Hutchesons' Grammar School


Hutchesons' Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in the southside of Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded as Hutchesons Boys' Grammar School by the brothers George Hutcheson and Thomas Hutcheson in 1641 and was opened originally to educate orphans, starting with "twelve male children, indigent orphans".
For much of its early life the boys' school was situated at Crown Street in the Gorbals. In 1876 a girls' school was opened in the former Gorbals Youth School in Elgin Street, moving to Kingarth Street in Pollokshields in 1912. The Boys' and Girls' schools amalgamated in 1976 at Beaton Road where the Boys' school had moved to in 1957. Kingarth Street became the co-ed primary school.
In 2001, the school expanded into Glasgow's West End when it merged with Laurel Bank School and created a nursery and primary school on Lilybank Terrace, although this has since closed. The building suffered heavy damage in a fire in November 2008, and again in early 2019.
Today, "Hutchie", as the school is known informally, has around 1,300 pupils at Kingarth Street and Beaton Road.
The current Rector is Colin Gambles.

History

George and Thomas Hutcheson set aside money for their school in 1641. The brothers originally intended the School to be for orphans. Archibald Edmiston, an orphan himself, became the School's first pupil in 1643 and, seven years later, the School had "12 boys on the roll", to whom the school song refers.
The brothers built Hutchesons' Hospital Building in the Trongate which survived the fire that destroyed much of the city in 1652.
The school required several moves to accommodate its growing number of pupils. It twice changed address before the school moved to Ingram Street in 1802. By 1815 the school had 76 pupils. By 1839 it stood at 120 which prompted the Patrons' decision to build a new school in Crown Street, Gorbals. The new building was opened in 1841 and remained in use until 1960.
In 1876, Hutchesons' Girls' School was opened on Elgin Street. It re-located in 1912 to Kingarth Street as Hutchesons' Girls' Grammar School, the present primary school building.
Beaton Road in Crossmyloof became the new home to the primary school of Hutchesons' Boys' Grammar School in 1957 with the secondary school moving in 1960.
In 1975 Hutchesons' Girls' Grammar School and Hutchesons' Boys' Grammar School were amalgamated to form Hutchesons' Grammar School, the co-educational institution which remains in this form today. The girls' site in Kingarth Street became the mixed primary school and also housed S1 and S2 while the remaining secondary pupils were taught at what had been the boys' school in Beaton Road. Twenty years later additional building at Beaton Road allowed S1 and S2 to move there, leaving Kingarth Street as wholly the primary school.
In 1991, a 3-storey Science Block was erected in the Beaton Road carpark and in 1994 a new Infant Block at Kingarth Street was constructed. A new Sports Building was developed on the Playing Fields at Beaton Road in 1998, allowing the old gymnasium in the Senior School to be converted into a library the following year. Since 2000 the Fotheringay Centre has been built with a number of new facilities. In 2012 a new building for drama was opened, complete with studios and stage with lighting and sound. A new Gym opened in February 2019 with Cardio and Conditioning suites.
Fees range between £7,975 and £10,158 per annum.
The school includes a large number of Jews and Muslim pupils who constitute approximately 15% of the senior school roll. There is a Jewish assembly every Thursday and a Muslim assembly one Thursday a month although students of any religion can attend.
A new sports track was completed in September 2009 and a purpose built drama complex was officially opened in March 2012 by actor Richard Wilson. Additionally a new gym was opened in February 2019 by former pupil Leon Smith.

Awards

In November 2011, Hutchesons' Grammar School was named the 'Scottish Independent Secondary school of the year'.

Notable alumni