Wallace Hall
Current Wallace Hall building (2010), showing ELC and Primary wing.
Address
Station Road

Thornhill, Dumfriesshire
,
DG3 5DS

Scotland
Coordinates55°14′31″N 3°45′25″W / 55.242°N 3.757°W / 55.242; -3.757
Information
TypeComprehensive
Motto"Together we grow, learn and achieve"
Established1723; 301 years ago
FounderJohn Wallace
AuthorityDumfries and Galloway Council
Head TeacherBarry Graham
Staff126
YearsNursery - S6
GenderMixed
Age range2–18
Enrollment709
LanguageEnglish
Colour(s)Dark blue, light blue, and green
Websitewww.wallacehall.co.uk

Wallace Hall is a 2-18, state-operated comprehensive school in Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. The school serves all school-aged children in the local area, with three distinct schooling types operating under one building. These are; The ELC (Early Learning Centre or Nursery), Primary School, and Academy. The ELC and Primary School serves children aged 2–12 located within Thornhill's local catchment area, whilst the Academy serves children aged 11–18 located within Thornhill's local catchment area,[1] as well as a plethora of surrounding rural located Primary schools.[1][2] As of September 2023, the school operates with a roll of 551 pupils (secondary),[3] and 158 pupils (ELC and primary).[4]

History

The former Wallace Hall school (1911), now Closeburn Primary School, in Closeburn, with the upper roof of the original Wallace Hall (1720s), now Closeburn House, in the background.
The former Wallace Hall Academy building (1978) in Thornhill.

The original Wallace Hall was founded by John Wallace, a merchant in Glasgow and a native of Closeburn, who, in 1717, endowed £1400 for the purpose of erecting the school, on the basis for it to teach English, Latin, Greek, Writing, and Arithmetic, all for the children of Closeburn.[5][6] Upon his death in 1723, his executers purchased five acres of land, as well as farmland providing income for the rector, a year later the first schoolmaster was appointed.[5] The school established itself overtime as its reputation increased, in 1817, it was described as "indeed, one of the most celebrated academies of Scotland".[5] In 1911, a new building was constructed which would home Wallace Hall until 1978,[6] and now lives on as a Category B listed building,[7] styled as Closeburn Primary School.[8] The original building is now a Category A listed[9] privately owned specialist education centre styled as Closeburn House.[6] Furthermore, the John Wallace Trust continues to support young people in the Thornhill area by offering bursaries to help with the cost of higher education.[10]

Until the early nineteen seventies, there were two secondary schools in the local area: the six-year Wallace Hall at Closeburn and the four-year Morton Academy in Thornhill. In 1972, the two schools amalgamated and the new school at Thornhill took on the name of Wallace Hall.[5] Prior to this amalgamation, an extensive building programme was started in 1970 and completed in 1978 in order to accommodate the pupils of both schools. The school continued to flourish on this site until, however, as part of Dumfries and Galloway Council's £100 million project to build nine new schools, this building was replaced with a new Wallace Hall School, which was built opposite the original school, beside the school playing fields.[11] The construction of the building started on 16 January 2008 and the new school opened in January 2010.

Recent Events

In July 2017, a campaign was launched to buy and transform the building that, built in 1909,[12] and Category C listed,[13] originally housed Morton Academy, and then later Wallace Hall Primary, and which up-until this point had sat derelict and disused opposite to the modern Wallace Hall building.[14] This campaign gathered steady traction over the coming months, amounting in money being awarded for the purpose of renovation and purchase, from the Scottish Land Fund, as well as the Architectural Heritage Fund and Thornhill Community Council.[12] In June 2019, a charity is formed under the name of Old School Thornhill (OST), which allows for more funding to be collected from the Holywood Trust, Dumfries and Galloway Council and South of Scotland Enterprise.[15][14] In total, OST claims to have raised more than £2.5 million towards renovation works, of which, officially commenced in 2022, and are still ongoing as of September 2023.[14] OST plans to have the building open for community usage in early 2024.[16]

Morton Academy/Wallace Hall Primary building in 2009, shortly before the relocation of Wallace Hall to the opposite side of the road.


