Our Lady and St Patrick's High School
Our Lady & St Patrick's High School is a six-year co-educational comprehensive Roman Catholic school, situated in the Bellsmyre area of Dumbarton, Scotland.
| Our Lady & St Patrick's High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| |
Howatshaws Road, Bellsmyre , , G82 3DR Scotland | |
| Information | |
| Type | Comprehensive School |
| Motto | Uniter Deo (Union with God) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Catholic |
| Authority | West Dunbartonshire |
| Headteacher | Christopher Smith |
| Faculty | 100 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| School roll | 949 |
| Colour(s) | Green and blue, light blue and yellow |
| Accreditation | Investors in People, Schools of Ambition |
| Examination board | Scottish Qualifications Authority |
| Website | OLSP homepage |
History
The school's origins can be traced back to the closure of two previous Roman Catholic single-sex schools in the area; St. Patrick's (an all-boys school) and Notre Dame (an all-girls school). When the schools closed; the two were merged into a new school building under one name. In order to represent both of the previous schools, the name "Our Lady and St. Patrick's" was chosen.
Previously, a local convent had a large influence in the school as they previously managed the all-girls school Notre Dame, which was incorporated into it. The school colours, green and blue were chosen as they are the colours most commonly associated with the school's namesake religious figures; blue for the Virgin Mary and green for St. Patrick.
21st century
The school enjoys a healthy reputation amongst the community as a school of high achievement with some year groups experiencing a regular pass rate of 95% in exams.[1] The school serves the catchment of Dumbarton, Alexandria, Balloch, Helensburgh and the Rosneath peninsula .[2]
The school is currently providing educational services for around 1100 pupils and the current headmaster is Chris Smith, who assumed the role with the retirement of previous headmaster Charles Rooney in 2014.[3]
Philosophy
Like all Catholic schools in Scotland, Our Lady and St. Patrick's conforms with the "Charter for Catholic Schools in Scotland", a set of guidelines set down by the Scottish Government. Our Lady and St Patrick's is a major part of the Catholic community for its relatively large catchment area and regularly performs a celebration of mass for events such as local Primary 7 graduation into the school and for Remembrance Day commemorations.
Notable former pupils
- Morgan McMichaels, professional drag performer and contestant in RuPaul's Drag Race, season two.
- Ryan Conroy, professional footballer currently playing for Dundee.
- Zander Diamond, professional footballer currently playing for Burton Albion in the English Football League One.
- Jim O'Brien, professional footballer currently contracted to Notts County.
- Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Former archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh (attended St. Patrick's High School prior to merging)