Figure 1.--Almost all the junior boys at Greenock Academy in 1950 wore short trousers with their blazer. HBC is unsure as to precisely what the rule. There are other differemce among the boys, especially as to socks and ties.
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Figure 1.--Almost all the junior boys at Greenock Academy in 1950 wore short trousers with their blazer. HBC is unsure as to precisely what the rule. There are other differemce among the boys, especially as to socks and ties. |
Scottish and English schools have a wide variety of names. Some are misleading. Some comprehensives, for example, kept the name of the grammar schools they replaced. Academies are private schools, often comparable to private day schools. Private schools were often named academies in Scotland, but there were not very many in England. Today in Scotland there are academies that are private schools and others that are state schools.
Greenock is in Scotland. Greenock is on the south bank of the River Clyde (Scotland), just a few miles west of Glasgow.
The term academy has different conotations in the English language. For the most part the term academy is primarily used in Scotland. It was not used in the american sence of a military school. Many private schools founded in Scotland during the 19yh century were founded as academies. These schools were for the more affluent. Working class children attended state primary schools when they were opened in the late 19th century.
English schools have a wide variety of names. Some are misleading. Some comprehensives, for example, kept the name of the grammar schools they replaced. Academies are private schools, often comparable to private day schools. Private schools were often named academies in Scotland, but there were some in England as well. In England the term "academy" is rare and is usually applied to specialised, usually private, schools, e.g. St Martins-in-the-Fields Academy, which is a music school, or the Royal academy of Dance.
English readers inform HBC that "academy" seems to be widely used as an alternative to "school" in Scotland and that it doesn't necessarily indicate a private school. HBC had thought it meant a private school. Certainly the origins were private secondary schools as until the 1940s there were no state secondary schools in Scotland. There are, however, both private and state academies in Scotland. HBC at this time is not sure about Grenock Academy. Presumably it was founded as a private school. HBC does not know if it became a state school and if so when.
A HBC reader has provided some information about his school. Greenock Academy was founded in 1855 when a building was erected to the west of Nelson Street to accomodate pupils from the hitherto independent Grammar and Mathematical Schools. The staff at the time consisted of ten teachers and the subjects of the curriculum included English, Latin and Greek, French and German, Mathematics, Arithmetic, Book-keeping, Writing, Drawing
and Geography. By 1865 the roll had increased to 500 and in 1882 the management of the school was transferred to the Greenock Burgh School Board. In the early years of the twentieth century the curriculum was broadened to include Science, Botany, Shorthand, Drill and Gymnastics, while shortly afterwards Cricket and Rugby were introduced to the school activities. Between the two World Wars the academic reputation of the school became firmly established. The scholarship of the Academy pupils was simply demonstrated by a
record of sound results in the Scottish Leaving Certificate examinations and by a series of successes in the highly competitive Glasgow University Bursary Competitions. In one year alone the first, second, and ninth places were achieved by pupils of the school.
A separate building for primary pupils was erected just off Finnart Street in 1910 and in 1931 the four infant classes moved into a new wooden annexe in the back playground.
During the post-war years the school role increased to over 1000, with a proportionate increase in the teaching staff and further diversification of the curriculum imposed a severe strain on the accomodation provided in a rapidly deteriorating buidling. The study
of homecraft and obligation to supply school meals led to the erection of prefabricated buidings in what was the school garden. The current school building was opened in 1964 on the new site in Madiera Street. The school role is currently just under 1000 and is again bulging to overflowing. The Academy in 1950 it appears to have been an all boys' school. By 1971 it appears to have become coeducational.
The school was a fee paying one but not a public school like Eton-Harrow etc. It must have had state funding as the fees would not have been enough to sustain it but the main difference to the other schools in the town was that you had to pass an exam to get in. Uniforms in the other schools were either non existant or were not kept to rigidly. To get in at age 5 you sat an exam and if you didn't get in you went to one of the state schools and at the age of 10 everyone in Scotland sat what was called the eleven plus exam to see where you went for your secondary education. If you failed you went to state school and if you passed and there were vacancies at the academy you would be admitted. You could be ejected if you failed, but an old boy tells us that he never remember this happening.
