Dumbarton Academy is a mixed secondary school in

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990. Dumbarton was the ca ...

West Dunbartonshire West Dunbartonshire ( sco, Wast Dunbairtonshire; gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann an Iar, ) is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. The area lies to the west of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's commuter to ...

, Scotland.

Location

The school is situated near the railway off the B830 in the east of Dumbarton. St James Retail Park is on the opposite side of the

North Clyde Line The North Clyde Line (defined by Network Rail as the ''Glasgow North Electric Suburban'' line) is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. The route is operated by ScotRail Trains. As a result of the incorporation of the Airdrie–Bathga ...

History

Dumbarton Academy, which was originally based in the tower of Dumbarton Parish Church, dates back to the 15th century. It moved to a rented room in a building in the High Street known as "Walker's Close" in 1761 and to a new purpose-built building on the west side of Church Street, close to the corner with the High Street, in 1789. After that building was also found to be inadequate, a new combined burgh hall and academy was erected in Church Street in 1866 designed by William Leiper. The academy then moved to a site formerly occupied by Braehead House in Townend Road in August 1914, before being converted into a comprehensive school and relocating to Crosslet Road in Hartfield in 1972.

Today

Today the school serves the catchment area of

and currently has an enrollment of over 600 pupils. Alison Boyles is the head teacher. The school received a positive report from the 2009 HMIE inspection. The school currently operates a policy of inclusion with recent initiatives taken to increase the inclusion rate for less able pupils and decrease the rate of bullying in the school.

Notable teachers

* Raymond Robertson, Conservative MP 1992-97 for Aberdeen South

Notable alumni

* Professor John Campbell Brown, Regius Professor of Astronomy since 1996 at the University of Glasgow, Professor of Astrophysics 1984-96, and

Astronomer Royal for Scotland Astronomer Royal for Scotland was the title of the director of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh until 1995. It has since been an honorary title. Astronomers Royal for Scotland See also * Edinburgh Astronomical Institution * City Observatory * ...

since 1995 * Ian Campbell, Labour MP 1983-87 for

, and 1970-83 for Dunbartonshire West * A. J. Cronin, novelist * Sir Archibald Denny, ship builder * John McAusland Denny, Conservative MP 1895-1906 for Kilmarnock Burghs * Douglas Gordon, Scottish artist and

Turner Prize The Turner Prize, named after the English painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist. Between 1991 and 2016, only artists under the age of 50 were eligible (this restriction was removed for the 2017 award). ...

winner, 1978-1983 *

Patrick Harvie Patrick Harvie (born 18 March 1973) is a Scottish politician who has served as Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights since 2021. He has served as one of two co-leaders of the Scottish Greens since 2008, and is o ...

, Co-Convenor of the

Scottish Green Party The Scottish Greens (also known as the Scottish Green Party; gd, Pàrtaidh Uaine na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Green Pairtie) are a green political party in Scotland. The party has seven MSPs in the Scottish Parliament as of May 2021. As of the 202 ...

* John Hutcheson, New Zealand politician * Graeme Ramage, professional footballer * Professor John Rorke CBE, Professor of Mechanical Engineering 1980-88 at Heriot-Watt University * David Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood * Sir Jackie Stewart, racing driver who won three Formula One championships *

William Strang William Strang (13 February 1859 – 12 April 1921) was a Scottish painter and printmaker, notable for illustrating the works of John Bunyan, Bunyan, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Coleridge and Rudyard Kipling, Kipling. Early life Strang was bor ...

, painter *

References

External links

* {{authority control Dumbarton Secondary schools in West Dunbartonshire