School History
Background to Lasswade High School Centre
By K R Thomson
Feb 9, 2005, 18:00

HISTORY OF LASSWADE HIGH SCHOOL CENTRE

Education has flourished in the parish of Lasswade from mediaeval times in various church and monastic establishments, but schooling as we know it dates from the 16th century. Lasswade Kirk Session records list the names of the parish schoolmasters from 1646, and some of these, particularly the famous William Tennant, LL.D., later Professor of Oriental languages at St Andrew’s University, and Robert Marshall, who resigned in 1899 after 32 years as Headmaster, laid the foundation of Lasswade’s excellent record as a higher grade school. The school dux to this day is presented with the Marshall Memorial Medal.

There are obvious connections with the noble estates of Melville, Dalhousie and Roslin and the school coat-of-arms reflects these and other educational connections with the area. On petition by the former Headmaster, the late Mr F Webster, M.A., the Lord Lyon granted to the school a coat-of-arms which is reproduced on the cover of this booklet.

The Melville “fess” or bar in red on a gold background, with the “engrailed” edges refers to the great House of Roslin. The falcons’ heads are the heraldic charge of the Nicolson Family, closely associated with Lasswade, and the Golden Key represents Gibson of Pentland, the family most prominently associated with the school. The black spread eagle represents, of course, the House of Dalhousie; the open book - learning.

The school motto “Usque Conabor” proclaims “I shall keep on trying”!

MORE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

In 1956, Lasswade Senior Secondary School, as it was then known, transferred to a new building on the present Poltonhall site. At the same time the decision was taken to transfer to the new school all pupils of secondary age in the immediate area. The school already served as the centre for pupils from Bonnyrigg, Lasswade, Loanhead, Penicuik and Rosewell, selected by examination for senior secondary education leading to the Scottish Leaving Certificate, but 1963 saw the last of the Penicuik pupils, who transferred to their own local school. The inclusion of all Loanhead pupils at a later stage made the newly named Lasswade High School a totally comprehensive senior school catering for boys and girls of all abilities.

In the past twenty years the school population has risen from 700 to over 1500 students. The current roll is around 1250 and is expected to increase from this figure in the near future.

The extensions, which were officially opened in 1978, provided new accommodation for Business Studies, Home Economics, Music, Art & Design, Science, Craft, Design & Technology, Library, Computer Room, Kitchen, Dining Room and Sports Centre. Areas of the existing school were converted to form new Craft, Design & Technology, Science and general classrooms.

During the year 2000 the school had a new Mathematics and Support wing built. This included fully equipped Mathematics classrooms, Guidance classrooms, offices and meeting rooms and a Learning Support base with tutorial rooms. These have proved to be important developments for all students. A new security system has also been installed as in all Midlothian schools.

The Sports Centre attached to the original school gymnasium comprises of a large Games Hall, two Squash Courts, Fitness Training Room, Activity Movement Studio, Games Room, Cafeteria, Kitchen, Creche, Administrative Suite and Changing Rooms. Our playing fields are sited within the school grounds. Regular use is also made of Greenhall and Newbattle Swimming Pools - both ten minutes by bus from the school. Our most recent development has been the construction of an international standard Gymnastics Training Hall as part of the school. This has been named the Midlothian School of Gymnastics. It was constructed during 2003 and is now being used by day school students as well as by clubs at other times.


THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Following extensive consultation, Lasswade High School has been developed as a community school from August 1979. In essence, this means that our staff, the facilities of our building and our other resources are available to students, young and adult, during the day and in the evenings every day of the week including weekends. Young people and adults are encouraged to make full use of our facilities for educational, social, recreational and sporting activities. Lifts have been provided to allow easy access for the handicapped.

We hope that pupils, parents and the community as a whole will continue to make use of the facilities and activities that are available. These are widely publicised by the school and in the local press at the start of each term and from time to time for special events.


© Copyright 2005 by LHSC