1920's                           1960's                       1990's - 2012's                                       2016-present

‘That I may pay tribute to the Headmistress, I will liken the School to a ship carrying the
white sails of peace through difficult and distressing waters[led] by a gallant little captain and
a merry kindly crew’ (Nora McKeane, Visitors' Book Entry 1926).

Chapter One
In the Beginning
1920 +

In the early years of the twentieth century,
special schools for the education of special
needs children began to be set up. Each
area in Scotland established its own
provision - the first being in Bridgeton,
Glasgow, where the first head teacher Lily
Montegale set up teacher training for
teachers interested in educating the whole
child.
Her philosophy was based on improving
environmental factors within the child's
life to ensure that fresh air, good diet and
regular bathing played their part. Lanark
was quick to follow Glasgow's lead and in
1926 established the first school of its type
in Lanarkshire.
On 3 May 1926, Miss Effie R Donald was
appointed Head Teacher of Drumpark
Special School, which was officially
opened on 5 May 1926 by Reverend
Alexander Andrew of Baillieston. One of
the outstanding features of the School
buildings was the type of architecture
employed, an outstanding example of
school architecture - well situated,
attractive in appearance, comfortable and
splendidly equipped, as our Inspectorate
report stated some years later.
The classrooms and administration
buildings fanned out from a central block,
which housed two assembly halls. Each
room opened out on to a veranda with
views over the surrounding countryside
where pupils could enjoy the benefits of
fresh air. Within, the decor was remarkable
in that flower stencils designed by Jessie
M King, one of the notable Glasgow Girls,
adorned the classrooms. Her husband E.A.
Taylor chose the colour schemes and
Jessie prepared friezes with elves and
fairies playing among clusters of Primrose,
Snowdrop and Old Rose.
This was the first time that children's taste
had been given consideration in the
planning of a new school. Her mural, in
oil, Little Brown Seed, commissioned in
1927 and designed in conjunction with her
husband Ernest, can still be viewed in the
Primary Corridor. This expenditure on
original art in the classrooms brought
angry comments from ratepayers who
thought the money would be better spent
teaching girls Domestic Science.
Philistines abound in every age, it seems!
The general strike of 1926 hampered
enrolment, but undeterred, 59 children
from Coatbridge special classes and 170
from a catchment area from Carmyle to
Clarkston were enrolled by the end of
May. These children were to be cared for
by 14 teachers, 3 nurses and 4 ancillary
staff. Later a secretary was employed at
the princely salary of £25.00 per annum!
2
Besides basic subjects, courses offered
during those first months were Cobbling,
Leatherwork, Domestic Science,
Woodwork and Metalwork, with
Gardening on offer the following year. The
children were graded as follows; mental
defectives, physical defectives, myopes,
semi-deals and later an observation class
was set up to gauge improvement, or the
lack of it, in educational terms. Dr
McIntyre, the Medical Officer, examined
pupils at regular intervals to determine
either a return to mainstream education or
to centres for those deemed to be
uneducable - thus freeing up places for the
many who were on the waiting list.
Conditions arising from the social effects
of the General Strike resulted in a great
number of children being insufficiently
clad. Largely due to strike conditions,
attendance has also been affected. Other
health issues were evidenced by the
incidence of ophthalmic and dental
treatment required by the pupils.
In the first examination, 240 children
required dental treatment. The School also
purchased Virol for all children suffering
from rickets, which showed remarkable
improvement within a few years. So many
of the children suffered from heart
affection that the Education Authority
agreed to build a rest-hut within the School
to enable proper recuperative periods of
rest throughout the day.
Fund-raising was an issue from the
beginning. The first contribution to
Drumpark Special School Fund came from
the Head Teacher of Coatbridge High
School and amounted to £3.10s. Local
School events, for example, a whist drive,
raised £28.6s, a jumble sale £37 and sales
of the children's work all served to boost
savings.
Cultural activities were not neglected.
Choirs from Drumpark won festival prizes
at Monklands and Glasgow Festivals and
sang in 1928 at the opening of Knowetop
School (now Firpark) in Motherwell.
School trips were organised to Saltcoats,
Portobello, Edinburgh Zoo and
Calderwood Glen. Educationally, the
School was gaining an international
reputation with many visits from local
college and education authorities.
Teachers and other educationists came
from Australia, Canada, USA, Poland and
Lithuania to observe and study the
methods employed in this unique School.
The first Inspector's Report in 1928 stated
that ‘The work of this School deserves the
highest praise ... the general supervision
and management of the School are all that
can be desired.’