Throughout the first half of 2023, the school held celebrations in order to mark its 300 year old milestone. In the lead up to the celebrations, a competition was held by the Wallace Hall Community Group for current pupils to design a commerative 300 year logo for the occasion, after voting, it was won by Darach Smyth, with a 62% vote share.[17] When the celebrations did take place, they included (but where not limited to): a handbook being produced covering the extensive history of Wallace Hall, a film being produced documenting expriences from pupils past and present, with a look around the former Wallace Hall, now Closeburn Primary School, and 3 days of consecutive celebratrions being held at Wallace Hall, Closeburn Primary School, and Closeburn House.[18][19] In addition, on the 13th of June 2023, Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, submitted a motion to the Scottish Parliament congratulating Barry Graham and Wallace Hall for reaching the 300 years milestone.[20]

COVID-19 response

In March 2020, the school closed temporarily following a government imposed national lockdown, as well as the announcement by the then First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, that all schools and nurseries would be closing, all to prevent the spread of COVID-19.[21][22] During the later half of 2020 (August until December), the school reopened, however with severe mitigations in place (such as a One Way System in the corridors, staggered lesson times for each year group, Social Distancing, and later on, mask wearing),[23][24] this following a (then ongoing) formal risk assessment conducted by Barry Graham and other senior management staff on behalf of Dumfries and Galloway Council,[25] as well as guidance issued by the Scottish Government on the matter.[26]

In March 2021, following government restrictions easing, the school reopened again, implementing similar mitigation measures (such as mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing) to guard against the spread of COVID-19. In Spring 2022, all mitigations were dropped and the school returned to normal operations.

In May 2022, the school held its first diet of SQA examinations since 2019, having returned to normal operations after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notable former pupils

References

  1. 1 2 "Dumfries and Galloway School Catchment and Electoral Wards Interactive Map". Dumfries and Galloway Council. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  2. ↑ Baker, Lindsay. "Public Consultation Document for Proposed Catchment Area Changes for; Wallace Hall Academy, Dunscore Primary School, and Hollywood Primary School" (PDF). Dumfries and Galloway Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "Wallace Hall Academy". Dumfries and Galloway Council. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "Wallace Hall Primary School". Dumfries and Galloway Council. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Temlett, Stephen (21 February 2023). "School to mark major milestone with celebration". Dumfries & Galloway Standard. Reach plc. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023 – via PressReader.
  6. 1 2 3 Carruth, Karen (20 August 2018). "Wallace Hall Academy has 300 years of stories to tell". The Scottish Farmer. Newsquest. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  7. ↑ "CLOSEBURN SCHOOL (LB4011)". Historic Environment Scotland. 3 August 1971. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "Closeburn Primary School". Dumfries and Galloway Council. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  9. ↑ "WALLACEHALL ASSESSMENT CENTRE (FORMER ACADEMY AND SCHOOLHOUSE) (LB3953)". Historic Environment Scotland. 3 August 1971. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "John Wallace Trust Scheme". Dumfries and Galloway Council. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "In pictures: New schools project". BBC News. 22 June 2007. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  12. 1 2 Brown, Craig. "Geograph:: Old Morton Academy building , Thornhill". www.geograph.org.uk. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  13. ↑ "THORNHILL, WALLACE HALL PRIMARY SCHOOL (LB50174)". Historic Environment Scotland. 14 November 2005. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 "About". OLD SCHOOL THORNHILL. 22 February 2022. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  15. ↑ "OSCR | Charity Details". www.oscr.org.uk. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  16. ↑ "OLD SCHOOL THORNHILL". OLD SCHOOL THORNHILL. 22 February 2022. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "Wallace Hall 300-Year Anniversary Logo Competition". wallacehall. 23 June 2022. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  18. ↑ "Wallace Hall on X (Formerly Twitter)". X (formerly Twitter). Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  19. ↑ "Wallace Hall on X (formerly Twitter)". X (formerly Twitter). Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  20. ↑ "Wallace Hall on X (formerly Twitter)". X (formerly Twitter). 19 June 2023. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  21. ↑ Jarvie, Diane (18 March 2020). "Email to Parents" (PDF). Wallace Hall Academy. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  22. ↑ "Coronavirus: Strict new curbs on life in UK announced by PM". BBC News. 24 March 2020. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  23. ↑ Jarvie, Diane (11 August 2020). "Email to Parents" (PDF). Wallace Hall Academy. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  24. ↑ Jarvie, Diane (3 September 2020). "Email to Parents" (PDF). Wallace Hall Academy. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  25. ↑ Russell, Pam (17 November 2020). "Risk Assessment Form" (PDF). Dumfries and Galloway Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  26. ↑ "FACTS Poster" (PDF). Dumfries and Galloway Council. 7 July 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  27. ↑ Waterston, C. D. (2006). Former fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783-2002 : Biographical Index. Vol. 198. Edinburgh: The Royal Society of Edinburgh. p. 902. doi:10.1126/science.198.4320.902. ISBN 0-902198-84-X. OCLC 83595094. PMID 17787543. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
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