| Bathgate Academy | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
|
| |
Edinburgh Road , , EH48 1LF Scotland | |
| Coordinates | 55°53′51″N 3°36′48″W / 55.8974°N 3.6133°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Secondary school |
| Motto | Latin: Honos Habet Onus |
| Established | 1833 |
| Founder | John Newland |
| Local authority | West Lothian Council |
| Head teacher | Eileen Paxton [1] |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age range | 11–18 |
| Enrolment | 965 (2019) [2] |
| Houses |
|
| Colour(s) | Red, blue, yellow |
| Website |
www |
Bathgate Academy is a mixed secondary school in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland, also serving the nearby town of Blackburn.
History
Established by the will of John Newland (a Jamaican-plantation slave owner) in 1799, [3] [4] [5] the school was originally located on Marjoribanks Street; [6] its main building dates from 1833 and was designed by R & R Dickson. [7] In 1965, the Academy merged with Lindsay High School and moved fully to a new campus further east at Boghall two years later. [8] The existing Lindsay High building on Kirk Road was taken over by the local Catholic school, St Mary's Academy, which already had its own buildings next door – all were demolished in 1994. From 1970 to 1988, the rector (headteacher) was Ian McGregor. [9]
The original Academy building was taken over by West Lothian College (originally Bathgate Technological College) in the 1960s [10] when the secondary school moved to its current location – it was also used as annexe to Balbardie Primary School in the 1960s and 70s. After the college moved to new premises in Livingston, [11] [12] the old Academy lay unused for several years in the early 21st century before being converted to apartments, forming the centrepiece of a development. [13] [14]
Notable former pupils
 | This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's
verifiability policy. (March 2024) |
- John McIntyre, Professor of Divinity and Principal of New College in the University of Edinburgh, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Dean of the Thistle
- Paul di Resta, Formula 1 racing driver and television presenter
- Richard B. Angus of Montreal, co-founder of the Canadian Pacific Railway and President of the Bank of Montreal
- Lieutenant-General Sir James Baird, senior British Army officer and Director General Army Medical Services
- Sir Andrew Stark, British ambassador to Denmark
- Jack Kane, Lord Provost of Edinburgh
- Robert Lyell Mitchell, chemist
- Marcus Fleming, economist
- Very Rev Alison Elliot, first female Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
- William Wolfe, Leader of the SNP
References
- ^ "Welcome from Head Teacher". Bathgate Academy. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ^ School Background, Bathgate Academy
- ^ The First Scots in Jamaica, Flag Up Scotland Jamaica
- ^ Bathgate Procession and John Newland Festival changes name due to Newland's links to slavery, Daily Record, 10 June 2020
- ^ A Distant Connection – Newlands & Sugar in Jamaica in the 18th – 19th Centuries, Kerrie Anne Christian, Newlands Reaching Across The Waters
- ^ Bathgate, Marjoribanks Street, Bathgate Academy, Canmore
- ^ Bathgate Academy, Dictionary of Scottish Architects
- ^ Heritage, Bathgate Academy
- ^ Obituary: Ian MacGregor, Tam Dalyell, The Independent, 21 August 1996
- ^ Bathgate in old picture postcards, William F. Hendrie, ISBN 9789028831674, via European Library
- ^ West Lothian College celebrates 50th birthday, Daily Record, 21 February 2016
- ^ West Lothian College, Gazetteer for Scotland
- ^ Bathgate Academy, Miller developments, ZM Architecture
- ^ Check out the £145,000 bungalow tucked away inside this stunning A-listed West Lothian building, Edinburgh Live, 1 July 2019