St Aloysius' College, Glasgow

St Aloysius' College
Motto Latin: Ad majora natus sum
(I am born for greater things)
Established 12 September 1859
Type Independent day school
Religion Catholic
Headmaster Matthew Bartlett
Head of Junior School Aileen Brady
Head of Kindergarten Marie Forbes
Location 45 Hill Street
Glasgow
G3 6RJ
Scotland
Coordinates: 55°52′00″N 4°15′49″W / 55.8667°N 4.2635°W / 55.8667; -4.2635
Students 600 (Junior School)
980 (Senior School) overall 1580
Gender Coeducational
Ages 3–18
Colours Myrtle and gold
        
Publication The Eagle Eye
College hymn "Carmen Aloisianum"
Former pupils Old Aloysians
Website www.staloysius.org

St Aloysius' College is a selective fee-paying, independent, Jesuit school in Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1859, and named after the Jesuit Aloysius Gonzaga. Its strong Jesuit ethos emphasises practice of the Roman Catholic faith both in the church and in the community, with many charitable and community-based groups in the school although there are now no Jesuits in the school which does not even have a priest chaplain. The affiliated St Aloysius Church is located nearby.

St Aloysius' College is a co-educational school with a kindergarten, junior school, and senior school. There are four houses: Aloysius Gonzaga, Ignatius of Loyola, John Ogilvie and Francis Xavier, named after Jesuit saints.

The College motto is Ad majora natus sum, which means "I am born for greater things." As in many Jesuit schools, pupils are instructed to inscribe AMDG (Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam – "To the greater glory of God") on all work. The school emblem is an eagle, and the College hymn is the Carmen Aloisianum.

History

Foundation

The school was established on 12 September 1859 at Charlotte Street, near Glasgow Green, in the East End of Glasgow. Here lived the city's largely migrant Catholic community from Ireland and the Scottish Highlands, both of which groups the school was intended to serve. Since 1866 the College's main campus has been situated in Garnethill on the north side of Glasgow city centre, adjacent to the Glasgow School of Art. Originally, the school was for boys only. In 1979 the admission policy was changed by the Governors during the tenure of Headmaster Fr. Henry Anthony Richmond SJ and girls were admitted. Girls now make up half of the school population.

St Aloysius Church next door, associated with the college

Buildings

Buildings include the original category-B listed Italianate Chandlery Building, including the administration block, library, and refectory. Its 1908 and 1926 extensions are known collectively as The Hanson Building, which accommodates classrooms for languages and the humanities as well as the school chapel and gymnasium.

The Mount Building, which originally housed the city's first Royal Hospital for Sick Children from 1882, and until recently housed the junior school (whose patron is St John Ogilvie), today houses music, art and drama, and the kindergarten.

More modern additions include the Clavius Building housing the Mathematics, Science, and Technology faculty and the Junior School Building, both of which have won RIBA architectural awards,[1] and have been identified as amongst the best modern Scottish buildings.

In 2011, the number of buildings and the size of the campus increased with the acquisition of the Mercy Convent site and buildings. The building is used for additional support lessons, as well as a gym for students, offices and a staff room.

The school has a close relationship with the Jesuit parish church of St Aloysius next door. The church is regularly used by the college and Masses offered for both the junior and senior schools.[2] The building is listed category A, designed by C. J. Menart in the baroque revival style and modelled on the Church of the Gesú, original Jesuit headquarters in Rome.[3]

Junior School and Kindergarten

The Kindergarten and Junior School support children from the ages of 3 to 12 years old. The kindergarten is situated in the Mount Building, while the Junior school is in a modern building along Hill Street. As well as attending lessons in the Junior school, the pupils will also receive preparation for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion as part of the school's three-fold tuition for their academic, social and spiritual lives.[4]

Houses

A house system was established by headmaster Fr. Adrian J Porter SJ in 1997. The four houses, named after notable Jesuit saints, compete against each other in events including rugby, hockey, athletics, inter-house debating and a quiz. Each house also has a housemaster and colour:

Under headmaster John E. Stoer, the house system was replaced with the year system, except for sports and chess. This meant that instead of each house having its own housemaster, each year would have a Head of Year and a Deputy Head of Year.

Previously pupils were divided into 'Romans' and 'Carthaginians' with 'victories' being awarded to pupils for good work. These were totalled at the end of the academic year and overall awarded to the house with the most victories.

As of 2016, there is no longer a Campion House, and instead Gonzaga, named after the patron saint of the school.

Notable former pupils (Old Aloysians or O.A.)

A.J. Cronin, alumnus of the college

Media, arts and music

Academia and medicine

Clergy

Politics and law

Sports

References

  1. ↑ "St Aloysius Maths Building, Glasgow, Elder & Cannon Architects", glasgowarchitecture.co.uk, URL Retrieved 27 September 2006
  2. ↑ Religious Life, St Aloysius College site Retrieved 24 January 2013
  3. ↑ British Listed Buildings Retrieved 24 January 2013
  4. ↑ Junior School, St Aloysius College site Retrieved 24 January 2013
  5. ↑ McCabe, John V. (2000). A History of St Aloysius' College 1859–1999. St Aloysius' College. p. 215. ISBN 0-9538287-0-0.
  6. ↑ "Obituary: Charlie Church". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
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