prof Edwin Morgan OBE, Titular Professor of English from 1975 to 1980 at the University of Glasgow, and National Poet for Scotland from 2004 to 2010
• Alexander Pollock, Conservative MP for Moray and Nairn / Moray from 1979 to 1987
• Dr John Rae, Chief Executive of the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE plc) from 2000 to 2001, and Chief Scientist at the Department of Energy from 1986 to 1989
• Sir Adam Thomson CBE, founder of Caledonian Airways (Managing Director from 1964 to 1970 and Chief Executive from 1970 to 1988)^[32]
• Midge Ure, musician
• Robert Wilson MBE, music industry entrepreneur

Stonelaw Public School (1886–1926)

• Alec Bennett, footballer^[33]
• Stan Laurel, actor, writer and comedian ("Laurel and Hardy")

Notable former teachers

• Norman Buchan, Labour MP from 1983 to 1990 for Paisley South
• Bill Butler, politician
• Jonathan Page, footballer
• Alistair MacLean, Scottish novelist, taught at Gallowflat School
• Harry Johnston (PE teacher), footballer with Montrose and Partick Thistle^[34] and cricketer for Scotland^[35]
• Jim Holmes, janitor, footballer with Greenock Morton^[36]