Chapter Two
A Unique School
1930 +

The thirties began with similar praise
being heaped on this unique School. "The
staff utilise every imaginable means of
engaging the interest of the scholars - no
problems of discipline remain" was the
opinion of Her Majesty's Inspector after a
visit in 1930. The work of the staff and
Head Teacher continued apace with note
being made of staff who had to resign
posts, both in teaching and ancillary staff
positions, due to impending marriage.
The Clyde Valley Electrical Company
made improvements within the School
with the installation of electricity.
Gardening plots were set up near the Rest
Room to grow flowers for use in the
Classrooms and eventually, after many
requests, the ‘macadamisation’ of the
playground was completed to prevent mud
being tramped into the classrooms. The
curriculum advanced also with evening
classes being set up for former pupils in
crafts, woodwork and needlework and in
1937 a very daring experiment with the
enrolment of boys into Domestic Science
classes in the School.
The first work-experience visit took place
to the Sunshine Biscuit Factory - a visit
which was pronounced interesting and
instructive. Pupils continued to be assessed
by the Medical Officer as more
sophisticated testing tools were introduced
as a rsult of the Ferman-Messel revision of
Binet Tests. An Inspector's Report at the
end of the decade praised the work of the
School once again.
"A combination of happiness and
efficiency which obtains throughout, forms
a high tribute to the excellent team work of
the staff and the inspiring guidance of the
Headmistress". However, they also felt
that, in light of the test results, "many
pupils had been retained too long, in some
cases far too long, in the ordinary schools."
The Head Teacher of those days had many
and varied duties. She attended the
opening of Coatbridge High School on the
one hand and Airdrie Sheriff Court on the
other, to pursue the non-enrolment and
non-attendance of pupils. She had to make
a request for leave of absence without
salary for a member of staff, to allow her
to make a pilgrimage to Rome.
She had to reprimand the janitor and one
of the bus drivers for a breach of discipline
- fighting in the playground. She requested
a sewage tank to be covered-in after a
pupil fell in and emerged with a broken
wrist and a pervading aroma. She
demanded that a school notice be
displayed at the main road in a prominent
position which was to prove of great value
after an accident involving a cleaner and a
tramcar at the school gates.
She also had to oversee the treatment of a
pupil after his arm was lacerated by the
force with which he struck the Rest-Room
window. On another occasion the janitor
was cautioned with regard to this irregular
procedure, namely, that he reported a bus
driver for running his bus too near the
grass verge.
Small wonder that, when she was about to
embark on a visit to London to attend a
Head Teacher Conference, her work had to
be divided amongst the five members of
staff with the longest experience. Too
much for one mere mortal, it would seem.
However, on account of the War crisis, the
course in London was abandoned. A
national conference was held in Drumpark
in May 1939 where special education was
the topic of the day. This was backed up
by audio-visual evidence captured by the 
2
Glasgow Provincial Committee for the
Training of Teachers, on film, showing
methods of teaching and various school
activities.
Once again, the children's artistic and
aesthetic interests were to the fore. In the
thirties, a local cinema owner, Mr E
Singleton of the Broadway Picture House
in Shettleston, invited pupils to an annual
show when a special programme of
considerable educational value was shown.
Later, a cinema screen and projector were
purchased from school funds. Films were
hired from Kodak or taken on loan from
the Educational Authority - no doubt still
with the proviso that they be of
considerable educational value.
Musically, Drumpark was still sweeping
the boards. Besides winning first places for
choir festivals in Glasgow, Monklands and
Edinburgh, the School choir sang at the
opening of Dalton Special School
Cambuslang, and the newly-formed
Percussion Band won the Eastern Festival,
Glasgow.
An annual school concert was now held in
local halls, which helped to boost School
funds still benefiting from Jumble Sales
and sales of work over the years. These
sales were "to provide funds for the
purchase of a piano ... £24.3.4d was raised
(1933) and a whist drive (1935) raised
£22.11.7d to buy the projector mentioned
above. A Christmas Tree collection at the
annual concerts raised funds for the Sick
Children's Hospital in Glasgow, £3.5.6d
and £2.1.6d to help defray hospital
expenses.
Drumark still enjoyed school trips to
Douglas, Edinburgh Castle, Livingston
Memorial, and Dunoon, and in 1938, to
the Empire Exhibition in Bellahouston
Park. Coatbridge Rotarians gave the
School a grant to help expenes for the
latter outing. National events were
celebrated on a grand scale at the Jubilee
celebrations of George V and Queen Mary
in May 1935, each child received a box of
caramels, two bars of chocolate, a medal, a
new penny and ice cream.
Entertainment for the afternoon was
provided by a conjuror. Later that year two
holidays were granted to celebrate a Royal
Wedding and a Parliamentary Election -
then sadly another day to commemorate
the death of King George V. The turbulent
times of the abdication crisis did not touch
Drumpark and the next mention of Royalty
comes with a Coronation party in May
1937.
Provided for the children were sweets,
chocolate, a new penny, a pencil, a banana
and ice cream, followed by a conjuror in
the afternoon and a day’s holiday. Some of
the pupils were fortunate enough to see the
King and Queen when they visited
Coatbridge in May 1938.
Weather often forced unofficial holidays
during those years with heavy snowfalls
delaying or totally disrupting transport
altogether. Another, was the incidence of
dense fog over the winter months, causing
schools to close for a number of days at a
time. The dark satanic chimneys of the
Iron Burgh would contribute considerably
to this hazard.
This smog, no doubt, also exacerbated the
epidemics of influenza, mumps and
measles, which were a feature of the
thirties. School attendance was poor on
occasions due to many cases of measles
and mumps which had broken out during
the holiday period. Concerns were raised
about infectious troubles in the homes of
the children.
In an attempt to combat some of the ills of
the day, the Education Authority
introduced a free-meals list. "In view of
the poverty and unemployment in the
district, it is not surprising that there are
one hundred names on the free list." 
3
Furthermore, it was said that "many of the
children are insufficiently clad and their
footwear is exceedingly poor". In the
following year, "Information was received
from the Education Committee that Grade
A TT Milk would be supplied to the
School".
However, not everyone was fastidious
about school supplies. In 1934 a complaint
about the quality of the meat was
registered and later that year "bones sent to
the School [were] unfit for use ... maggots
were seen in them". That unleashed a bevy
of School Inspectors, Medical Officers et
al. who inspected food, kitchens,
containers and suppliers.
On one occasion, the potato boiler was
reported to be beyond repair and the soup
boiler as being too small. The Education
Authority passed the "provision of a new
boiler for soup and the use of the present
soup boiler for potatoes" - Re-deployment!
At this time, dietary changes were made.
The milk-in-schools scheme meant that
each child would receive more milk - and
required the interval time to be lengthened.
More fruit and vegetables were
recommended and soup substituted for fish
on Fridays - making use of the new soup
boiler!
However, towards the end of the decade,
War was looming and the beginning of the
new term of 1939 - 1940 saw the School
closing on Friday 1 September because the
School Buses would be required for the
conveyance of children from Glasgow to
the reception areas. Beds, blankets and
pillows were collected and taken to four
schools in Lanarkshire. On 15 September,
on account of the outbreak of War, School
has been indefinitely closed.

