Abronhill High School
Non-denominational school in Scotland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abronhill High School was a non-denominational, comprehensive, secondary school in Abronhill, a suburb of the Scottish new town of Cumbernauld. The school roll was 473 pupils in January 2009.[2] The school was the setting of the 1981 Scottish film Gregory's Girl. Abronhill High School was located near Abronhill Shopping Centre. It closed in June 2014.
| Abronhill High School | |
|---|---|
Abronhill High School | |
 | |
Abronhill, Cumbernauld Scotland | |
| Information | |
| Type | Non-Denominational |
| Established | 1978 |
| Closed | 2014 |
| Local authority | North Lanarkshire Council |
| Enrollment | 430 [1] |
The school was used by director Bill Forsyth for the external and internal location scenes of his 1981 coming-of-age romantic comedy film Gregory's Girl.[3]
History
The school was opened on 22 November 1978 by a local councillor, Martin Green. Abronhill High School was the third non-denominational high school to open in the Cumbernauld area.[4] It was built for a capacity of around 1000 students although in years before its closure the school roll was only around 500.[5] In 2007 pupils at the school piloted a mountain biking scheme that was developed with Forestry Commission Scotland.[6] On 1 September 2008, pupils at Abronhill High were the first in Scotland to receive the HPV vaccine at their school.[7]
Closure
In September 2012 North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) informed parents that it wished to close Abronhill High from August 2013 and transfer pupils to Cumbernauld High.[3] NLC's learning and leisure services committee approved the merger of these schools, saying that they anticipated this would address a falling school roll and be part of £1.3 million of savings.[8] It was subsequently delayed until 2014 following a consultation. The plan was criticised for damaging pupils' education. This did not stop NLC from going forward with the closure, and on 27 June 2014, the school was closed.[9][10] Demolition commenced on 18 November 2014.[8]
Redevelopment
After demolition the site remained vacant for almost a decade. The initial council plan to sell the land to a housing developer stalled due to local and political opposition. In June 2020, NLC announced the area would not be sold for housing instead it proposed a new strategy where the former Abronhill school "will be assessed as a potential site for a future town and community hub, incorporating primary school provision and improved community facilities".[11]