Skip to main content | Skip to main navigation | Accessibility Toolbar
Broughton High School Broughton High School
Get in touch: admin@broughton.edin.sch.uk | p. 0131 332 7805 | f. 0131 343 3296 | Absence Line: 0131-332 3106

Edinburgh Council

Sidebar

  • Home
  • Our School
    • Attainment
    • Our Curriculum
    • Policies and Procedures
    • Annual Data Check
    • 6th Year Leadership Team
    • Publications
    • Improving Punctuality
    • Gallery
    • School Uniform
    • Celebrating Success
    • School History
    • Pupil Council
    • Parent Council
    • Learning & Teaching
    • Student Support
    • School Trips
    • School Lunch Menus
    • Staff Vacancies
    • Our Faculties
    • Community Sports Hub
    • Summary School Priority Outcomes 2022-23
  • News & Events
  • Pupil Zone
  • Parents
  • BRO-Works
  • Specialist Schools
  • P7 - S1 Transition
  • Home
    • Letter from the Headteacher
      • Previous Letters
    • Senior Leadership Team
    • Staff
    • Contact Us
    • School Term Dates / Daily Timetable
    • Vision & Values
    • Useful Links
    • Enrolment Information
    • GDPR
    • Family Funding
    • Rights Respecting School
    • Pupil Support
  • Our School
    • Attainment
    • Our Curriculum
      • Specialists' Curriculum
      • Curriculum Pathways
      • The Broad General Education
      • Curriculum Timeline
      • Employability
      • S4 May Programme
      • Scottish Baccalaureate
      • Progression Pathways
    • Policies and Procedures
    • Annual Data Check
    • 6th Year Leadership Team
    • Publications
    • Improving Punctuality
    • Gallery
    • School Uniform
    • Celebrating Success
      • Success Stories
      • Broughton Alumni
    • School History
    • Pupil Council
    • Parent Council
    • Learning & Teaching
    • Student Support
    • School Trips
    • School Lunch Menus
    • Staff Vacancies
    • Our Faculties
      • Expressive Arts
        • Art & Design
        • Drama
        • Photography
        • Music
      • English & Literacy
        • Media Studies
        • Classical Studies
      • Health & Wellbeing
        • Physical Education
        • Health & Food Technology
      • Modern Languages
      • Maths & Numeracy
      • Science
        • Biology
        • Chemistry
        • Physics
      • Social Studies
        • Geography
        • History
        • Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies
        • Modern Studies
      • Technologies
        • Computing
        • Design Technology
        • Business Education
      • Student Support
      • School Library
      • Audio Visual Dept
    • Community Sports Hub
    • Summary School Priority Outcomes 2022-23
  • News & Events
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Events Archive
    • Letters Home
    • Archived Newsletters
    • NW Edinburgh News
  • Pupil Zone
    • Study Resources
    • After School Clubs
    • Glow/SCHOLAR
    • What's Next for School Leavers?
      • Preparing for University
      • College
      • Careers Info & Advice
      • Useful Links/Information
      • Employability
      • Apprenticeships
    • Work Experience
    • EMA Information
    • SQA
    • Anti-Bullying
    • Study Support
    • 16+
    • S6 Values
    • School Assemblies
    • Pupil Bulletins
    • Mental Wellbeing
    • School App
    • Reporting & Assessment
    • National Qualifications 2022-23
  • Parents
    • Parent News
    • National Parent Forum
    • Family Funding
    • Contact Us
    • P7 Transition
    • Family Support
    • Policies & Procedures
    • National Qualifications 2022-23
    • School App
    • Free School Meals
    • Reporting & Assessment
    • School Trips
    • Letters Home
    • After School Clubs
  • BRO-Works
    • BroWorks Breakfast Notes
    • Careers Fair
    • News & Opportunities
    • Pathways Bulletin
  • Specialist Schools
    • City of Edinburgh Music School
    • Specialist Dance School
    • Scottish FA Football Performance School
  • P7 - S1 Transition

School History

  • School History
  • Broughton Magazines
  • Memoirs
  • School Song
  • New Building
  • Memorabilia
  • School History
  • Broughton Magazines
  • Memoirs
  • School Song
  • New Building
  • Memorabilia

School History

On 20 February 1899 the decision was made to build a Higher Grade department in two of Edinburgh’s schools, and Broughton was chosen as the school for the site on the north of the city, thus Broughton High school was born.  The site of the primary school and the Higher Grade dept, McDonald Road, was at that time a comparatively rural location.