Chapter Three
The War and Its Aftermath
1940 +

At the outbreak of the War, as Drumpark
was taken over first as a billet for
evacuees and later by the military, pupils
had to remain at home and were denied
access to education apart from home
visits arranged by their former teachers
when they could manage. Staff had been
transferred to other schools but, aware of
parents' anxiety to have their children
back at school, had campaigned to have
special classes organised in a number of
the schools in the area. Some classes ran
double sessions to give most children the
chance to benefit from some measure of
education. In spite of this, some children
found it impossible to attend as distances
were too great; there were no travel
facilities and weather conditions in the
winter of 1940 were unusually severe.
To those capable of travelling
independently to one of the centres,
Travel vouchers were issued. Another
problem was the lack of industrial
training for the older pupils who would
be leaving without the necessary skills
for employment. By August, the military
were still in possession of the Drumpark
building because the War situation had
become more acute over the summer
months.
Nearby Swinton School was closed
down as an unexploded bomb was buried
near the School at Easterhouse Station.
Alternative accommodation was being
sought, but attempts in December to
centralise pupils in Old Monkland
School fell through, as the school was
too small.
However, suitable premises were found
in the Girls Junior Instruction Centre and
the move to have all the pupils under one
roof came about in May 1941, with the
proviso that practical classes would
recommence after the summer vacation.
However, it proved very difficult to get
the children to come out of their homes
in time to get the school bus.
An innovative scheme began later that
year with Miss Donald supervising a Day
War- Time Nursery on the premises
within the hours of l am and 7pm. This
caused some financial problems for staff
involved in the running of the nursery, so
much so, that they requested a rise in
salary.
This was granted as follows: For extra
duties, cleaners were to receive 8/-per
week, the cook 15/-, cook's assistant 10/-
, junior assistant, 2/6 and the janitor the
princely sum of £1.1.0 for extra work
incurred re the nursery.
In 1944 a School for the Deaf was
established in Hamilton and some pupils
were transferred there. They lost a lot of
time travelling as they were bussed to
Drumpark first, then to Hamilton and the
same on the homeward journey.
Whenever there was a transport problem,
the transfer could not be made and,
therefore, they missed a lot of education.
Over the War years and immediately
afterwards transport continued to be a
problem until the Education Authority
awarded the contract to SMT when
services improved, although the drivers
refused to enter the School premises
because the driveway was unsafe.
Perhaps the unsafe surface had
something to do with two previous
incidents when, on separate occasions, a
cook and a parent were crushed against 
2
the school wall, fortunately suffering
only minor injuries.
The move back to Drumpark campus
was effected in April 1946 when it was
noted "Splendid co-operation was
received re transfer and now everything
feels settled and things are going well".
The curriculum expanded again with
tailoring, gardening, woodwork and
eventually cobbling taking place
alongside domestic science, which was
the only craft-skill which survived during
the War.
Facilities for the teaching of PE were
inspected and found insufficient room for
a football pitch and no gym apparatus or
a Hall. In spite of these drawbacks, a PE
teacher was appointed a few years later
and, no doubt, had then to make the best
of it.
In spite of this decade's interruption of
on-going education, the Inspectors'
report of 1949 was very favourable. At
this point there were 286 pupils on the
roll. They say "throughout ... ample
evidence of devoted teaching and
sympathetic handing of children. The
bearing of the children and their obvious
pleasure in the activities of the classroom
were a credit to their teachers who were
keenly interested in the children as
individuals.
The work of the head teacher in the War
years must have been particularly
difficult with so many centres to oversee.
However, she reacted swiftly when one
member of staff was not pulling her
weight. A letter to the Education
Authority stating that she was "unwilling
to retain ... as a member of staff" saw
that particular teacher transferred within
a week.
On another occasion when a teacher had
inferred to an Irish member of staff that
"the lights of Southern Ireland guided
enemy planes to the coast of England",
the Deputy Director was called in to
settle this religious question. He
managed to do so amicably. If
absenteeism were ever a problem, one
member of staff was absent for four
days, "no excuse for absence was
received and ... appointment was
terminated".
However, Miss Donald's strength was in
her knowledge and expertise in the field
of Special Education. She gave evidence
to the Russell Committee in 1944
regarding the "Laws concerning mental
deficiency and lunacy". In the same year,
she spoke to a conference in Manchester
on "Individual Material in the Education
of Mental Defective Children".
Her reward came with the Birthday
Honours List in which she received the
MBE for services to education.
Unfortunately, her failing health
prevented her from being in school for
the celebrations but her letter remains,
"This honour is yours and belongs to the
school. It is your achievement".
Her place as Head Teacher was taken by
Miss Barbara E Fordyce, who had taught
in the school since 1927. She soon was
involved in the presentation of a second
honour in the New Year's List of 1948,
when Miss Catherine McMenemy,
another long serving member of staff
was presented with the MBE for her
services to the National War Savings
Effort.
Her work in this field had long been
recognised by the National Association
in Edinburgh and she had spoken at
conferences on the importance of the
Savings Scheme. On one occasion Miss 
3
Masterton, an executive on the National
Savings Committee, visited the School to
congratulate Miss McMenemy, was duly
entertained with Scots songs and poetry
by the pupils and presented with a
Drumpark purse as a memento.
The School continued to attract overseas
interest with visits restarting after the
War from places as far afield as Karachi,
Bombay, Trinidad, New Zealand and
Northern Rhodesia, not to mention
visitors from Ireland. However, these
visitors were more interested in the
layout of the School than its internal
workings because they wanted to copy
the architectural design for their own
building.
Conditions had changed over the War
years. Women teachers no longer had to
resign on marriage and a handful of
married ladies kept the School fully
staffed alongside their unmarried
colleagues. During the War years,
especially during the Blitz, duties of firewatching
were allocated to staff who
were required to stay in School from
dusk until dawn during School holidays
as well as term-time. On one occasion,
the police attended ... as lights were
showing in the classroom. Some of the
staff also joined the Civil Defence
Service and had night duties to perform
there also. Health remained a cause for
concern, particularly throughout the early
forties. Children who no longer had
access to School meals showed marked
signs of malnutrition. As a result of this,
when the centres opened all Drumpark
pupils who received free milk were
allowed two free rations of milk. This
encompassed all the children on the roll
without exception.
A diphtheria epidemic also caused
problems, as did an outbreak of scabies.
"Many children have ceased to attend the
clinic and have been re-infected in their
own homes." Summer camps had been
set up, only for physically defective
children, which naturally caused protest,
however, "as many of the children were
not absolutely clean, their names were
deleted from the list".
A good balanced diet was advocated, but
not helped by some defective supplies
when barley sent by one supplier was
found to be unfit for food. Battling
against these odds, the domestic science
staff encouraged both boys and girls (a
breakthrough for those years) to take part
in the Scottish Cookery Competition
where they won the district finals and
went on to the County Competition. A
food inspector's report of the day stated
that soup was to be served "once only in
the week". By the end of the decade the
National Health Service had been
established and a much more organised
service was on offer to both pupils and
staff.
The social and cultural life of the School
perked up again after the War.
Entertainment in the Cosmo and Odeon
cinemas, thanks to the Singleton family,
became an annual event. The Children's
Theatre Group and the Puppet Theatre
performed for the children and parties
had the obligatory conjuror (on one
occasion, a lady conjurer).
Christmas parties went ahead with, by
the end of the decade, gifts to the value
of 1/- per child. Holiday celebrations
began again with VE Day and VJ Day
and another Royal Wedding in
November 1947, that of Prince Phillip
and Princess Elizabeth (now Queen
Elizabeth II).
Football became a much more
competitive pastime in the late forties,
with the foundation of a Special Schools 
4
Tournament in Lanarkshire. In spite of
having insufficient room for a football
pitch, Drumpark boys acquitted
themselves well on the football field
either defeating or equalising with
Dalton, Knowetop and Auchinraith in the
last years of the forties.
Outings were resumed each summer as
transport restrictions were lifted and
petrol rationing was phased out. Each
summer the Drumpark pupils enjoyed the
delights of a day ‘doon the watter’ at
Dunoon or the play area at Livingston
Memorial Park. School photographers

