History of Our Lady's High School

Billy McNeill as the school boy skipper of the U15 team in 1953.Click the image to see a larger version

pupil art work

in the gym

'good shot'

Our school is one of three secondary schools located in Motherwell, which is a medium sized town to the south east of Glasgow. Our Lady's High School is one of the oldest Roman Catholic secondary schools in Scotland, with its origins dating back to 1895. It was originally an all-boys school and the first class of girls was not enrolled until 1945. In the same year, the school's famous War Memorial Chapel, built with funds raised by the school community, was opened.

'one of the oldest Roman Catholic Schools'

In 1974, a new school building was completed on the present site at Dalzell Drive. In 1975 Our Lady's had a school roll of 2325 pupils, which made it the largest school in Scotland at the time and earned it a mention in that years Guinness Book of Records.Since then, the school roll has reduced to 650 pupils due to the opening of a new neighboring secondary school and population changes in the local area. One of the biggest employers in the Motherwell area used to be British Steel. Ravenscraig was one of British Steel's biggest manufacturing sites and with its closure in 1994 local unemployment rocketed and many families moved away to find alternative work.

'Guinness book of records'

In 1999, the school celebrated the Silver Jubilee of its current accommodation and the Golden Jubilee of the War Memorial Chapel. Many well known figures and personalities are former pupils of the school, including the late Cardinal Thomas Winning, the late and great Sir Matt Busby (manager of Manchester United Football Club) and of course Billy McNeill (the player who skippered the Celtic football team to become the first British club to lift the European Cup (see photos at bottom of page).

'Cardinal Thomas Winning, Billy McNeill, Sir Matt Busby'

The present school accommodation is set in a pleasant environment amid landscaped grounds and nearby parkland and woodland. Most of the accommodation is contained within one main teaching block. A second building contains specialist accommodation for music, physical education and technical education. The school has the capacity for full computer networking and internet access. In recent years there has been significant spending on information and communications technology in the school.

'full computer networking and internet access'

Despite its relatively small size, the school offers a full and varied curriculum in line with national guidelines. It has been quick to introduce new Higher Still courses and a range of innovative work is taking place across a wide range of subjects. The school has a strong pastoral ethos and does much to care for the spiritual, social and physical well-being of its pupils'

'strong pastoral ethos'

Our Lady's provides a wide range of extracurricular activities and has a strong sporting tradition. Our senior football team achieved national success in 2000 when they won the Under-18 Scottish Schools Football Shield.This was the eighth time the school has won this prestigious trophy.

'strong sporting tradition'

Since 1997, Our Lady's has shared its accommodation with Bothwellpark High School.Bothwellpark caters for 20 pupils with a wide range of special needs. Both schools promote a positive approach to social, physical and curricular integration.

Some photographs

click on the images for larger versions

pupils show

off their art work

typical corridor scene

pupils using the network

the new science dept. computer suite