The first pupil enrolled was Christina Mackenzie of 24 Beaverhall Terrace.

The first Headteacher was Alexander Hutchison. He was appointed Head at the early age of 37.

By 1904 the Primary school site was hugely overcrowded so it was decided that a new Higher Grade school be built alongside the old one.

The site was bought from the Heriot’s Trust for £600.

The new building was constructed very quickly, in 16 months.

The school was officially opened by Flora Stevenson, Chairwoman of the Edinburgh School Board on 3 February 1905. The total roll stood at 1735:  271 infants, 950 juniors, 389 higher grades and 125 pupil teachers.

Over the next 20 years, the golden age of Broughton, there emerged 2 major poets in Hugh MacDiarmid and JK Annand, 130 names were placed in the Open Bursary list at Edinburgh University and every major scholarship within Edinburgh University was secured by Broughton former pupils in the faculties of Arts, Science, Law and Medicine.

The school song is called “Broughton for Ever” and was written and composed in 1917.  The words were written by George Ogilvie, an English Master and the music was written by George Hume from Broughton Elementary School.  The song was “dedicated to the memory of the teachers, students and pupils who died for their country in the Great War”.

The school badge was designed in 1924 by JG Sinclair and the motto was selected by the Headmaster of the time, Mr Blacklaws.  The motto “fortiter et recte” means “bravely and uprightly”.

Broughton moved from McDonald Road to Carrington Road in 1972 and thus Broughton became a Comprehensive Secondary school. The Head Teacher at the time was Dr Shepherd. The building had been long promised and pupils and staff were astonished at the space and size of the new building. In the years that followed, the school roll rose due to an influx of pupils from Drummond High.

The City of Edinburgh Music School, situated in Broughton High, was established in 1980. It was originally named The Lothian Specialist Music School but was renamed when the Regional Councils were reorganised.

In 1986 there was a fire in the Library, destroying everything. The Library was reopened on 5 May 1987 by author Joan Lingard.

In March 1990 the school was struck by tragedy when 5 senior pupils were killed in a car accident. A memorial garden on the school grounds was created in their honour.

In 1991 a major change in the history of the school took place – Ainslie Park merged with Broughton… and the roll rose even further – at its peak there were 1600 pupils enrolled at Broughton. The Head Teacher at the time was Jack Scott.

The specialist Dance unit was founded in Broughton in January 1998 after the resident dance teacher Ms Pender saw there was a demand for extra dance coaching.

Broughton has a huge tradition of creating pupil-led school magazines: in the Library, there are copies of the Broughton School Magazine going back to 1911 and The High has been running since 1991.

Notable Former pupils:

  • Hugh MacDiarmid – poet
  • Alan Bold – poet and critic
  • Tommy Smith – international jazz saxophonist
  • Martyn Bennett – piper and composer
  • Darren Dods – footballer
  • David Murray – business entrepreneur
  • Shirley Manson – lead singer of Garbage

In 2004 the decision was made that Broughton High was to have a new building under the PPP2 scheme, and the new state of the art building was completed in February 2009.

Broughton Magazines

Copies of the old Broughton High School magazine are available to download now:

1910s

1910s

1911 - Summer

1913 - Summer

1914 - Summer 

1920s

1920s

1923 - Summer

1926 - Christmas

1927 - Christmas

1930s

1930s

                                                                 

1930 - Summer                           1935 - Summer             

1930 - Christmas                         1935 - Christmas

1931 - Summer                           1936 - Summer

1931 - Christmas                         1937 - Summer

1932 - Summer                           1937 - Christmas

1932 - Christmas                         1938 - Summer

1933 - Summer                            1938 - Christmas

1933 - Christmas                          1939 - Christmas

1934 - Summer

1940s

1940s

1949 - Christmas

1950s

1950s

1952 - Christmas

1954 - Summer

1960s

1960s

1960 - Summer 

1960 - Christmas

1962 - Summer

1965 - Summer

1970s

1970s

1970

1990s

1990s

1992

1993 

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000s

2000s

2000

2001

2004

2006

Memoirs


Alexander Anderson School Report 1919 2

 