Chapter Four
The Way Forward
1950 +

The new decade opened with optimism on
both education and health fronts. With the
implementation of the Education Act
authorities were to ascertain the details of
children requiring special educational
treatment from five years of age. Local
education authorities were to provide a
Child Guidance service with all members
working co-operatively. Trainable children
were to attend Junior Occupational Centres
and the less severely handicapped to be
catered for in main-stream schools.
Both this Act and the inauguration of the
National Health Service were seem as
major steps forward to better the social
standards for all. An Open Week was held
in Drumpark to publicise the work being
done for pupils with a range of handicaps.
All expressed pleasure at the way the
children were being catered for.
The roll of the school was 257, causing
overcrowding in some classrooms where
25 pupils had, on occasion, to be
accommodated in rooms designed for 20.
Other staff problems ensued with regard to
religious education because of the mixed
denominations of the school intake.
There was a distinct shortage of Protestant
teachers at this time and throughout this
decade; most Protestant teachers had to
take two RE classes per day, which caused
timetable difficulties. In spite of this, the
Inspectors' report of 1951 stated that the
Head Teacher and Staff were untiring in
their efforts to promote the welfare of the
pupils and had achieved a very large
measure of success.
One member of staff, Miss Catherine
McMenemy, had spent a year in Port Tyne
in America, where it was noted she had a
mixed class of blacks and whites. Her
experience there and her sterling
contribution to Special education at home
earned her the nomination of Head
Teacher when Miss Barbara Fordyce
retired in 1955. A programme of action
songs, choral and community singing
marked her retrial presentation.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my work here
in Drumpark and give it up with some
regret". - B E Fordyce
Changes in the timetable marked the
arrival of a new broom. Staff shortages
were still a problem but a flexibility of the
programme made things a little easier.
Miss McMenemy was also an active
member of the Scottish Special Schools
Association, in fact, becoming President of
the local West of Scotland Branch, which
required her to attend conferences all over
Britain, thereby further publicising the
name of Drumpark.
Fire regulations required regular fire drills
at this time and new equipment and a fire
bell were installed in the School. After a
few false alarms, by the end of the decade
the School was successfully evacuated in 3
minutes 10 seconds. This was an
evacuation time-record which earned the
commendation of the Fire Officer.
Romance was in the air when the School
had its first wedding celebration with the
marriage of Miss Margaret McGrogan and
Mr John O'Neill, the Woodwork teacher.
A presentation was made to them in June
1958.
The retiral of another member of staff who
had joined Drumpark in 1926 was reported
in the Scottish Educational Journal. Miss
Elsie McIntosh had a splendid record of
attendance and her colleagues paid tribute
to her devoted, meticulous and careful
work.
2
During this time, many changes were
taking place within the School buildings.
Telephonic communications had been
extended to the wings of the School and a
wireless was installed in one of the
classrooms. Later the school took delivery
of a film projector, tape recorder, a
gramophone and new radios. The staff had
to enter the electronic age.
The kitchen premises were refurbished in
the early fifties with a steriliser and new
refrigerator and, later, proposals to
refurnish the dining room and extend the
kitchen facilities had a knock-on effect of
bringing further innovations forward. The
suggestion arose then that a new
gymnasium could be housed in the present
dining area when all the work was
complete.
Venetian blinds were installed in the rest
room; curtains were fitted in the spray
baths and new towels and facecloths
delivered. Fortunately, by this time, a new
efficient boiler system had been installed
which worked perfectly, a change from the
many years of breakdowns, faulty heating
problems, frozen toilets and no hot water
for baths, the kitchen or children's hands,
all noted as a very great deprivation.
New equipment for the craft classes was
installed. The tailoring department had
new irons, tables and chairs while a Little
Dove finishing machine was fitted in the
leatherwork department. "It is with great
pleasure that I note that this is the first
machine of its type to be included in a
special School in the Country. We look
forward to its future use in the training of
our pre-School leavers." Most School
leavers of this era were placed in
employment of a suitable nature by the
Youth Employment Officer, some even
prior to leaving school.
The environs of the building had their
share of improvements. Re-roofing took
place with Marley tiles; a border wall
garden was built on the south lawn and
filled with roses and bulbs. Proposals were
afoot to tarmac the School playground and
discussions began on the viability of a
covered walkway between the
administration block and the main School.
New buses appeared in 1954 when
Lanarkshire County Buses replaced the T
Company. Nine bus runs were required
with the tenth run still taking children to
Hamilton. The Head Teacher noted "these
buses are not satisfactory, there being too
little knee space for anyone over 5 feet in
height". Five buses did two runs each, with
the result that some children were picked
up at 8.00am and others dropped off after
4.00pm. This arrangement made School
supervision necessary in early morning
and late afternoon for the first and last bus
runs.
From the health perspective, there were no
major crises during these years. A flu
epidemic in 1957 caused disruption for
about two months. The main disruption
took place in the Winter months, not just
through weather conditions of ice and
snow, but heavy thick fog (smog has
become virtually unknown over the
intervening years) did cause a major
problem at this time. Foggy conditions
caused transport to grind to a standstill and
the school had to be closed.
With the advent of the Health Service, new
specialists were in attendance at School.
Besides the Doctor, nurse, ophthalmic,
audiometric and dental services, Drumpark
was now offering speech and
physiotherapy to those pupils who required
these services.
Unfortunately, crime seemed to be on the
increase and after a number of burglaries
in the early fifties (after one of which two
youths who were pupils the School were
apprehended and placed in a remand home
within a week - a very efficient judicial 
3
service.) the police began to patrol the
School grounds regularly at the weekends.
The geographical situation of the School
and its isolation were blamed for this
increase in breakins.
Football continued to be a major
achievement with Drumpark winning and
retaining the Special Schools Shield over
these years. Their prowess was marked by
a presentation from the President of the
Rotary Club who had been pleasantly
surprised at the work being done in the
school.
The Rotary Club presented football boots
to the team and the Ladies of the Inner
Wheel presented pairs of rubber shoes for
PE to the School. Having noted the other
activities within the School, Miss Wood,
the President of the Ladies presented a
new puppet stage to the School.
Another event, which brought local
interest, was a sale of work run by the
Scottish Association for Mental Health
when a great number of items sold were
made in the School. In handing over the
proceeds, the Coatbridge Town
Chamberlain noted that ‘there has been
created much interest in the School and its
work since the success has been discussed
in circles far and wide’.
Outings continued to the Cosmo and
Odeon cinemas. Pupils viewed The Queen
is Crowned at the Odeon cinema prior to
Her Majesty's visit to Coatbridge in June
1953 when the children saw her at
Langloan Station. A memorable occasion.
School camps were still a feature of the
School year at Aberfoyle, Carnwarth and
Glengonnar where the Head Mistress
found the pupils in good health and spirits
and enjoying the novelty of camp school.
Outings to Edinburgh Castle, Calderpark
Zoo and, once again, to the Livingstone
Memorial where in 1959 a substantial meal
was provided by Warden Mr Cameron and
thoroughly enjoyed by all. Many
compliments were paid to the behaviour
and good conduct of the children. Millport
and Rothesay were other venues There
were a few children who experienced
travel by train and steamer for the first
time in their lives.
Visitors continued to come from all over
the globe culminating in a visit from
teachers from the Netherlands, a reciprocal
visit to one made by Miss McMenemy the
previous year. They were treated to a
demonstration of Scottish and Dutch
dancing arranged by the Music Teacher.
The Depute Director of Education wrote "I
am sure the Dutch teachers would receive
a very fine impression of the staff of our
Special Schools". No doubt all visitors to
the School were similarly impressed.
A very distinguished visitor to the School
was the Bishop of Motherwell, bishop
Scanlan with Dr Winning (the present
Cardinal). The Bishop also expressed his
appreciation of the unforgettable
experience and in a letter to Head Teacher
congratulated "your good self and your
admirable staff on your wonderful work
for the lambs whose need is supplied with
such sympathy, skill and understanding"