The school educated pupils from primary right through to university level
The school was a protestant one and there was a fee paying catholic one similar to it. Catholics and protestants during the 1960s were segregated in education and most other things (An old boy reports that he never actually knew a catholic to speak to until he left school and joined the RAF.) Primary school went from 5yrs to 12yrs. The uniform was compulsory at all levels
The boys in some early photographs look to be secondary school age from about 11/12 to about 17 years of age. The age disparity look much to wide for this to hace been a form. The school may have been quite small and this may have been the entire school. Subsequent imamages suggest that the Academy may have also had primary age children.
Boys until about 1950 wore a variety of suits. I'm not sure what was worn in the 19th century. In one 1908 photograph a few boys wear Eton collars and one boy wore a sailor suit. By 1950 most boys were wearing a maroon school blazer. It appears during 1950-55 that the school changed from a boys' school to a coeducational shool.
Junior boys at Grenock Academy in 1908 do not seem to have had a srt uniform. The boys wear their school caps with a varoety of suits from sailor suits to Eton suits. They wear a wide variety of ties. Many boys wear short trousers and kneesocks, but I not sure how universal this was.
Older boys at Greenock in 1911 were also wearing school caps. They wear a variety of different colored suits, which appear to be single breasted. One boy wear a short trouser suit, but I'm not sure about the other boys.
A reader reports, "Girls were in the school pre-1930. I have a school magazine of June 1930 which has a photo of the girls hockey team and details of the
tennis tournaments held. Also in the magazine is an advert from “Weirs’ outfitters of 21 West Blackhall St, with prices of “Tennis frocks from 5 shillings and 11
pence to 19/ 11 each. Ron Spence is quite correct in his comment that caps were compulsory. Uniform was strictly adhered to! I have no recollection of my father saying he wore the kilt at any time
One of the photos from about 1930 shows the scorer of the cricket team wearing plus-fours and his blazer. I wore shorts till about P6, the blazer till leaving school." [Aitkenhead]
Most junior boys at Greenock in 1950 wear ties and blazers with short trousers, but many boys wear suit jackets. Several boys wear kneesocks, but there are quite a few bous either with short socks or who have not pulled up their socks. I'm not sure what the color of the blazer was.
School photographs in 1955 show girls at Greenock Academy. I'm not sure when Greenock went coed, but it was sometime between 1950-55. Most of the children wear the maroon school blazer.
A reader writes, "I left the Academy in 1969, having attended both the old school in Nelson St and the new building in Maderia St. I wore shorts till about P6, the blazer till leaving school." [Aitkenhead]
Greenock was a coeducational school by 1962. The boys and girls all wore the same maroon blazers and school tie. Caps were not worn. Only the junior boys wore short pants and grey kneesocks. Unlike the early 1950s, there are no boys wearing suits or with open collars. All the boys and most of the girls wear the school blazer and tie. A HBC reader provides us details on the school uniform and regulations during 1962. He explains that boys at Greenock did not wear kilts to school, but that this was more common north of Glasgow.
Junior boys in 1971 wear maroon blazers with short trousers and plain grey kneesocks.
HBC has been struck by the fact that throughout the years at Greenock that none of the boys wore kilts. We thought that at least a few boys would wear kilts. A student at Greenock in the early 1960s tells us that, "I would think that the percentage of pupils owning a kilt would be less than 5 percent and nobody wore one to school. I don't even know if it was allowed. I don't remember any one especially interested in wearing a kilt. The kilt was normally only worn by some scout groups, pipe bands, and army regiments.
You would have to go further north of Glasgow to see it worn as norm. Actually,I had to wear a kilt to church and hated it as I was the odd man out. It was a MacDuff tartan. There were probably some schools in the highlands that wore kilts, but I don't have any information on this.
Greenock School has a wonderful site about their school over time. This page displays a fascinating series of images showing the evlolution of the school uniform. I'm not sire what the main address of the site is which undoubtedly includes more interesting information about the school.
Aitkenhead, Alex J. E-mail message, July 26, 2004.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer]
[School sandals]