Craigholme School was a private school for girls situated in the Pollokshields area of the South Side of Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1894 and closed in 2020.

Craigholme School
Address
Map
72 St Andrew's Drive

,
G41 4HS

Coordinates55°50′26″N 4°17′27″W / 55.840556°N 4.290833°W / 55.840556; -4.290833
Information
TypePrivate day school
MottoPersta atque Obdura
(Be steadfast and endure)
Religious affiliation(s)Non-denominational
Established1894
FounderMrs Jessie Murdoch
Closed2020
Local authorityGlasgow City Council
Senior TeacherMrs Laura Neill
Staff9
GenderCo-educational
Age3 to 11
Enrolment40
HousesSkye,   Arran,   Bute   and Iona  
Colour(s)Red and white    
WebsiteUsed to be http://www.craigholme.co.uk/ However, the website now redirects users to https://www.kelvinside.org/

History

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The school was founded in 1894 by Mrs Jessie Murdoch as Pollokshields Ladies' School. The school had forty pupils on the roll and was housed at 63 Dalziel Drive in a villa named Craigholme. The school initially accepted boys up to the age of nine and girls up to the age of fourteen. The school's name was changed after the First World War to Craigholme School.[1]

In 1937, the senior pupils moved to a house at 72 St Andrew's Drive on the corner with Hamilton Avenue, part of what is now the main site of the school, while the junior school remained at Dalziel Drive. The school was evacuated to the Trossachs from 1939–1940, and in 1942, headmistress Margaret Logie retired, selling the school to Pollok School Company, which had been established by parents and businessmen to preserve the school. The house at 328 Albert Drive was added to the school in 1942, and at 68 St Andrew's Drive in 1955. The school expanded further in 1963 with the purchase of numbers 2 and 4 Hamilton Avenue, which stood adjacent to 72 St Andrew's Drive. Three new laboratories and a hall were built in 1971, with a further storey on the science facilities in 1987.[2]

St Ronan's Preparatory School at 204 Nithsdale Road was purchased in 1993 with the proceeds from the sale of 328 Albert Drive. The building housed Craigholme's nursery to J3 pupils until a dedicated nursery site was acquired at 62 St Andrew's Drive. Expansion in 2006 included a £2 million Sports Complex on the school's playing fields at Pollok Park[3][4] which can be hired by external users (for example, the complex has become the 'home' of Glasgow Gladiators Powerchair FC).

In 2018, it was announced that Craigholme would join the 'Glasgow Schools Trust' with Kelvinside Academy.[5] However, as pupil enrolment still decreased, it was decided in February 2019 to shut Craigholme Senior School in August 2019 and transfer pupils to Kelvinside, with Craigholme Junior School and the Nursery staying unaffected.[6] In 2020, the Nursery and Primary School also closed for good. The buildings were sold in October 2020 for around £2.5 million,[7] with plans for a residential development involving the destruction of the newer parts of the site submitted to the local authority two years later.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Glasgow school - one of the last private girls' secondaries in Scotland - to close". Evening Times. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  2. ^ "History". Craigholme School. Retrieved 31 May 2009.
  3. ^ "Sports Complex". Craigholme School. Retrieved 31 May 2009.
  4. ^ "Craigholme School Sports Facility". Architecture Scotland. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2009.
  5. ^ Gates, Philip (22 March 2018). "Two leading independent schools team up to form Glasgow Schools Trust". businessInsider. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  6. ^ Burns, Hamish (28 February 2019). "Girls' private school to close after 125 years". businessInsider. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  7. ^ O'Neill, Christina (4 October 2020). "Former Craigholme School buildings up for sale in Glasgow's southside". GlasgowLive. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  8. ^ Hilley, Sarah (2 October 2022). "Former Glasgow school to be partly demolished to make way for new homes". Glasgow Times. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
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