Chapter Five
Enter the Scots Guards
1960 +

The sixties opened with the establishment
of a new post within the School, a step
towards creating the career structure of
promoted posts of today. Mrs M R
Thomson was appointed a First Assistant
to the Head Teacher. One of her first
duties was to undertake the supervision of
registrations, a task hitherto in Miss Helen
Duffin's capable hands. She had very ably
carried out this duty as an extra task. She
devised the scheme and the manner of its
operation and it is due to her inspiration
and thoroughness of execution that it
works so smoothly in its efficiency.
The curriculum continued to expand with
new subjects such as typing, pottery and
weaving, introduced together with
improvements in homecraft classes as new
furniture was delivered for a bedroom and
dining room unit. Innovative approaches in
both reading and numeracy were
introduced. Miss McMenemy became an
exponent of the merits of ITA - the Initial
Teaching alphabet - as a worthwhile
reading scheme.
Cuisenaire rods were used in the beginning
stages of arithmetic. So successful were
the new subjects that four girls entered a
Baking Competition at the Scottish
Schoolboys and Schoolgirls Exhibition in
Kelvin Hall and the School won first prize
in a Weaving Competition held at
Ingleston, Edinburgh.
The School Leavers classes continued to
visit local factories such as Shieldhall
Shoe Factory, Weir's Housing, Hector
Powe Tailoring, Lees Factory and many
more. The preparation of School Leavers
for the world of work was further helped
by the inauguration of a working party to
study Work Preparation Courses, of which
Miss McMenemy was a member. This
resulted in the opening of an Industrial
Rehabilitation Unit at Bellshill by the end
of the decade where young people would
be prepared for work.
These years brought more disquiet into
Schools as staff sought guidance on remits
and conditions. The kitchen attendants and
janitorial staff had altercations over the
sweeping and cleaning of the main hall,
which served as the dining room.
The powers that be had to exercise
Solomon-like judgement if such cases
were to be settled amicably. At a staff
meeting the teaching staff discussed strikeaction
and agreed to uphold the directives
and policy as given by the EIS which
signalled support for strike action if called
upon.
In the midst of this, improvements went on
apace with a House Telephone System and
Electric Bell System being installed; fitted
carpets and new fireplaces, new cookers
and a programme of painting and
redecoration improved the working
environment for both staff and pupils.
Unfortunately, a painter's blowtorch
caused a fire in one of the classrooms, but
the local Fire Brigade attended and dealt
efficiently with the blaze before any great
damage was done. Changes in the
administration block became necessary as
teaching staff claimed the staffroom for
breaks and lunch-time and made it
impractical for its use, as formerly, as a
secretary's room.
For thirty-nine years, it was established
practice that the Staffroom was used for
administration by the Head Teacher and
typist. There is now no room for the
School typist and she has to operate her
work going from room to room in the
administration Block, as one is vacated.
An early solution was sought from the
Director of Education.
2
In spite of the internal improvements, it
became obvious over the decade, that the
kitchen facilities were particularly
unsatisfactory. In 1964 the Sanitary
Inspector had condemned the kitchen sinks
and boards and recommended new
fitments. Over the following years, a
number of accidents occurred. As long as
these conditions remained, accidents were
likely to happen. There was a dire need for
more space and accommodation.
Discomfort was aggravated by years of
unsatisfactory heating arrangements, in
spite of new boilers, pumps and
thermostats being installed at various times
over the years.
On the plus side, a new building extension
of two classrooms was planned, new wallmounted
blackboards installed and a
mobile TV unit was in operation by the
end of the decade. A cine camera was now
in use to record School trips or notable
events of the School year.
A distinguished visitor in 1963 was the
Right Rev. Neville Davidson DD,
Moderator of the General Assembly of the
Church of Scotland and Mrs Davidson. He
was entertained by a musical interlude, an
enactment of the Changing of the Guard,
and presented with an initialled sermoncase
of black morocco leather.
Miss McMenemy attended numerous
functions over the years, including the
Royal Garden Party at Holyrood Palace
and the Opening of the Forth Road Bridge
in 1964.
Lord Birsay, Chairman of the Scottish
National Savings Committee, presented
the Head Teacher with a 25 year longservice
medal in recognition of her work
with the School's savings group. On
another memorable occasion, marked by a
concert of commendable standard rendered
by the school choirs and percussion bands
under the able and skilful direction of Miss
A Docherty.
The School also hosted a one-day
conference of the Scottish Association of
Special Education in 1964. whose
members expressed pleasure and
enjoyment in receiving the warm
hospitality of the School and in most
congenial surroundings. The post of First
Assistant became vacant in 1968 Miss
Thompson departed to become Head of
Knowetop School in Motherwell.
Her replacement in Drumpark was Miss
Margaret McCann. Another member of
staff to begin in Drumpark at this time was
Mrs Helen McNaughton who joined the
staff in October 1966, proceeding in 1968
to Hamilton Training College and
returning to take up duty again in
Drumpark the end of her training. A new
post of Nursery Assistant was created to
help the Infant Teacher with her duties.
These years were marked by many School
closures for some days over the winter
months due to icy, snowy conditions, on
other occasions, due to faulty heating in
the School and sometimes due to lack of
maintenance of the buses. Two severe flu
epidemics in 1966 and 1968 kept the
attendance very low for a month each year.
At one point the Sanitary Inspector was
summoned because of the rat infestation in
the School garden due to the close
proximity of the hay-rick owned by the
neighbouring farmer. Steps were taken
immediately to deal with the menace. On
another occasion, the Head Teacher
received a complaint from the cook about
maggots on the semolina.
Despite these setbacks, the pupils
continued to thrive and enjoy many social
and sporting activities. Football dominated
the sporting scene for the boys and a girls'
netball team began to pick up honours as
well. The Sunday Mail and Daily Record
of the day charted the team's success.
Swimming lessons at Airdrie Baths and
Sports Days (in the Summer Term) were 
3
established, accompanied by ice cream and
lemonade refreshments.
School camps took place in the summer
months at Lanark and Monifieth; outings
were enjoyed to Edinburgh Castle,
Prestwick Airport and Livingstone
Memorial - the latter visits being first
recorded on the new cine camera. Mr
Wilson, the proprietor of Monkland House
Hotel gave the children a Christmas Party
and also managed summer outings to Ayr.
Mr and Mrs Smith presented the Football
team with a Roll of Honour Board
recording present and future team captains.
The local Round table also presented new
football strips to the team. A new cup -
The McMenemy Cup - was presented to
runners-up in the Shield, a cup won by the
home team over a number of years until in
1965, after a gap of ten years, Drumpark
won the Shield.
Major Philipson of the Scots Guards
presented a cup to the School for their
prowess in swimming. The School teams
had been very successful since the
introduction of swimming lessons some
years earlier.
Outings to the cinema and theatre were
still exciting social events, as were visits
from the Theatre of Youth who performed
The Nightingale, The Wizard of Oz,
Pinocchio and The Pied Piper for the
children. A gift of sectional stage by the
local Rotary Club further enhanced these
performances. Parties were given and
cakes donated by various groups over
years - from Mr Heron, Manager of the
Locarno Ballroom, from SCWS,
Coatbridge and each year after 1961 from
the Scots Guards.
A particularly memorable event was the
opening of the new Glasgow Airport in
1966. A model competition in connection
with the Royal Aeronautics Society
Centenary brought a prize-winning award
to the School. A new School uniform was
introduced - grey skirt/ trousers, navy
blazer and yellow tie - and a badge of a
yellow rose on a grey background with the
words Spero Meliora.
The Handicapped Children’s Pilgrimage
Trust began to fund visits to Lourdes for a
few pupils each year and subsequent rallies
in Carfin were attended by The
Handicapped Children's Pilgrimage and
subsequent rallies in Carfin were attended
by more pupils.
However, by far the most momentous
event of this decade, which was to bring
far-reaching benefits to the School, was
Operation Easter Egg. Larry Marshall, host
of STV's One O'Clock Gang Show, had
asked for suitable recipients for a Giant
Easter Egg. Thanks to the persuasive
words of one Mrs Mitchell, Drumpark was
chosen – and, due to the ensuing publicity,
was finally adopted by the donors of the
Easter Egg - the Scots Guards.
In response to the children's letters of
thanks, the Guards, under the command of
Major Stewart Wilson, visited the School
in September 1961 and gave a
performance of Pipes, Drums and Dancers
in the School grounds before staff, pupils,
parents and guests.
The first of the Scots Guards cakes was
presented to the School together with a
plaque bearing the Guards Star and motto.
This marked the official adoption of the
School by their Scots Guards `Uncles'.
Many local city and National press papers
featured the occasion and film excerpts
were shown in Here and Now on STV.
Further publicity followed with Miss
McMenemy and pupils being featured in
the Press and on STV in connection with
the School's adoption by the Guards.
Their friendship has brought much joy and
happiness to the pupils and doors to many
events both social and historical. Visits to
pantomime, meeting the stars - Jimmy 
4
Logan, Jack Milroy and Charlie Sim and
attendance at National events like the
Dress Rehearsal for Presentation of New
Colours to the Regiment are a few of the
benefits received by the school. The
presence of the Scots Guards has become
de rigueur at every School function since
1961.
Another offshoot of the Guards connection
was the interest of Michael O’Halloran of
STV who brought his cadet group to play
football with Drumpark boys who won on
almost every occasion.

