Boys set to enrol in Notre Dame High School for first time
EDUCATION bosses will work with pupils on plans to refurbish the formerly girls-only Notre Dame High School as it prepares to enrol boys for the first time.
A new council paper outlines proposals for entry criteria to Notre Dame High School for August 2021, when the first cohort of male pupils join the school.
The changes follow a campaign by some parents to end local authority funded single-sex education in Scotland.
Notre Dame was the last such school in the country and other parents were determined it should remain for girls only.
Councillor Chris Cunningham, the city convener for education, skills and early years, said: “Staff from the primary schools that are now in the catchment area for Notre Dame High School have started to make plans that will help support the smooth transition of the their pupils to secondary
2021.”
Plans to go before councillors for approval on Thursday show boys will enrol from S1 in the first year from August 2021 and each year following.
Placing requests for older boys to join other year groups will not be granted.
It will have three associated primary schools – Notre Dame, St Joseph’s and St Patrick’s.
The current Primary 7 school in
August will continue to have the right to transfer to St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in Jordanhill.
An architect has already been engaged to work with pupils from the high school to help design changes that will be needed before August 2021.
Council staff and the head teacher of Notre Dame High will also meet with the parent councils of the three primary school to make sure transitions and support visits for pupils are in place.
Councillors voted in November to make the school mixedsex, despite protests and pleas from pupils. Young women from the school held a demonstration outside Glasgow City Chambers with signs calling for the council to retain the status quo.
But politicians were swayed by arguments from primary parents who said the school – one of the city’s top performers, despite having a large number of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds – discriminates against boys.
Notre Dame has 728 pupils with 580 on placing request from more than 50 primary schools across the city.
Almost 5000 people responded to a public consultation, with 39.9% supporting the status quo and 13.4% voting to keep the school single sex but expand the catchment area.
Co-education was backed 45.9% of respondents.
Mr Cunningham added: “The young people will also have the opportunity to shape and influence these plans – including the designs for the refurbishment of Notre Dame.” by