 

 

Mr Stuart Anderson contacted us after going through some of his late father's papers and came across this report on his education at Broughton Higher Grade School from May 1919.   This report was to be given to the Headmaster of the new school he was to attend when he moved to Liverpool.   He sent it 'as a piece of school history and pride in my father's achievements at Broughton School one hundred years ago!'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*************************

A copy of an article which appeared in the Scottish Daily Express from March 1957 about the first former pupils' reunion, was kindly sent to us by a former pupil of Broughton High School, Helen Clements (nee Craig).

***************************

A short memoir of the war service from 1917-1919 of former Broughton High School pupil, William Sharp Kerr (1899-1971) before and at the start of the Great War is available to read here, courtesy of William's grandson, Alistair Kerr.  The memoir is based on his diaries and some stories that he told.

***************************

scan0001

 

 

 

Shown here is a First 15 Rugby Team photograph from 1928-1929.  

The copy was made by available to us by Mr Norman Scott, whose father was the team captain and his uncle was also in the team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

School Song

Click here to see a copy of the old Broughton Secondary School Song, which was kindly sent to us by the niece of a former pupil, Ian Grainger, from the 1950s.

New Building

A copy of the brochure produced to mark the official opening of the current new building, on 4 November 2009, can be viewed here.

Memorabilia

Golf Trophies

Golf Trophies

Staff Golf Trophy 1956 

IMG 7728 1366 x 1324

  1957 M Barclay              1973 A J Ellery       

  1958 J D Gelly                1974 A J Ellery

  1959 M Barclay               1975 R Nicoll

  1960 T L Allan                 1978 G K Grandison

  1961 T L Allan                 1979 Wm Aitken

  1962 G B McKinnes        1982 D Somerville

  1963 T L Allan                 1992 W Clarke

  1964 R A W Hamilton      1993 D Robertson

  1965 R A W Hamilton      1994 G M Chalmers

 1966 T L Allan                 1995 N McNaughton

                                                                                                    1967 R A W Hamilton 

                                                                       Maker’s Marks on Base: [Crown]  ALPHA   H B & H 3214

                                                                                         Harrison Brothers & Howson, Sheffield

Tankard

IMG 7677 1378 x 1353IMG 7679 1222 x 1422IMG 7685 1384 x 1316

Presented to A J Ellery 1960

Subsequent Winners:

T L Allan 1961

T L Allan 1962

G B McKinnes 1963

W M C Aitken 1964

Maker’s Marks on Base:  Howard Pewter, Walker & Hall, Sheffield   1-848 P  ½ PT   37

Cup

T Scott Hodge Trophy

IMG 7694 1263 x 1878 IMG 7715 1336 x 825IMG 7701 1432 x 958  

 10½” fluted Cup 

1969    Duncan McEwan

1970    P J Cassels

1971    K McArthur

1972    K McArthur

1973    A Forbes

1974    A Forbes

1975    C Farquhar

1976    C Farquhar

1977    A Nairn

Stamped EPNS   (No other Maker’s Marks)

 

 

 

In This Section:

  • Attainment
  • Our Curriculum
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Annual Data Check
  • 6th Year Leadership Team
  • Publications
  • Improving Punctuality
  • Gallery
  • School Uniform
  • Celebrating Success
  • School History
  • Pupil Council
  • Parent Council
  • Learning & Teaching
  • Student Support
  • School Trips
  • School Lunch Menus
  • Staff Vacancies
  • Our Faculties
  • Community Sports Hub
  • Summary School Priority Outcomes 2022-23

Upcoming Events

06 Feb 2023
Prelims Finish
08 Feb 2023
S6 School Photos
09 Feb 2023
S6 Individual Photographs
10 Feb 2023
Last day of Term
20 Feb 2023
All resume after Mid Term Break

Useful Links

  • Calendar
  • Calendar iCal Feed

Supported By:

erasmuslogo

GLOW

glow logoBroughton High School is a member of GLOW.

Login here.

Our Twitter Feed

Tweets by BroHighOfficial