Chapter Six
Time For Change
1970 +

At the beginning of the seventies, plans
were made for the celebration of the
centenary of the Education Act (Scotland)
1872. Drumpark entered into the spirit of
forward thinking innovations throughout
this decade, which were intended to
enhance the public perception of special
education.
The changes and improvements over the
years were encapsulated in an illustrated
talk by the Head Teacher. This was
accompanied by a film made in the 1930s
and an exhibition of work spanning the
years.
The 1974 Education (Mentally
Handicapped Children) Act (Scotland)
initiated a climate of change within special
education which has kept momentum up to
the present day. All children classed as
‘ineducable’ were brought under the
Education ‘umbrella’ - Junior
Occupational centres were renamed
schools and teachers appointed.
Education for all became the byword. A
few years later the Warnock report of 1978
made a number of recommendations,
which were to have far-reaching
consequences over the next decade.
The curriculum continued to expand with
the introduction of a new Health course for
girls, later extended to boys, taken by
nursing sisters from the local clinic. Plans
were made for the appointment of an Art
teacher, which eventually came to fruition
in the mid-seventies with the establishment
of an Art department of which the School
is justly proud.
In fact, before the end of the decade, one
pupil had received an 0 level in Art, a first
for the School. In the early seventies
woodwork, home craft (with boys having
one session of cookery) needlework,
dressmaking, weaving, pottery and typing
were taught to various groups but lack of
staffing resources and suitable
accommodation precluded these subjects
being offered to all pupils.
School gardening had proved so popular
that some of the pupils attended during
school holidays to ensure the welfare of
vegetables and flowers. Music and PE
were introduced towards the end of the
decade and have remained established
subjects on the curriculum ever since. The
appointment of a Principal of Home
Economics consolidated this subject on a
permanent basis.
New promotion structures were introduced
- the post of Infant Mistress, for example,
and a new post of Principal Tutor with
responsibility for School Leavers which
went to Mrs O'Neill. This later became a
Principal Teacher post along with one
carrying responsibility for Curriculum
Development.
These changes within special education
mirrored changes in mainstream School
structures and paved the way for a closer
liaison with those schools as they
broadened their curriculum to cater for
mixed abilities. All these developments
encouraged a revival of special educational
provision in mainstream schools and by
the end of the decade integration began
again to be a topical subject for discussion.
Within education circles ITA was still
popular and Drumpark very much to the
forefront of work in this sphere with Miss
McMenemy lecturing to conferences
throughout the country on its merits. She
also continued to be active in the
promotion of the IRU at Bellshill, which
was staffed on a part-time basis from
Drumpark.
2
Midway through the seventies saw a
change in management style with Mrs
O’Neill taking over the reins from Miss
McMenemy, heralding a more democratic
form of leadership in keeping with the
educational policies of the time, the more
militant outlook from teaching staff and
curricular changes within special
education.
A School inspection which took place the
following year gave honour and ,raise
where due, but recommended changes
which, when undertaken, zapped out the
route of progress throughout the following
years. Toward he end of the decade School
leavers' options were expanded with the
establishment of link courses at Coatbridge
College.
These culminated in a Post-School course
for Special Needs being in place by 1980
thanks to the sterling work of Mr J
Connolly, present head teacher of Firpark
School.
Improvements continued within the School
buildings. The heating and hot-water
systems had always presented problems.
Both, thankfully, were replaced after much
‘to do’ with the authorities. School
appliances were converted to gas, the
playground was resurfaced and a new twoapartment
wing was constructed at the end
of the Rest Room, incorporating an aviary
for Robert Macaw.
The South Dome and roofs were replaced
and rewiring completed. However, the
major building work of the seventies was
the new extension, begun in 1972,
composed of a new kitchen, dining room,
Technical, Art and Home economics
departments, thereby freeing the large hall
to be used exclusively as a gymnasium and
allowing for other rooms to be redesignated.
One of these now incorporates the
hydrotherapy swimming pool, opened in
1977, originally designed for
physiotherapy use but now used by the
youngest pupils also to familiarise them
with swimming and safety techniques.
Parents and friends along with the Scots
Guards contributed to the many fundraising
activities, which made the
construction of the pool possible. It was
officially opened by Major Campbell
Graham of the Scots Guards at a ceremony
attended by local dignitaries (including Mr
J Dempsey MP) staff, pupils and friends.
The Scots Guards continued to visit the
School on a regular basis at Christmas and
Easter bearing gifts of eggs, cakes, toys,
etc. Among them is Robert Macaw a parrot
who became a School favourite and
featured in the National press. Another
welcome gift was from Colonel Fletcher
who presented a HMV stereogram with a
gold plate inscription, ‘From your uncles,
The Scots Guards’ together with twentyfive
stereo records covering many
favourite tunes and melodies.
Gift boxes also arrived from Canada
including a Tape Recorder and cassettes
collected under the auspices of the Mayor
of Toronto and the Misses Baxter of
Scarborough, Toronto friends of the Scots
Guards. Musical appreciation was always
part and parcel of a Scots Guards' visit,
Pipes on some occasions, a silver band
concert on another and a grand dance in
Tiffany's Ballroom, Glasgow to which
Miss McMenemy, staff and parents were
invited.
The Guards made invaluable and
substantial contributions to fundraising
with the proceeds from sponsored walks,
raffles and competitions going to school
funds. Other contributions came from local
events such as sales of work or concerts
like the Bannerman and Bellarmine
Secondary Schools concert held in the
School in the late seventies.
3
Performances by theatre companies
visiting the School included ‘Blue Bird’,
‘The Golden Fleece’ and ‘The Pied Piper’.
These were all much appreciated by the
staff and pupils. The Scottish Chamber
Orchestra rehearsed and staged a
performance of The Enormous Crocodile,
with some pupils as actors, in the School.
The local branch of the SSMH held annual
Christmas parties in Cairnhill House,
Airdrie, thanks to the generosity of the
owner. Columba High School issued
annual invitations to senior pupils at
Christmas to join them in their festive
disco.
Retirals of note took place during these
years. Firstly Miss A Docherty retired in
1971 having been on the staff since 1926.
Miss McMenemy paid tribute to ‘the grand
tradition she would leave but create a great
loss in her departure’. A few years later
Miss McMenemy herself retired after a
distinguished career in special education
which served to put Drumpark on the map
and attracted visitors from many parts of
the world.
These years also saw the departure of the
Misses Duffin who were tireless in their
unstinting efforts on the pupils' behalf. A
great many joyous celebrations took place
on the occasions of these retirals.
The most noteworthy celebrations regaled
the School and its supporters in 1976 on
the occasion of the Golden Jubilee. Open
days were held, exhibitions mounted and a
grand concert of songs and dances from
Around the World, together with a primary
performance of Three Little Pigs, marked
the occasion.
The exhibition included original
photographs from the opening of the
School, transposed from Lantern slides,
and an educational trip through curricular
improvements in Special Education over
50 years. Concerts and mannequin parades
became annual events at Parents' Days and
Prize-giving ceremonies. Drumpark won
the weaving prize at Ingleston again;
Football teams became more successful,
with Drumpark winning the School
League Shield.
This was presented to the team by Drew
Jardine of Airdrieonians. The Coatbridge
and Airdrie Rotary Club presented two
table tennis tables, netball and swimming
teams as well as football, continued with
great success. Under the expert guidance
of the staff of Airdrie Baths, Drumpark
swimming team became a force to be
reckoned with and won many medals and
trophies.
Extra mural activities in the form of
holidays and outings went further afield,
the annual Lourdes trip continued with
Handicapped Children's Pilgrimage Trust
reunions taking place for all the
participants. Two pupils were selected to
have a holiday at the home of Lord and
Lady Clydesmuir near Biggar to mark the
Jubilee of the Red Cross.
Outings went to Blair Drummond Safari
Park and Calderpark Zoo. By far the most
ambitious outing of the decade was a trip
to London with the help of the Scots
Guards incorporating about 30 pupils and
staff who travelled by coach, stayed in a
hotel and visited the tourist attractions
with Scots Guard guides.
These years also saw our first inclusion in
outdoor education, the advantages of
which in social development had long been
recognised by the teachers in special
education. The Guides and Brownies
celebrated their centenary by planting a
time capsule in the grounds. What will the
21st century think of the contents?
Friday activities became a feature of the
School week with subjects such as sport,
photography, art, board games, guides,
brownies or pirates groups.
4
The spiritual side of the School made
progress in the spirit of the age, towards
ecumenism with the first ecumenical
service being held in 1972, a most
impressive experience. The whole School
celebrated the visit later on of the
Moderator of the General Assembly of the
Church of Scotland, the Right Reverend
Robin Barbour who toured the School and
addressed the pupils.
Drumpark was included in many local
events. When the Baillieston change of the
M8 motorway was opened in 1978 local
School pupils were invited to mark the
occasion in a tree-planting ceremony.
Our two MPs of this era, Mr J Dempsey
and Mr J Hamilton, were frequent visitors
to the School. Interested parties from
further afield still visited the school to
study innovative practices, from Australia,
Ireland and India. Visitors from St Denis,
Coatbridge's twin town, spent time in the
School during their stay in Scotland.
This decade had its share of industrial
action, which in some measure affected the
School. As well as normal weather
disruptions during the winter, a number of
bus strikes occurred which prevented staff
and pupils attending School. Even once the
School buses were running again a
telephone message stated that Taxis and
School Bus Drivers would not allow
anyone to use their vehicles for transport
to School for members of the Staff.
During the general Post Office Strike,
School mail had to be delivered and
uplifted at Coatbridge High as opposed to
the previous year when during a similar
strike, cheques were delivered by taxi!
During the miners' strike, it was
increasingly difficult to continue to heat
the School and as a result the school had to
be closed.
By the mid-seventies teachers were
threatening industrial action on pay and
conditions. Although disruption was kept
to the minimum in special education, it did
have repercussions throughout these
unsettled times.
By the end of the decade, things had
settled down, but now challenges in
education had arisen which were to change
the approach and methods in the special
educational sector. A move towards
inclusion was afoot.

Chapter Seven
Onward and Outward
1980 +

The eighties became witness to the most
radical changes within special education
since the school opened sixty years before.
Having taken onboard some of the
recommendations of the Warnock Report,
the Education Act (1981) heralded a new
dawn and opened the hitherto almost
closed door towards inclusion.
Over the intervening years, mandatory
legislation had included the establishment
of a Record of Needs for the individual
child, a multi-professional assessment with
parental consultation at all stages, followed
by a future Needs Assessment detailing
needs in the adult world.
Educational provision was now to be put
in place for the Post-16 and pre-School
nursery sectors. The principle of
integration into mainstream schools, if
certain conditions were met, was
considered and in some cases implemented
successfully. The emphasis in the future
was to be on individual needs.
It became obvious that Drumpark had to
change to meet the recommendations
detailed in the Warnock Report, the
Education Act of 1981 and current
education thinking. So it was that these
years brought exciting challenges, which
were met enthusiastically by the staff, and
new policies which were adopted and
implemented.
Taking on board the advice that ‘a special
school needs to develop a curriculum that
runs as parallel as feasible to that of the
ordinary school setting’, a new timetable
structure was set up in the secondary
department and new subjects were
introduced in both primary and secondary
departments.
In addition, Post-16 and pre-School
nursery provision was set up. An
experiment in ‘streamed classes’, (still in
vogue at that time), was attempted but then
abandoned due to the small numbers
involved and timetabling difficulties. The
contract in class sizes had reduced
numbers to 10, 8 or 6 pupils per class
depending on their needs. Provision for
physically handicapped pupils was
centralised and most of those still
attending Drumpark were moved to
Craighead.
A feature of special provision in Drumpark
was the establishment of language classes
for children with communication
disorders, supported by the speech therapy
department.
By far one of the most important
innovations during these years was the
establishment of closer links with
mainstream schools. Both primary and
secondary sectors of the school benefited
from educational and academic cooperation
and the two-way transfer of
materials, resources and know-how.
In some cases these links resulted in class
groups from primary and secondary
departments studying topics in common
and working alongside their mainstream
counterparts in either location as was
deemed appropriate. One of the most
successful exchange schemes was with
Townhead Primary where pupils from both
schools worked together on a Road Safety
topic.
A notable success at this time was the Art
Department's successful presentation of
two pupils in Standard Grade Art on St
Ambrose campus. These two pupils also
won an Environmental competition and
were presented with their prize at a
reception at Glasgow School of Art. These
links often took the form of social
activities with discos, holidays and other 
2
celebrations laying the foundations for
better understanding of special education
in the wider community.
Many pupils were reintegrated into their
local schools as the authorities sought to
make provision and improve their
resources and support for special
educational needs within the mainstream
sector. Drumpark staff became part of an
outreach service, visiting schools to assess
the needs of pupils who were experiencing
difficulties. Movement of staff and pupils
became a two-way process with special
education and mainstream staff eager to
expand their experiences.
The School felt the influence of
educational progress in national
examinations and assessment. As standard
grade assessment replaced 0 Grade
examinations, Drumpark staff embarked
on viability studies in certain areas of the
curriculum which led to the adaptation of
many courses to suit the needs of special
education and opened up further avenues
of coperation with mainstream schools.
In the years that followed, the adaptation
of 5-14 courses leading to Scotvec
qualifications were part and parcel of
Drumpark's daily toil. Pupils and staff,
therefore, benefited from inclusion in the
various educational intiatives of the
eighties, particularly TVEI, Technical,
Vocational and Educational Initiative,
whose resources and financial input
enhanced the curriculum and supported the
establishment of Scotvec courses for
pupils.
By the end of this decade, the school was
offering a balanced curriculum of Maths,
English, Science, Environmental Studies,
Guidance, Health Education, Home
Economics, Technical, Art, Physical
Education, Music, Religious Education
and Computing Studies. Specialist teachers
offered courses to the primary department
in most of these subjects.
These innovations in the curriculum were
co-ordinated by new Assistant Head
Teachers with responsibility for 5 - 9 (later
to include 3 – 5, 10 – 14, and 14 - 19
years. A mainstream nursery was set up in
Drumpark to cater for local needs.

Chapter Eight
Towards the Millennium
1990 +

The impetus for change in the eighties
carried through the next decade. Parental
influence, which had been instrumental in
the fight against closure, became even
more powerful in the establishment of
School Boards, whose remit was to
monitor, advise and approve School
policies.
With the advent of devolved School
management, particularly of resources,
approval of the school's financial
expenditure was mandatory. Parents also
became involved in the appointment of
senior posts in the school. Democracy had
arrived! Pupil power also came into its
own with the formation of a school council
with a representative from each class and
the establishment of a house System.
Drumpark gained a new Head Teacher,
Miss Helen McNaughton and a senior
teacher post for the school. The
momentum of change accelerated,
enforced by government legislation on
contractual hours, planned-activity time
and flexi-time.
The pressure on staff increased as 5 - 14
recommendations in every subject were
adapted to suit special educational needs,
the repercussions of which are ongoing.
The nursery staff had to encompass the
implications of the 0-5 report in their
development plans. Individual educational
plans were set in place for every pupil.
The community nursery, which served the
children of the local areas, also enabled
staff to monitor, at an early stage, the
possible integration of pupils with learning
difficulties.
The impact of TVEI funding on the
school's development had been and
continued to be of great importance. Not
only did staff benefit from integrated
training courses with colleagues from the
mainstream schools - courses which are on
the increase year by year - but many areas
of the curriculum were enhanced by the
equipment this funding made possible.
Musical instruments, household
appliances, photographic equipment, art
resources and video camera were of
benefits to the whole School, not just the
14-19 age group targeted by the initiative.
A Record of Achievement award
accentuated the positive in a pupil's future
needs assessment (in some cases enhanced
by video evidence) and a Step-up-Award
marked the transition from the primary to
secondary departments in a positive,
meaningful way.
The inclusion of Drumpark pupils in
‘Compact’, a local initiative involving
schools, British Steel and the LDA offered
opportunities for Access to Training and
Work-Skills days with mainstream
schools. Compact, a contract signed by
pupil, parents and staff has continued as an
integral part of the school leavers'
programme.
Careers Conferences and Options Days
became part of the curriculum with
Drumpark playing host to mainstream
Schools on some occasions. An ambitious
work-training scheme set up by the School
gained momentum for a short while but
faltered, as have so many, due to the lack
of employment opportunities in the area.
Even the interest shown by local MPs Tom
Clark and Helen Liddell has not improved
the situation for our school leavers.
Within the Scotvec programmeexperience
in business management was
offered through Enterprise projects; the
longest running and most beneficial to the
whole school - though not to their dental
health - has been the school Tuck Shop. 
2
The Scotvec programme expanded until
now pupils have a choice of sixteen
subject areas.
Options of study courses are offered at
S3/4 stage and the School has been
involved in working parties on Lifestart
and Access modules towards the new
Higher Skill certificate scheduled for the
end of the decade. The expansion of the
College Link programme to include both
Motherwell and John Wheatley College
has resulted in School leavers having a
much wider choice for further education
courses.
These years have seen the birth of Care in
the Community, whose teething problems
are ongoing, and input for parents from the
Welfare Rights system. Parents have also
benefited from the many speakers invited
to address them on subjects such as
counselling, Key Housing, social services
end welfare rights.
The establishment of a parent network
group to facilitate the entry of new pupils
and inform and assuage the fears of their
parents has proved to be of lasting benefit
to all concerned. Inspections during these
years have concentrated on the current
themes of assessment, appraisal and
accountability - increasing the pressure on
staff already working flat out to keep up
with ever-more government guidelines and
initiatives.
The ‘open door’ policy is still in existence
but, for the sake of security, all visitors to
the School have now to be monitored and
issued with an official badge - a sad
reflection of the times in which we live!
No new building has taken place but
changes within catch the visitor by surprise
every few years. A dental suite was
established in the administration block -
used by local children as well as school
pupils. The work involved in devolved
management, required a separate computer
link up which is now housed in the former
medical room.
The computer room has moved to larger
premises; speech and physiotherapists
have been moved around. Old cloakrooms
have been successfully and tastefully
transformed into administration space and
a careers Base.
A new library and weights room have
appeared but, best of all for the staff, was
the conversion of a new airy staffroom and
the installation of an instant boiler! No
more waiting for the watched kettle!
Another innovation was the introduction of
a smoker's room, since the authority's antismoking
legislation came into operation.
The interest engendered by the UK Special
Olympics in Glasgow in 1990 resulted in
the inclusion of local schools in
competition for representative places in all
branches of sport. Therefore the nineties
have seen increased interest and
participation in Drumpark.
At Sheffield in 1993 the girls did well in
athletics and gymnastics but the
‘Coatbridge Bullet’ won the day with his
record-breaking gold medal triumphs. In
1997, in Portsmouth, pupils' expertise was
extended to volleyball, football and
swimming and they returned with 7 gold
medals in all.
Our best wishes go to the participants in
1999 who are heading for North Carolina
and have added golf to the list of school
accomplishments.
For those less gifted sportswise, the fun
continued with the Festivals of Sport at
Kelvin Hall where pupils participated in a
number of taster sessions to discover their
potential skills. Friday activities still
included a sports element with football,
swimming gymnastics or 10-pin bowling
on offer.
3
Even more fun was had during Staff v
Pupils tournaments in volleyball, deck
tennis and hockey. Any victory by the
Staff was usually the result of twice as
many participants on the pitch or of
downright cheating.
Fun-runs were held to raise funds.
Bargeddie Primary School celebrated its
centenary with Highland Games which
have become an annual fixture involving
the three local schools. The school now
participates in activities leading to Duke of
Edinburgh and Caledonian awards.
The most successful fund-raising schemes
during these years were the early new
Sales, held in Coatbridge and initiated to
meet the cost of trips further afield than
‘doon the watter’ - in 1991 Blackpool and
in 1993 Euro Disney.
Due to government cutbacks, fundraising
continued with Jumble Sales, Bingo
Nights and Race nights helping to finance
various projects. The annual Christmas
Fayre helped defray festive expenses and
both the Primary and Secondary Enterprise
initiatives were able to fund projects
throughout the school.
Coffee mornings and Daffodil Teas served
the dual purpose of fundraising and the
acquisition of social skills. The Guards are
still major contributors through sponsored
events like marathons and golf
tournaments. The support of local backers
- Drumpellier Golf Club and Patersons of
Greenoakhill, is invaluable.
The local branch of McDonalds helped set
up a Soft Play Room for the younger
children. Many parents have also made
valiant efforts to keep the school funds in a
very healthy state.
The school became more ambitious in the
performing arts with the production of the
musicals The Wizard of Oz and Oliver,
incorporating, as far as possible, all pupils
on stage, backstage, front of house or in
preparation of costumes and scenery.
Christmas was the focal point for Primary
productions of the Nativity and The
Littlest Snowflake.
The school joined in National celebrations
for the end of the Second World War with
a nostalgic programme of songs from the
War years, bravely, if not always
tunefully, performed by the staff for the
pupils. A most unusual sight at the
barbecue which followed was the Major of
the Scots Guards slaving over hot sausages
as he served the pupils! 70 Years of Music
and Come to the Circus celebrated the
school's septuagenarian status in 1996,
captured for posterity on videotape.
Throughout the years, groups visited local
pantomimes, puppet shows and the
Singing Kettle in Glasgow Royal Concert
Hall. Scottish Opera-Go-Round visited the
School and the Scottish Ballet Theatre
Group worked with pupils to present a
performance in Coatbridge College
Theatre.
With the new minibus donated by Mr
Paterson, trips became an integral part of
the curriculum for every class. The
resources of the local communityDrumpellier
Park, Summerlee Heritage
Park, Weavers' Cottages, Glasgow Zoo -
were available to all pupils as well as
forays further afield like Chatelherault,
Lochwinnoch, Blackshaw Farm, Burns'
country and many castles and places of
interest within striking distance.
The local taxi-drivers’ outings headed for
Aberdour and Ayr and, at one time,
included all pupils. However, latterly the
secondary sports have taken precedence
for older pupils. In the local parks, treeplanting
ceremonies again with local
schools, have taken place.
Drumpark was represented at the opening
of the Time Capsule in 1991 and again 
4
when the new swimming pool opened. The
proximity of the Showcase Leisure Park
has made indoor entertainment easily
accessible and with fifteen screens an
appropriately suitable film can usually be
found.
Residential trips, as already mentioned,
also breached new boundaries. Most of
these were to outdoor centres like
Colintraive, Kaimes and Kilbowie with the
programme focussing on outdoor pursuits
and the environmental aspects of the local
area; latterly senior pupils were selected to
attend Army Youth Camps where more
emphasis would be placed on physical
prowess.
Trips with mainstream pupils in study
groups to Europe were offered to a few
pupils- initially through EIL funding and
visits were made to Trier in Germany and
Lille in France.
The most ambitious trips undertaken by
the school were those involving most all
the secondary pupils firstly to Blackpool,
then France, Holland, and Belgium and, in
1998, to Scarborough. Hotel
accommodation and language difficulties
posed no problems for the cosmopolitan
Drumpark traveller of the nineties. A trip
to Spain is in the pipeline for the year
2000.
Parties and celebrations continued on an
annual basis - Halloween, St Andrew's
Day and Burns' Suppers were all
celebrated in an appropriate manner over
the years, plus Sports and Fun Days.
Christmas parties still included a visit from
the Scots Guards who came, as ever,
bearing gifts and filled the halls with
music!
The next celebration is the retiral of Mrs
McNaughton as Head Teacher to be
succeeded by the present Depute, Mrs
Margaret Sutherland, who will ably carry
on the long tradition of ‘gallant little
captains’ into the Millennium.

A PERSONAL VIEW

BY MARGO DUGGAN

JUNE 1999

http://staugustinescoatbridge.com/2012/11/12/a-history-of-drumpark-school/